Aashritha Talluri,
Runner-up, Miss Chennai, 2003-2004:
I joined the pageant as an emcee and had absolutely no intention to walk the ramp. I am geared towards sports and love basketball. Obviously I was one of those rugged girls minus the panache. But the grooming I underwent shaped me to handle my economics and offers. I was clear with the organisers that I wouldn’t expose and wore only long garments. But post the pageant I got more comfortable with shorter clothes. I’ve endorsed brands like Nalli, Kumaran Silks, RMKV, Pothys, Chennai Silks, Man Mandir, Khazana Jewellery, Kerala Jewellers, Saravana Stores, Asian Paints and Bajaj Auto. I’ve also walked the ramp for Manish Malhotra, Sidney Sladen and Rehane.
I finished my degree in electronic media, fashion designing and my MBA in Melbourne. I’m now 23, and run my own chemicals manufacturing industry and am pursuing my MA Business Law.
Organiser Speak
Shoba Ravishankar
“They walk in with floaters and are too casual and comfortable with their clothing style that they find it hard to adapt. We put them into the grind of walking in stilettos. Walking straight is a huge challenge with most of them. Girls who apply today lack fashion sense,” says Shoba Ravishankar adding, “My best girls were the ones who joined in the mid-nineties. They were well-prepared.”
She also points out that parents had always been open to send in their daughters for beauty pageants. “Perhaps because they saw that we were two married women and felt safer to send their daughters. My own mother insisted me to walk the ramp when I was younger. This was 20 years ago!”
Samyukhta,
Title holder, Miss Chennai 2007-2008:
The pageant began as an exploratory one. No real intent but I just went along for the joy ride. However. the two months of rigorous training was slowly beginning to take a toll and I was wondering what I had gotten myself into. But when I won, it all paid off.
Despite the success of the pageant, modelling for me will always be part-time. I have modelled for many leading brands and made some good money. I have a degree in engineering and have worked in Dubai for a while and I know that I cannot make a living out of modelling alone. I had participated in the World Miss University pageant in Korea. Models from 45 nationalities were walking the ramp and it was an experience of a lifetime. I realised that the Indian woman had an edge over everyone else with her grace, beauty and intelligence. I also cherish moments of joining the ramp with models like Tinu Verghese. I have been the face of brands like Kumaran Silks, Nalli and Pothys.
Sahitya,
Title Holder, Miss Chennai, 2009:
I started out as a assistant to a designer and didn’t even own a pair of heels or lip gloss. The designer I worked with honed my skill and fashion savviness. When I registered for the pageant I had no clue what was in store. They helped me improve my diction, gait and overall personality. I knew I had what it takes. But when they announced my name, instead of shedding tears or feigning innocence, I swore! Since being crowned, I have been flooded with advertisement offers and have signed a few as well. Also ramp show organisers are queuing up for me and my popularity is only increasing.
Next year, I will be going to China to represent India at the World Miss University pageant. I am looking forward to meeting girls from 70 different countries and most importantly, this is a peace pageant. The winner gets to be a peace ambassador for the UN and visit war-affected countries. What better way to represent India?
Sruti Harihara Subramanian:
2nd Runner-Up, Miss Chennai,
2002-2003:
I guess I was the odd-one-out in my batch, because every girl there came with an action plan to be a model or get into the fashion industry, post-pageant. They were prepared, in terms of shaping up, diet and designing. I was 19, there was a summer break in college and on suggestion by few friends, decided to give it a shot. I honestly just took it up as a learning process. While it gave me a great foundation for modelling, more importantly, the training helped me break out of the shell and evolve into a confident young woman. Modelling as a profession is so much about personality development and mental strength than just glamour. Today I am an assistant film director, married and run my own boutique café Ashvita. I have endorsed brands like Pepsi, Bharat Matrimony, Reliance and GRT. I have started my own label, X A Dsgn Unltd. We design home decor.