When she was in college, she wanted to be an INS officer like Kiran Bedi, who currently hosts the reality show “Aapke Kacheri” on Star Plus. She wanted a strong personality akin to Kiran’s and even her hairdo. Though she did not get to become one like Kiran, she however has already proven herself to be a strong personality, winning the coveted title of Pantaloon Femina Miss India World 2009.[break]
“When we look at Kiran Bedi, she demands respect, and I wanted to be like her,” says Pooja Chopra, the reigning Miss India World.
A graduate in Management, Pooja belongs to a middle class family. For her, winning Miss India World is a dream-come-true fact. Rich in confidence, aura and with sweet smiles, she, who stands tall with a framed body, is surely going to be a tough contender for other participating beauty queens at Miss World 2009 slated to happen in two months in South Africa.
Pooja is currently in Nepal as brand ambassador of Inter National Institute of Fashion Design (INIFD). She awed the Nepali world of fashion as she walked down the ramp of Fashionova 09 that was held at the Megha Malhar ballroom of Soaltee Crowne Plaza on Wednesday, September 2. The event was organized by the students of The Creation, an institute of fashion design affiliated to INIFD.
In an exclusive tête-à-tête with myrepublica.com last Tuesday, the pretty maiden of Indian vogue opened up her ideas on the fashion biz of India, her new avenues, her workouts for the upcoming Miss World pageant, and much more. Excerpts:
Apart from being its brand ambassador, what are your experiences with INFID after winning the Miss India title?
Once I finished college, I enrolled in the Pune branch of INIFD for a fashion designing course. Before I joined it, I thought fashion designing was an easy study but there was a lot of hard work involved in it. There was stitching, sketching, painting and more. After three months, it got difficult for me to cope with the constant pressure and hard work. So I quit. I went to Mumbai and started modeling. I salute all INIFD graduates for their hard work.
How did Miss India happen to you?
I was tall and a pretty decent looking girl in college. And in Pune, there were many fashion designers, photographers and choreographers who approached me for works. That’s how modeling started. Every now and then, my photos appeared in newspapers and I was on hoarding boards. People started recognizing me. And I was flabbergusted.
That’s when I wanted to get deeper into modeling, and I headed for Mumbai. But modeling was really tough there. For one shoot or an advertisement, there were not 20 but 200 models auditioning. Hence my mom and I started looking for options to establish my career as model. And Miss India is the most prestigious pedestal and a life-changing opportunity. Therefore, I worked very hard and participated in it.
Then how much do you relate your life as a model to Priyanka Chopra’s character in Madhur Bhandarkar’s movie “Fashion”?
Even I am in the movie, walking the ramp and delivering a dialogue. That was when I was a model. And I’ve watched the movie. There’s nothing in common between the movie and real modeling life. As a model, I’ve never ever faced any casting couch, and I haven’t lowered my self-esteem or my family’s reputation for anything. “Fashion” is just a nice spicy movie to attract audiences.
How is the preparation for Miss World going on?
It’s not easy. When I’m not traveling, my day starts at 5:30 in the morning with meditation. Then there’s gym and yoga; and half an hour with my dietician for what I must and mustn’t eat,. Then I meet my PR people. They train me on how to interact with the media. Besides these, I have to train on table etiquettes, prepare for Q&A rounds. After this, I go to meet my designers. There are 15 of the best designers in the country who will be doing my wardrobe and accessories for Miss World. Apart from these, and after I get home all exhausted, I do some research on the pageant and South Africa, where this year’s event is going to take place. Then finally, I go for my beauty sleep. But everyday is not the same.
How do you define your style statement?
I don’t go by trends. This year, for example, yellow was in. But I don’t buy more of yellow just because it’s in vogue. If I think yellow doesn’t suit me but some other colors do, such as orange, I’ll wear it. It is because I don’t want to wear anything that doesn’t suit me. If anything suits me and I’m confident in it, even if the clothes are a few seasons old, I’ll wear it.
What do you have to say on the heavy preparations that young women have to go through for pageants such as Miss World and Miss Universe, where usually participants return home dehydrated and weak? The same things happened during this year’s Miss Universe, from where some participants returned without contesting for the title due to dehydration?
Some girls towards the last moments kill themselves. They don’t start all the preparations earlier. It would’ve happened to myself for Miss India if I hadn’t started my preparations four months before the pageant. You’re supposed to have food, not starve; you’re supposed to drink water, and not dehydrate. During the last days, girls don’t drink water for their chiseled and toned look, which is not supposed to be done. If the girls start their preparations earlier and consistently, they shouldn’t cut down drastically on their food and water intake for quick results. So they are to be blamed, not others, for such incidents.
How much do your organizers spend on for the preparation before heading to Miss World?
They spend a lot. In fact, in other countries, it’s their governments who sponsor candidates to participate in such events. But sad to say, it doesn’t happen in India, which is a pity.
Honestly, are you planning to join Bollywood like your predecessors?
I guess I’ve been to 200 conferences and this is one question that I’ve always faced. For now, my focus is only on Ms. World. And for one year, I’m going to enjoy. I’m going to travel around my country and all over the world because I’m a goodwill ambassador.
Miss Nepal didn’t get to happen last year. Women activists affiliated to Maoist wings and a few other lobbies protested against the beauty pageant. They said it does nothing good to women, and beauty pageants only provide platforms to uncover women’s beauty with vulgarity. More precisely, they said that swimsuit rounds degrade the cultural values in women. What are your takes on these?
I’m from a middle class family, and do you think my mom likes me on stage with swimsuits? But she knows that we’re doing it for a cause, and moreover, it’s done aesthetically. If one wants to see skin, there are places for it; one doesn’t come to the beauty contest for it. The thing is when one is on the stage wearing a swimsuit, one’s confidence is on fire even if you have the best body. That’s the time when judges see how confident or not you are. Obviously, as Indians and Nepalis, we aren’t used to it. But if we analyze most works of art, they are nude. People find them aesthetic and admire them. So it’s just the way how you see things. Moreover, such pageants are confidence boosters.
As Miss India, what responsibilities have you undertaken?
There are two girl children in Mumbai who are brilliant students but are underprivileged. So I’m sponsoring them for their education for as long as they wish to study. I love kids, so even before Miss India, I used to visit an orphanage near my home. I played with them, taught them math and English, we had chocolates. And whenever they did well in their exams, we celebrated.
Any last words, please?
Please, I want all Nepalis to pray for me so I can win the Miss World title.
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