Pantaloons Femina Miss India ’09 trainers including (from top left): Sandip Soparrkar, Najeeb Ur Rehman, Ashley Rebello, Prasad Bidapa, Marc Robinson, Prashant Talwalkar, Dr Abhijit Desai, Dr Apoorva Shah, Vivian D Silva. (Sitting, from left) Jesse Randhawa, Alicia Raut, Anjanna Kuthiala, Zakia Shakir, Dr Rekha Seth, Dr Sonal Shah and Sabira Merchant, pose exclusively for us at Mabruk, the Mediterranean at Sahara Star Hotel, Mumbai
Ask the Pantaloons Femina Miss India ’09 contestants about how confident they feel from the very first day their training session started right till the finale, and pat comes the reply, “Our trainers moulded us into completely new people. We’ve grown stronger, confident and more focussed.”
The trainers gave valuable tips to all the young participants, and also gave inputs that would add to their personalities.
Training them over a span of one month, Prasad Bidapa – contestant advisor says, “The most important thing for the girls to realise is that they must start thinking global from now itself. I reiterate to them to not just think India, but to think World, Universe, Earth; it’s important that they have the mindset of an international contest from this stage itself. For me, it’s not about the most beautiful girl, or the most intelligent, it’s the one who can successfully cope with the intense pressures of the training period and the competition, one who overcomes her shortcomings and then emerges a winner. I help the girls build their confidence levels, because that’s what will keep them in good stead not just on the final day, but throughout the training period. Like Sushmita Sen, who had that steely desire to win from the start, even when the other girls had secretly given up because Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was a contestant that year. And Priyanka Chopra, the tempering during her contest-training days is helping her in Bollywood even today. My tip for the girls: This is your one big chance, give it your really best shot!”
Sabira Merchant – diction expert says, “I stress on polishing their speech and diction and neutralising their accents, because some of them have quite heavy accents. Not everybody has that ‘X’ factor, but I help them cultivate that magic which they should project when addressing the judges, audience and others they interact with. My basic tip to them is to answer the questions honestly and with an air of confidence.”
Dr Rekha Seth, the Nivea Visage skin expert advised the participants on taking good care of their skin in a way which will help it retain the glow for many years to come. She says, “I have always advised the girls to try and maintain the natural beauty of their skin. A simple regime to keep it healthy is enough. Of course, most important of all is to consume water to keep the cells hydrated and also to wear a sunscreen. What is equally important is that even after the pageant is over, this regime and knowledge will keep them beautiful in the times to come. Inner beauty always makes a person shine.”
Najeeb Ur Rehman – chief colour and styling consultant from Schwarzkopf Professional advised participants to understand the nature of their hair. “Knowing your own hair and scalp is extremely important to the grooming process. Hair is your permanent accessory, and healthy, shining, glowing hair can make or break a face.” He added that his job is to educate the girls on the basics of good hair-care which is cleansing and conditioning, and, as he says, “I individually sit with the girls for the styling and colouring bit, because that depends on the hair-texture, shape of the face, etc,” he claims.
Anjanna Kuthiala – art-appreciation trainer says, “The art-appreciation section is a new incorporation in the contest, and I have to say that it’s one that the girls are most pleased about. The idea behind the endeavour is that art is a form of effective therapy, it’s a great stress-buster, and this was the one day when the girls were absolutely chilled-out, not bothering about their clothes or make-up. It was an afternoon of pure fun.I gave them a theme – ‘A thing of beauty is a joy forever’ – and each one of them did a painting (these were auctioned for the cause of the cancer patients
at the Tata Memorial hospital). My only advice to them was to paint from the heart and with passion and not think in terms of technicalities. Considering most of them didn’t have a clue about oil painting, their works really surprised me, as they were quite good!” Paintings that are made by the contestants of the PFMI ’09 under Anjana’s supervision are available on www.art.indiatimes.com for sale, and the proceeds of the same will be towards the Tata Memorial hospital.
