It all began when Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen won the Miss World and Miss Universe title in 1994 — it spawned a revolution of sorts. This year, Ankita Shorey, Kanishtha Dhankhar and Harleen Kaur hope to emulate their illustrious predecessors. They were in Bangalore at a promotional event for Tissot Watches in Mantri Mall.
Ankita Shorey, Miss India International was born in a military family and has spent many years growing up in Ladakh and is a bag of contradictions. The beauty queen boasts many attributes that make her unconventional. Though she attended a regular school initially, she also spent eight years in a Buddhist monastery. “When other children were playing with small toys, I was reading the scriptures. I always liked academics and would have probably have been an archaeologist, if I had not taken up modelling.”
However, she left her academics behind and took up modelling nearly two years ago. She is quite the jack of all trades — she's learning Bharatanatyam, is involved in theatre and advertisements. She is in love with the camera and sees Bollywood as her passion and true calling. “I want to live and die in front of the camera. I have also done theatre with some prominent personalities and would like to continue.”
Drawing analogies from fairy tales one read as a child, she quips, “I was a princess to my friends and family before the pageant. I am now the princess of the entire country. However, winning Miss India involves not only looking good, but also means taking up many responsibilities. It is a little overwhelming at times.” ‘The Princess' is fairly confident about her chances on the world platform. “If you try to be a person you are not, you will not stand a chance in this competition. The key is to be yourself; package yourselves well and give it your best effort.”
Kanishtha Dhankhar, Miss India World, quips: “I got into modelling a couple of years ago and had decided to give Miss India a shot this year. I have still not got over the elation of winning the contest. It is a huge responsibility. I hope I can make India proud.” Post the pageant, Kanishtha is also looking at Bollywood as a career. “Almost every outsider in the industry has made her mark after winning a Miss India title. It does help give you a headstart. I would like to be part of cinema, which sends out a message. I would also try my hand at regular potboilers.” Kanishtha feels that inner beauty is the key to being successful in any field. “You cannot be beautiful all your life. It is important that you are a good person and do not get carried away by the pressures of winning the title.”
Hasleen Kaur, Miss India Earth agrees, “I have seen young girls go in for cosmetic surgery to look beautiful. In an industry full of beautiful women, you need more than skin deep beauty to pull yourselves through. Confidence and inner beauty is also very important.”
