Full of confidence and brimming with energy, she sashayed on the ramp and walked off with the crown. She smiled her way through to win Miss Radiant, Miss Beautiful Eyes and Miss Sensuality. Miss Kerala 2010 Indu Thampy is on cloud nine.
She hitches her wagon to the stars and wants to take the moon along with her. Very serious about her pursuits, this lass is a perfectionist.
At the same time she says, “This was fun. I enjoyed every minute of it. This is a dream come true. I learnt a lot from the 10-day stay here and got 20 new friends. It was nice to have my sister Reshmi competing with me.”
Indu loves to interact with the public which took her to personality contests and elocution contests during her school days in Saraswati Vidyalaya, Thiruvananthapuram. Leadership qualities made her the chairperson of All Saints’ College. She loves dancing, painting and writing and wants “to write books that are enjoyable yet informative.” Though she has been eyeing the Miss Kerala beauty contests, opportunity called only now.
Last year she was busy with the final year of graduation. Indu has decided to pursue MA in English Literature at the same college.
Though the stilettos were giving her the pinches, Indu relished every step and enjoyed the fusion round best. “I usually wear churidars and feel good in it. All the outfits I wore at the contest spelt comfort but I felt proud to be a Keralite in the off-white gowns.”
The best thing she likes about Kerala is the unique Kerala `mundu’ and `veshti’ in off-white and gold - so simple and subtle that it stands out of the colourful landscape.
She wants to “feel alive than be alive” and wake up with a smile each day, taking one step at a time, look around, see and perceive life. Believing in herself, she also believes in the power of sympathy, empathy and of course, tolerance. “We can’t stand everyone but it is important that we learn to tolerate.”
Indu will be in Ernakulam for three days busy with the ‘Save a Girl Child’ campaign and other activities which she is looking forward to. “Each woman - and for that matter men too - has the ability to win. But they have to strive for it,” says Indu who dreads failure.
Ask her how she’d feel if had she lost the crown and she says, “The rich experience and fun would have certainly compensated.”