This story is from December 29, 2007

Once upon a dream...

Chitra Sanam / TNN / Dec 29, 2007, 00:00 IST

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Glittering night of Pantaloons Femina Miss India South (PFMIS) 2008.

doweshowbellyad=0; Amidst the confetti and flowers...(TOI Photo) More picsIt was an evening of crowning moments, sweet dreams, group hugs and loads and loads of excitement for the 16 final contestants of the Pantaloons Femina Miss India South (PFMIS) 2008.
The evening ramp romp began with a scintillating dance by Malavika and the rest of the evening was punctuated with dazzling performances to hit numbers from popular films by Neetu Chandra, Devi Shri Prasad, Gowri Munjal, Sindhu Menon and Samiksha.
The crowd responded with a loud round of applause every time the stars broke into a jig. Each of the contestants had the crowd cheering out in support.
The first elimination round of the pageant saw eight semi-finalists inch closer to the coveted crown. Then it was a battle of wits where each contestant was asked a question by the panel of judges and five finalists moved to the final round. The last round, which was a 90 seconds question and answer round, crowned the winners.

Other beauty queens who graced the occasion were Priyanka Shah, Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2007 finalist, Miss Tourism 2007 and Esha Gupta, Pantaloons Femina Miss India International 2007.
Out of the seven judges, Nethra was the one under the spotlight as host Aseem Sharma flirted in vain with her. She had her sharp repartees ready. Co-host Sindura Gadde, meanwhile, hung out back stage trying to pep up the contestants.

The vigorous training sessions that Sabira Merchant, diction expert, Neeti Desai, diet and nutrition expert, Deanne Pandey, fitness expert, Radhika Rao, assistant choreographer, Leila Sharma, make-up expert, Hemant Trivedi, contestant director and choreographer and Dr Jamuna Pai, skin expert, put together, had the contestants prepared for the questions from the panel of judges.
Each round of questions by the judges was preceded by a sequence where the girls sashayed ensembles from the designer collections of Pantaloons, Puneet Nanda for Satya Paul and Rana Gill.
Puneet's designer wear was a dashing black, white and red contemporary sari collection in bold, graphic patterns. Rana Gill showcased her Fall/Winter collection SKIN, which is a signature medley of prints which flatter the Indian body. Interesting necklines, jewelled details and empire dresses so appropriate for the grand do.
Pantaloons showcased a rich and bright collection with a range of colours, keeping the essence of South India in mind. Sanjeev Agrawal, CEO Pantaloons said, “Pantaloons has been in the forefront of fashion in south and defining fashion week after week. Pantaloons’ philosophy of fresh fashion led us to be part of the pageant which crowns the most beautiful girl in the South. Today, our emphasis is more on contemporary Indian women.”
Also speaking on the occasion, Sameer Soni - National director of PFMIS 2008 said, “We are pleased with the response for this first ever initiative of PFMI in the South. We had very strong contenders for the title tonight. I’d like to congratulate each of the winners for whom the journey has just begun, as they will now participate at the Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2008 Finale in Mumbai.”
The Pantaloons Femina Miss India core team also thanked on the occasion, Pantaloons, the title sponsor, HAMDARD SAFI, Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Gitanjali Mayagold, the associate sponsors, SUN TV, the official telecast partner, Gitanjali Maya Gold, the official crown and jewellery sponsor, Novotel, the hospitality sponsor, Wrigley India Private Limited and Ray-Ban Sun Optics India Ltd. the co-sponsors, Radio Mirchi, the official radio partner. Event Managed by 360 Degrees Experience, Stage & Wardrobe Management - On Cue Productions, Official Website - Indiatimes, UB Group Antiquity Blue and Kingfisher our beverage sponsors for the post-event party.

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