MUMBAI, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Three years ago an inquisitive American tourist wandered into a waterfront slum in Mumbai and met a tiny, smiley girl. In March, a luxury Indian cosmetics brand Forest Essentials chose Maleesha as the face of its Yuvati campaign celebrating young Indian women. [1/5]Maleesha Kharwa, 15, a model and Instagram Influencer, takes a selfie next to a bus terminal in Mumbai, India, September 11, 2023. Since then, Maleesha has become a social media influencer, using the hashtag 'the princess from the slum' in some of her posts. Reporting by Hemanshi Kamani, writing by Tanvi Mehta; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Persons: Kharwa, Maleesha, Influencer, Hemanshi, Robert Hoffman, Hoffman, Hemanshi Kamani, Tanvi Mehta, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Cosmopolitan India, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, Mumbai, India, American