he National Pageant Diadem Miss India and Mrs India Legacy 2020 held its third edition at Kingdom of Dreams in Gurugram last week.
Following its mantra of ‘Beauty with Brains’, winners in different categories — Diadem Miss India 2020, Mrs India Legacy 2020, and Mrs India Legacy Classic 2020 — were judged on basis of performance in ramp walk and the questionnaire rounds.
Of the 200 applications received, 18 reached the finals, and Gurugram-based Visual Art Facilitator and Teacher, Priyanka Juneja, managed to grab the Mrs India Legacy 2020 title.
When the 36-year-old first spotted the advertisement for the pageant on social media, it instantly brought back childhood memories of wanting to wear a crown.
“I always wanted to set an example for women who forget their passion in the chaotic life, and prove that beauty pageant are not just about glamour but also social cause,” adds Juneja.
Diadem had chosen Masiksatya that helps in spreading awareness about menstrual hygiene and believes that no girl should be left devoid of this knowledge — as the theme this year. Due to the COVID, the audition happened online in the last week of October. “It was basically a personal introduction. I was so happy when I got selected because I was going to be associated with Diadem that works for social welfare. I had previously got through some auditions but I never wanted just glamour.
After getting a confirmation the same month, I immediately started preparation. Apart from losing weight, the biggest challenge was preparing the national costume - which I designed on my own, in such a short time,” adds Juneja, who weighed 70kg before the pageant and now weighs 57kg. Before being shortlisted for the pageant, Juneja used to start her day with a morning walk. After finishing household chores, she used to help her daughter (10) and son (5) with their online classes and then spend three to four hours in the Art Studio. “On weekends, I used to give coaching to underprivileged students and do Seva in the gurdwara. But after the selection, the fitness routine became even more intense, as I had to meditate, do yoga, and a two hours fitness session including weight training,” she adds.
As a student, Juneja loved to be on the stage. “But after 10 years of marriage, I lost that confidence and it was very challenging to rebuild it in two months. But I got a lot of motivation and support from the Diadem team,” she adds. The best part, she feels, was a chance to interact and network with multiple personalities. “I loved the success mantra session with Ruchi Jain because she told us that it’s not necessary to own a crown or a sash to do something good,” adds Juneja, who now wants to work with NGOs and brands for the betterment of society.
Diadem founder Amisha Chaudhary, says, “I wanted to bring a paradigm change in how people view the pageant industry, so we came up with the concept of designing a pageant with a cause, though I admit it was challenging to organise an event in such times.”
Nikita Jagdev was crowned Diadem Miss India 2020, while Archana Chaudhary won the Mrs India Legacy Classic 2020.