HYDERABAD: Many girls grow up dreaming to be the supermodel of her country and represent the entire nation at the various international beauty pageants across the globe — but very few listen to that voice and follow that dream. One such girl whose eyes twinkled with such dreams is Mumbaikaar Sini Shetty whose roots go back all the way to Karnataka. She has left no stone unturned to prove herself at the recent Femina Miss India 2022 competition. Receiving the Femina Miss India 2022 crown, she has made a proud moment for herself, fans and family. Sini was in town to unveil the Centro Grande Wedding and Festive footwear collection and we caught up with her where, in a freewheeling chat, she opens up about her win.
Sharing how she landed at the pageant, Sini says, “The rollercoaster ride started as soon as I filled in the registration form for the competition and after a week I received a call back saying that I was among the top 15 for Miss Karnataka. After the states had their eliminations, there was an offline audition at the venue that selected participants had to battle out in. We then had an interview with the jury and a week later, I got a call confirming my place among the 31 top finalists!”
Sini calls it a journey of a kind that she, an academic from a corporate world, suddenly entered. “Then I met my 30 other soul sisters, from whom I got a lot to learn a lot. Learning through their values, cultures and having fun — that was when prepping for the talent show began. I created a better version of who I thought I was and it was not an easy job. There is a lot of luck and love from people around me and all these combined resulted in my win,” she tells CE.
Talking about the many challenges that came her way during the competition, she says, “I think I was being moulded beautifully through the entire journey. I was always a student of life, so learning through everything and the challenge was a total shift from the corporate world to showbiz. I couldn’t quit the job, so I was managing that and my passion for performing and teaching dance — all at the same time. I gave it my all and put my whole heart and soul into it and the result is for all to see.”
Speaking about what kept her motivated she says, “I think I have always been an opportunistic person, I have always been ambitious and an explorer. If I had something in my hand, if I know it’s an opportunity, then I give my best. This was a great opportunity for me and the fact that I get to represent India on an international stage was something that many dream of and I count myself blessed enough to be able to take it ahead.”
Sini says she noticed how many women in her community do not find independent individualism and “that would be my sole motive, where individuality is a boon,” she believes. With all her focus on the Miss World pageant, she plans to give it her all in the next few months.