Alicia Raut – ramp-walk trainer spoke to the girls about how a confident ramp walk can be. “The basic tenet of being in the glamour profession is that you have to love the camera. And when you love being in front of the camera, it shows. That’s my first tip to the girls. Then, I teach them the basics of ramp walking, like how to walk with heels, avoid a lock-knee, how to make the right entry and exit, and how to stop and pose at the head ramp and mid-ramp. Essentially, it’s all about being in control on the ramp. Another tip I give them is not to copy another person’s style of walking, just get the basics right and then just be yourself and go with the flow.”
Sandip Soparrkar and Jesse Randhawa – dance experts taught the girls to enjoy the fluid musical movements in their body. “We brief the girls about all the international dance forms, so that they have that extra knowledge when out in the world. Dance is essentially a form of relaxation, so this session helps the girls to relax. We also teach them some posture techniques which they can use when they are on stage as well as some graceful hand movements so that they are more at ease when on the stage,” they say.
Dr Apoorva and Dr Sonal Shah, hair-care experts advised the participants to take extensive care of their crowning glory. They said, “Just as a person with a heart problem would consult a cardiologist, hair problems require specialised knowledge to be effectively treated. Thus, through the fine solutions of trichology, good health of the hair can be effectively maintained.” With years of experience, Dr Apoorva and Dr Sonal have combined the know-how of a medical practitioner with the finesse of an aesthetician, and each year, the PFMI participants benefit immensely from their advice.
Dr Abhijit Desai – makeover expert, is a visionary in the field of cosmetic medicine. He put his unique concept of having various fields of cosmetic medicine like dermatology, surgery and dentistry in to reality. He spoke to the PFMI participants about how real beauty can be enhanced with a makeover. “Knowledge and understanding of one’s personality is important. Once the needs are recognised, a makeover can help in bridging that gap and result in a complete personality,” he said.
Zakia Shakir – fashion photographer, spoke to the participants for over an hour before getting down to shooting their pictures. She emphasised on the fact that in pictures, it is important to bring out the real personality of the person. “Sometimes, the girls would be hesitant to pose or feel conscious. To them, I advised the need to be real. Once an act is not put up, a picture in its natural beauty looks the most appealing. It can also strike a chord instantly,” says she.
Vivian D Silva – senior make-up artist from Make up Forever, trained the girls on how to do make-up for different occasions. “One must understand the highlights of one’s face and body. These features can be emphasised with strokes of make-up in shades which suit the complexion. I would advise the participants to use make-up in a manner that enhances the looks beautifully,” he says.
Ashley Rebello, fashion stylist for the photo-shoot, dressed up the PFMI ’09 participants in drapes which flattered their slim bodies. Says Ashley, “Clothes which fit well and enhance the personality are apt for any occasion. I suggested to the girls to choose colours and cuts which flatter their bodies. And not to opt for silhouettes which do not make them stand out in a crowd.”
Prashant Talwalkar – health & fitness expert – Talwalkar, emphasised on the goodness of maintaining a fit body. “Exercising is important for an agile body and this keeps the mind agile too. A good understanding of energy requirements helps in chalking out the health regime of the participants,” he added.
Dr Dilip Deshpande – smile & dental expert said, “We at Evolve believe in team work. The team involves different specialists who handle the contestants in completely different ways as the approach is on totality, rather than only teeth, lips etc. Our main aim is to generate self-confidence amongst them so that they become ‘women of substance’. According to us, a doctor’s major role should be in helping these aspiring beauties to overcome their self-consciousness and emerge as a more confident person by the end of the pageant.”
Marc Robinson – fashion director & contestant director will have the PFMI ’09 participants walk the ramp aptly choreographed by him. It was 19 years ago when he initiated his career in the fashion, entertainment and media industry as a leading supermodel and a television presenter. His transition from a supermodel, to a television presenter, actor, fashion and event director has been prolific to say the least. “Confidence comes with knowledge,” says Marc.
And yesterday, at the PFMI ’09 finale, every participant walked the ramp and took to the stage confidently, thanks to Marc and all the experts. The event was shown live on Sony.
Filed under: Blogroll | Tagged: beauty, girl, india, miss india, pantaloon femina, sexy | 11 Comments »
