There was a time during the 90s and up to the mid-years of the new millennium when India lorded it over a majority of international beauty pageants around the world. Name it and the mere presence of the Indian candidate was enough to strike a major feeling of threat among the contenders. In Miss Universe alone, their golden years spanned from 1990-2007 when two of their own captured the crown with several others either making it as runners-up or placing well in the rankings.
But that was then. Of late, their MU representatives were not as fortunate to create an impact strong enough to sustain an excellent record in the annual beauty derby. When MU1994 Sushmita Sen started I AM SHE back in 2010, pageant followers were optimistic that she can restore the glory of Indian women in Donald Trump’s game. However, Ushoshi Sengupta and Vasuki Sunkavali failed to deliver as well.
Here comes Urvashi Rautela for Miss Universe 2012. Will she be the answer to what India has been looking for in the past decade? Or will she go the same route of her two predecessors who came and went without leaving a mark abroad?
I Am She Miss Universe India 2011 Vasuki Sunkavalli
The past weekend, I have read a lot of mostly negative online comments about Vasuki Sunkavalli’s victory as I Am She Miss Universe India 2011. Many of these – coming from both Indians and Non-Indians alike – speak of their displeasure in having a weak representative to Miss Universe 2011 who is not even at par with Ushoshi Sengupta – India’s 2010 bet who had a relatively forgettable stint in Las Vegas. Some of the feedbacks were so harsh that I wouldn’t even think of quoting them in this blog, with a majority asking Sushmita Sen to return India’s Miss Universe franchise to its previous owners.
Well, all I can say is this. Let’s give the 26 year-old fashion model from Hyderabad the benefit of our doubts. She may not be our idea of a Miss India based on their outstanding national winners from the mid-90s up to the early parts of the new millennium. But she remains to be one determined and supremely confident lady who wants to get a clear aim for the Diamond Nexus Lab crown in Sao Paulo. And I reckon that she will do what it takes to up the ante and do better than what her predecessor failed to deliver last year.
1st Runner-Up Parul Duggal
Personally, I find her 1st Runner-Up and I Am She Miss Globe International India 2011 Parul Duggal more attractive, but that’s just me. At least, Vasuki is miles better than 2nd Runner-Up and I Am She Miss Asia Pacific World India 2011 Tanvi Singla. Then again, that’s just me thinking out loud.
All things being equal, the Asian region has, in my opinion, three leading contenders this year from China, Malaysia and the Philippines. If Vasuki transforms big time and suddenly wows everyone in Brazil, then I will have renewed faith in Sushmita Sen’s ability to bounce back from what she has started with mediocrity in 2010.
1994 Miss Universe Sushmita Sen has launched I AM SHE 2011.
40 beauties gear up for I AM She 2011
Mumbai, June 13 : The hunt for this year’s Miss India has started as forty participants qualified the audition round of the “I AM She 2011”, the official preliminary to the 2011 MISS UNIVERSE pageant to groom themselves up for the next level.
The forty gorgeous candidates from all over the globe were selected from almost 1800 plus entries received from.
To make their grooming sessions more perfect they will be supported by the first ever title holder of I AM She 2010, Ushoshi Sengupta as well as 1st runner up Reha Sukheja and 2nd runner up Pooja Hegde.
While former Miss Universe and Bollywood beauty who conceptualized the concept ‘I AM She’, Sushmita Sen, will act as the mentor for these young participants, the judges panel will include names like Aditi Gowitrikar, Jackky Bhagnani and Joy Datta.
“Given our experience from I AM She 2010, I am certain there will be nervousness in the air, as also an air of confidence and charisma that each of the twenty finalists will radiate, establishing a spontaneous rapport with their ability to connect and showcase their abilities,” Sushmita Sen said at a press interaction recently.
The judges will handpick the twenty finalists to grace the stage at the finale of I AM She 2011, to be held a mere five weeks from now.
The selection panel will evaluate the girls on criteria ranging from intelligence, talent, confidence and general knowledge to beauty, grace and charm.
“I AM She 2011 will be as engaging for the young Indian beauty, as it will be for their families. It will break all language barriers with a format that allows the contestants to express themselves in any language they are comfortable with, aided by interpreters,” Sen said.
“This was very well received last year, our first year, and the response was indeed very encouraging. Along with this new format, there will be many more additions which we will announce and talk about as we move forward,” Sen said.
Tantra Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., a company where Sushmita Sen is integrally associated with, was awarded the India franchise in Nov 2009 by the Miss Universe Organization, which conducts the pageant across 95 countries of the world every year through its global franchisees.
Paula Shugart, President, Miss Universe Organization, said: “I am extremely pleased to welcome Tantra Entertainment as our new licensee in India. I am thrilled to work directly with Sushmita Sen who represented the Miss Universe Organization so elegantly as the first Miss Universe from India. I am certain that she will bring the grace, the glamour and the intelligence to I AM She.”
–IBNS
All this time, I was clinging to rumors that Sushmita Sen’s organization had financial worries keeping them from conducting the 2011 search. It appears that everything has been ironed out, despite the fact that they’re already a bit late in the year.
