Miss India 2009 Finalists launched a national campaign

JUST BEFORE the 2009 edition of Pantaloons Femina Miss India beauty pageant transcends into the final phase, the 20 gorgeous finalists launched a commendable and classic nationwide campaign to throw light on the myths surrounding cancer, called “Femina White Ribbon Initiative”.

The campaign is a combined CSR led initiative supported by three powerful bodies – Femina, Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH) and Nargis Dutt Foundation (NGF). It will focus on the importance of early detection and prevention and curability of cancer if discovered well in advance. This initiative will comprise of a series of informatory articles on prevention, detection and management of cancer in the forthcoming issues of Femina magazine, several Mumbai-based events/ awareness campaigns to sensitise the Indian citizens about cancer, fundraising by NGF to support the treatment of underprivileged patients and research on cancer at Tata Memorial Hospital.

The day-long humane interaction saw the confluence of dignitaries such as Dr Mohan Das, Dean, Tata Memorial Centre, representatives from Nargis Dutt Foundation Namrata Kumar and Kumar Gaurav, Femina Editor Tanya Chaitanya and well known artist and former Miss India Anjana Kuthiala to announce their association with the campaign and extend their long term support by way of creating awareness on cancer and spreading the message of love and compassion towards all that are affected by it.

The emotive moment of the afternoon was a fashion show put together by the 20 Miss India 2009 contestants who walked the ramp hand in hand with the cancer-affected children. Post the fashion show, each child was crowned and sashed as a ‘Femina Little Princess’. The children in all the enthusiasm and excitement loved every moment of this show. For the Miss India contestants, this benevolent act was just the beginning of their social mission of lending a helping hand towards the needy and engaging themselves in crucial social issues affecting our society’s growth.

What followed the fashion show simply awed the audience – two dance performances; one by specially challenged, visually handicapped and cancer-stricken kids from Tata Memorial Hospital, who were specially trained by Shiamak Davar’s ‘Victory Art Foundation’ and the other by Shiamak Davar’s professional troupe. Renowned artist Anjana Kuthiala announced the online selling of her paintings, the proceeds of which would be donated to the Nargis Dutt Foundation. To bring a broadened smile to the faces of children further, Walt Disney India organised a movie screening for the 150 children which indeed made their day!

Tanya Chaitanya, Editor, Femina, highlighted, “The most beautiful verb in the world is 'to help'. And we at Femina magazine believe that every woman has the capacity to turn this verb into action. As a part of the Femina White Ribbon Initiative, the participants of the Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2009 pageant will spread cheer and smiles in the lives of little children afflicted by cancer. Join us in our quest for finding beauty within.”

This was a day will not only be remembered by the children and guests but also by the 20 Miss India contestants, who will file this moment in their beauty diaries.

Pantaloons is the title sponsor for Femina Miss India 2009.(merinews.com)

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Miss India hopefuls shut out

Dreams of Bollywood contracts, television shows and international modelling assignments have been dashed for several young women in the Gulf region who had hoped to compete in the Miss India pageant this year.

The annual Miss India contest has traditionally attracted entries from across India and around the world, and there is fierce competition for the top three positions, which open doors to glamorous careers and other international pageants, including Miss Universe and Miss World.

For Poonam Mahay, 22, of Dubai, and some other would-be contestants in the region, however, it is not to be – this year, at least. Sponsorship has fallen significantly because of the global financial crisis and the organisers decided to call off the necessary preliminary contests or auditions outside India.

For Ms Mahay the news came as a cruel disappointment. Over the past seven years she has been looking forward to the chance to take part in one of India’s top beauty pageants, modelling and honing her speaking skills while she completed her education.

Instead, she finds herself one of several expatriate Gulf Indians who cannot attend.

“I’ve been asked for the past three years to take part. But I told everyone that I would only do it when I was ready for it. I had been working and studying before and I wanted to be prepared completely for it and that’s why, this year, I felt that I was. Then recession hit and bam! and sponsors were backing out.”

Although there are other competitions for expatriate Indians, such as Miss India Worldwide, Ms Mahay said her hopes were on Miss India because it led to the better-known international pageants.

“There were auditions and everything happening. All of a sudden all of it was scrapped. I am very disappointed. I had high hopes for this year but I guess now I have to look forward to it for next year.

Three young women from the Middle East took part last year, and two of them – Aakanksha Mansukhani, of Dubai, and Shruti Dilip, from Oman – finished in the top 10.

Ms Mansukhani, 23, was crowned “Miss Beautiful Eyes” in the final and also won a viewers poll. She has since moved to Mumbai to pursue a career in Bollywood.

The winner in 2007 was also an expatriate, Sarah-Jane Dias, of Muscat, who is now a video jockey with Channel V, a Hong Kong television music channel. With their unconventional looks and attitude, as well as their westernised accents, such women are in demand to present programmes that cater for younger audiences and reach markets outside India.

Emirates Vision, a Dubai-based event management company, has had a contract with Miss India since 2007 to send expatriate contestants to the competition, including girls from the Middle East and Europe.

John Mathew, the managing director of Emirates Vision, said his company and the pageant were working out a permanent strategy to enable overseas contestants to enter again from next year.

“The girls might have been disappointed but we told them that it shall happen next year.”

Ms Dilip, 22, who works as a biotechnology engineer in Doha, has been modelling since she was 16. Since her success last year she had gone on to compete in Miss India Worldwide, where she was crowned “Best Smile”. Now she is considering a couple of Tamil film contracts.

Ms Dilip admitted that it cost a lot of money enter one of these contests. Last year, her expenses had included clothes, flights and “a suitcase full of shoes”. (thenational.ae)

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