'I think I made a difference'

A little nervous, very excited,��� is how Pantaloons Femina Miss India World Parvathy Omanakuttan, who was a hot favourite for the crown all the way through and finally missed the title by a hair���s breadth to emerge the first runner-up at the Miss World 2008, describes how she was feeling at the finale event of the pageant, held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
But, none of the nervousness showed on her face, as she smiled and posed confidently on the stage along with four other pretty women who���d been selected for the final round.
Parvathy was asked to describe her journey by one of the judges. And, she did that quite confidently, with, ���In India and South Africa people are warm and warm-hearted. I felt at home in Johannesburg. Great leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi have influenced millions of people in both the countries,��� she answered to a round of thundering applause.
And then it was party time. We tried to talk to her, late in the evening, after the pageant. ���Please call me in the morning, I am at a party,��� she told us, barely audible amid the loud music. The morning after, Parvathy sounded a tad disappointed. ���I expected to win, you know. Especially after the question and answer round. I don���t know what went wrong,��� she said. But still, it���s after eight long years that a Miss India has managed to go so far at the pageant. Not that we haven���t won the Miss World title before. India boasts of Miss Worlds like Reita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999) and Priyanka Chopra (2000). But still, Parvathy has managed to bring India right back into the reckoning at the event. ���That is true,��� Parvathy agreed, ���I guess I have made some difference to our country. But still, I would have been far more happier had I won.��� That will not make a difference, wait till you see the reception in India that awaits you, Parvathy. ���Dekhte hain. But, right now, I am dying to see my cousin and my nephew. She delivered on the 27th and I wasn���t there with her,��� said Parvathy.
But, this whole Miss World experience must have given her a lot of exposure. ���That���s true. I meant it when I told the judges that the whole journey was a great experience. You know, after the crowning ceremony, there was a ball in the night. And there, the individual continent winners were announced. I won in the Asia-Pacific category. I guess that���s some consolation,��� she told us. That���s not just a consolation, Parvathy, that���s just great, we wanted to tell her. But guess, we���ll wait for her to come home for that!
Beautiful world
Russia���s Ksenya Sukhinova was, on Saturday, crowned Miss World 2008 after beating scores of international beauties at a glittering African extravaganza held in Johannesburg. ���Miss World 2008 is Russia,��� announced Julia Morley, head of the Miss World committee that organises the event.
The second runner up was Gabriel Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago. More than 100 international beauties participated in this year���s Miss World pageant, hosted by South Africa.
Sukhinova, who took over the title from Zhang Zi Lin of China to become the 58th Miss World, was crowned after a two-hour long spectacle that combined elements of travelogue and reality show. South Africa, who hosted the event for the sixth time, became the country that has held more Miss World pageants than any other. The event was broadcast to millions of viewers in 187 countries.
Sukhinova also had won the contest���s top model award and was third in the swimsuit competition. Miss South Africa Tansey Coetzee had made it to the final five.