At any rate, let’s wish them luck because they need it. After I AM SHE 2010 Ushoshi Sengupta failed to even leave a mark in Las Vegas in Miss Universe 2010, their 2011 winner should be an outstanding one.
Miss Australia Jesinta Campbell and Miss Colombia Natalia Navarro inside the bus on the way to another Miss Universe function.
Never-ending. These two hyphened words best describe the whirlwind of pre-pageant activities that the 83 Miss Universe 2010 delegates are experiencing right now. 24 hours in a day fall short of covering everything that needs to be done and each one of them should be given a full supply of vitamins and energy drinks just to keep up with the pace or fall by the wayside and get no photo opportunities at all. Besides, all these tasks serve as acid tests for the eventual winner. No Miss Universe titleholder can afford to be lazy so she needs to be constantly on the move, with a permanent smile plastered on her face and a winning glow tailing her like a shadow all the time.
The pictures above and below represent the endlessly tiring days and nights of being a Miss Universe contestant…
Miss Israel Bat-el Jobi and Miss New Zealand Ria van Dyke serving food during a Miss Universe charity event.
Miss Netherlands Desiree van den Berg, Miss South Africa Nicole Flint and Miss Spain Adriana Reveron pose during a tour of the Nevada desert.
Miss Lebanon Rahaf Abdallah, Miss Malaysia Nadine Ann Thomas and Miss Mauritius Dalysha Doorga take a break during the Las Vegas Welcome Sign photoshoot.
Miss Peru Giuliana Zevallos and Miss Paraguay Yohana Benitez dressed to the nines for a Miss Universe formal event.
Miss Trinidad & Tobago LaToya Woods and Miss Bahamas Braneka Bassett do cheek-to-cheek during a Miss Universe function.
A Tale of Two Venezuelans as reigning Miss Universe Stefania Fernandez and current Miss Venezuela Marelisa Gibson pose for a self-taken souvenir shot.
Miss Ukraine Anna Povslaskaya and Miss Uruguay Stephany Ortega do their share of photo ops at the Mandalay bay lobby.
Miss Dominican Republic Eva Arias, Miss Haiti Sarodj Bertin, Miss Argentina Yessica di Vincenzo and Miss Guatemala Jessica Scheel do a group shot.
And the activities just don’t stop!
Miss Argentine Yessica di Vincenzo and Miss Denmark Ena Causevic smile for the camera in a rest room pit-stop.
Miss Costa Rica Marva Wright and Miss Dominican Republic Eva Arias inside the bus before stepping out for another photoshoot.
A big group shot at the hotel lobby before starting the day's back-breaking appearances.
Miss Ireland Rozzana Purcell and Miss Australia Jesinta Campbell enjoying a bus ride with the other delegates.
Miss Turkey Gizem Memic and Miss India Ushoshi Sengupta find the hotel corridors good enough for a souvenir shot.
An aproned Miss Japan Maiko Itai trying her hand at food serving during a Miss U charity event.
Miss USA Rima Fakih, Miss Romania Oana Paveluc and Miss Venezuela during a sponsor's event.
Miss USA Rima Fakih, Miss Philippines Venus Raj and Miss Ghana Awurama Simpson getting ready for their swimsuit photoshoot with Fadil Berisha.
The pictures can go on and on and on, but only one thing is for sure – being a Miss Universe contestant is no easy job. And we’re just halfway through with covering the pageant. The all-important preliminaries are still upcoming! 😉
Honestly, it wasn’t that difficult selecting 15 ladies who stood out in the Miss Universe 2010 Evening Gown Photos by Matt Petit. I was probably vacillating a bit between my 15th and 16th picks, but it’s all good.
Instead of focusing on who wore the Best Evening Gown, I gave more points on who wore it well and posed with fierceness. After all, the whole pageant has been modernized to no end so out with traditionalism and in with evolution.
If I had to pick my Best 5 shots, the ladies on top would be Venezuela, Philippines, Ireland, Japan and Puerto Rico, with Russia being close behind in 6th.
For Venus Raj supporters who are up in arms against the orange gown she was shot wearing, please be reminded once more that this is not what she will don for the preliminaries. Nonetheless, she really went to the max with her relatively unorthodox pose and came out successful. I can say with certainty that she gave the best pose among the ladies.
Onwards with the body-painted swimwears (or 50%-reduced bikinis since a number of the ladies decided to go topless) which should add endless steam to the already controversial Fadil Berisha photoshoot. Watch out for our own Venus here where she was brushed in gold! 😉
Hi! Norman here. When I'm not working, I spend most of my free time planning on daily blogs. If you will notice, I always make sure that a fresh topic comes out everyday - not an easy thing to do but it's all good. Thanks for dropping by and enjoy the visit!
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There was a time during the 90s and up to the mid-years of the new millennium when India lorded it over a majority of international beauty pageants around the world. Name it and the mere presence of the Indian candidate was enough to strike a major feeling of threat among the contenders. In Miss Universe alone, their golden years spanned from 1990-2007 when two of their own captured the crown with several others either making it as runners-up or placing well in the rankings. 
