Finding one’s voice through unconventional methods

When Malavika, the new Miss teen Kerala, joined a beauty pageant, she didn’t expect it to help ‘find’ herself
Finding one’s voice through unconventional methods

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Be the catalyst for change, says 18-year-old Malavika Thampi who recently won the Miss Teen Kerala at the Miss Teen India national-level beauty pageant organised by Mumbai-based StarLife Productions. Back in her hometown after winning the title last month, Malavika says the pageant beauty contest was a perfect space for a youngster like her to communicate with society.

Malavika is about to join an acting course in the UK and believes the Miss Teen India contest was good for developing her skills and personality. “I am against the standards associated with beauty pageants. I don’t believe that the beauty of a person lies in his or her skin. I applied for the contest in January this year. I looked at the event as a way to meet new people of my age from across the country,” says Malavika, who was one of the 45 finalists in Miss Teen India.

According to her, the contest had many Malayali participants, the reason organisers announced the title Miss Teen Kerala. The contest saw the participation of young girls from age 13 to 19. The debates and discussions during the grooming sessions helped Malavika to find herself.

“Of the three rounds, the first two rounds were self-introduction and Q&A. In the questionnaire session, I was asked about the challenges the new generation faces and my answer was that the pre-decided standards on the job, beauty and education are the reason for low self-esteem issues among the youth. Society should accept individuality, may it be sexuality, beauty, passion or dreams. We cannot become carbon copies of each other. The need for body positivity was also discussed at the event,” she says.

“Being with 44 participants for five days helped me understand how different everyone’s lives and thought processes are. When it comes to my ambition, I wish to be known as a Malayali actor in international theatre productions.

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