One thing you have to hand our beauty queens: they're getting into their roles with considerable aplomb. How else would you explain that at their first meet-the-press evening, less than 24 hours after being crowned with titles every Indian girl dreams of, the three newest page 3 entrants graced the scene almost two hours late?
The trio walked like sharks, constantly in formation, the unfamiliar names settling with surprising familiarity into a podium pattern -- Ms India Universe Amrita Thappar at the centre, Ms India World Sindhura Gadde well positioned at the right, and finally, Ms India Earth Niharika Singh, left.
The three braved their initial set of flashbulbs nervously, plastic smiles groomed into place after months of intensive training for these very moments. Behind the masked expressions, however, were three giddily excited young girls, suddenly coming to terms with the fact that they had just made it big.
The media asked the obvious: were they ready for international contests? Easily the most articulate among the three, former journalist Sindhura replied with panache: "Beauty is never skin-deep. This year, the contest has been a search not just for external beauty, but a package of talent, intelligence and personality. We handled the questions well, and made things difficult for the judges. I'm sure all three of us have a good chance at the international pageants this year."
Reminded that no crowns have come India's way since Priyanka Chopra, (Miss World 2000), Amrita Thappar chose to add: "Every time Tendulkar plays, it's not always that he wins. Though in the past we haven't recently won anything, we will work in that direction. We are focused on bringing back all the crowns to India this year because India deserves the focus this year."
Text: Raja Sen | Photographs: Jewella C Miranda | Design: Rahil Shaikh