September holds special fascination for Navneet Kaur Dhillon as she gets ready to represent India at Miss World 2013. There’s a spring in her step as she juggles between her different training sessions in dance, make-up, diction and diet. “As the day (September 28 when the Miss World pageant will be held) comes closer, I can feel the butterflies in my stomach,” she says laughingly and adds, “But I am enjoying every moment of it.”
Navneet was a regular city girl having fun with friends and hanging out at coffee joints till Miss India contest changed her life. “I was always a mama’s baby and now living in Mumbai staying alone is quite different. I feel a lot more confident and independent though I miss home and mother almost every day,” she says. As special preparation for Miss World 2013, Navneet has taken up the cause of safe drinking water in India. She explains, “It felt bad to see that there was no awareness among villagers about drinking clean water. In one of the villages I spent two days speaking about contaminated water and the ailments it can cause.” Navneet says she understands how villagers feel as she is also a girl from village. “My grandparents are from Kathwa in Haryana and I am from Patiala which is not a metro city. I have seen the army life which prepares us to adapt to any situation.”
The face of Ponds BB cream, Navneet is no new to Hyderabad; she has been here earlier and bought pearls. “I was here for 15 days and found the city a bit polluted. I had the famous biryani from Paradise, went to Karachi Bakery and was put up on the outskirts,” she recalls.
She loves swimming, horse riding and playing with her pet, but now her packed schedule leaves her little time for any of them. What about parties? “I like friends but I am not really a party person,” she smiles.
Finally, like other beauty queens will Bollywood be her destination? “Movies will definitely happen later,” she signs off.
