The making of Miss India

MUMBAI: A watershed event in the early-Nineties led to initiating a more intensive and rigorous training programme for the Femina Miss India (FMI) contestants to ensure that the winners fared exceptionally well internationally.
It happened after Madhu Sapre from India missed the Miss Universe crown in 1992 despite scoring the highest in the swim wear round and being rated the number one in her evening wear gown.She was selected the second runner up but it disappointed Indians to watch the girl from India get so close to the most coveted title and lose it.
The efforts of the new look training bore fruits two years later when Sushmita Sen became the first Indian beauty to win the Miss Universe crown in 1994. Before Sushmita it was Miss World 1966 Reita Faria who had fleetingly put India on the beauty map of the world. And after a gap of 28 years Aishwarya Rai won the Miss World title once again in 1994. Since then India’s array of title-winning beauties have charmed the world by winning at international pageants.
The year 1991 was an epochal year for India in many ways. It was a time of energy and hope. Indian men and women began to explore the world beyond the Indian boundaries. Career in modelling and entertainment opened up for young people that convinced aspiring models and actors that winning in a pageant would give a head start to their careers. Hence, they began striving for excellence.
The annual FMI contest, organised and produced by the Times of India, the largest selling daily in the world, has been training contestants (unmarried girls of Indian nationality between 18 to 23 years of age and at least 5 feet 6 inches tall) since 1964. Its detailed, month-long training (to about 26 girls before they enter the finals) designed by experts and professionals aims to look for the most beautiful, talented persons with potentials to be international winners at the contests at Miss World, Universe and Earth.
The world class training is the secret behind Indian girls coming out with flying colours at international pageants.
Mickey Mehta who trained the contestants this year and is a fitness expert to many film stars, describes the training in a nutshell as, "Overall cleansing of body, mind and soul."
It includes catwalk, skin and hair care, make-up and grooming, diet and fitness, speech and diction, the Art of Living course and a workshop that provides information on Indian music, art and culture, have been recently introduced to help the contestants, organise, conduct and carry themselves better. The training inculcates a feeling of sister-hood, healthy competition and accords them a worldview.
Stress is laid on inner beauty, as beauty starts from within. Dr Anjali Mukherjee who has been associated with the contest for last six years says that a diet is planned with a focus on de-toxifying the body, increase the energy levels and build immunity. And before the winners go to the international pageants, a maintenance plan is handed to them. "Those who have clearly understood the true meaning of wearing health from within, do follow it later as a life style," says Dr Anjali Mukherjee.
The FMI winners have carved out successful careers in their chosen spheres of life. Diana Hayden, a Miss India winner who went on to win the Miss world title in 1997 and is now a theatre actress in Britain says, "I''ve come from being a regular working girl, earning Rs 2,500, to having just bought a five-bedroom apartment in London." Another FMI winner Minni Menon went on to join the CNN as a journalist.
Commenting on the care taken of the contestants, Shruti Sharma, who represented India in the Miss World pageant held last year says, "Unlike India, no country shows so much interest in their participants. I was given the best designer clothes for every occasion, even my night gowns were so tastefully selected."
Another winner, Yukta Mookhey, Miss World 1999 says, "The one thing I learnt during my training was to recognise my own assets as an individual and nurture them."
Shikha Swaroop, Miss India 1988 and later an actress remarks, "The title of Miss India is like a feather in the cap. And it''s always considered as a feather for years and years to come."
Despite the achievements of Indian women at the international pageant, doubting Thomases raise questions about the purpose of holding such a contest. Is India just a beauty queen –churning machine? What good does it do to the common man?
"Nobody asks what good Sachin Tendulkar''s century in a cricket match do to the common man on the streets?" retorts Sathya Saran, Editor, Femina.
She brushes aside such the oft-repeated remarks as "irritating and not worth commenting on" adding that such casual remarks are made because here the ones achieving something are women. "The reason Indian women are doing well at international pageants is because something is happening to them from within," she explains. And predicts that not just Indian but even Chinese women will start winning in the next five years. "Watch out for them. They look beautiful (tall) and speak English," driving home the point that development and better training is the basis for this change.
Since it first began, the FMI pageant''s focus has shifted from finding the most beautiful women in the country to getting a set of women with finesse and class required in international events. And it''s not just about lining-up a bevy of beauties on the stage for the D-day.
For several years, beauty contests were considered demeaning. But with time the outlook has changed. And, today, Miss India winners have acquired the status of being the beauty ambassadors of their country.