Indian Beauty Queens’ Fascination for the Film Industry
The relation between the beauty queens and the Hindi film industry is indissoluble and has been strolling from the outset. Since the glamour is the key element in both the fields, the lasses of the beauty pageants get instantly attracted to the silver screen. And once they are geared up to enter the filmdom, all the big banners appear fervent in casting them in the leading roles. Not only do they get the mammoth projects to work in but also are paid huge amount to act in a film because of the significance of their winning crown. With no background of acting at all in their kitty, these beauty queens nonetheless make their mark in the movie trade and create ripples in the business. Which is why they are successful actresses and stay on the top position. Some, after winning the circlet, turn to the other genres of glamour world like modeling, television, fashion designing, fashion journalism and emerge as the triumphant in the fields. Very few become the housewives and spend the low profile life. Since the taste of popularity does not spare them to sit idle, most of them get themselves associated with some glamorous projects to shove their fame graph to the heights.
Meher Mistry, the first to get the crown of Femina Miss India in the year 1964, did not go to join the Hindi film industry instead she opted fashion writing and modeling to make her career. Although the crowned queens had been proving their mettles in the fields of television, modeling, journalism and so on. But as far as joining the film industry was concerned, there were the three stunning gals, who followed their pageant careers with acting in Bollywood – innocent beauty Poonam Dhillon (who won the title of Miss Young India in the seventies at the age of 16 and then joined the Bollywood bandwagon. She gave numerous hits in her career), sex symbol Zeenat Aman (who first started her career as a journalist at Femina magazine in Mumbai after completing her studies from Los Angles then moved on to modeling and later on was crowned the Miss Asia Pacific in 1970. She stepped in Bollywood with the flick, ‘Roti Kapra Aur Makaan’ opposite Manoj Kumar but it was Dev Anand who gave her the taste of success with his critically acclaimed film, ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ in 1972) and the ravishing Tina Munim who got the tiara of the ‘International Teen Princess’ way back in the seventies. The evergreen legendary actor-filmmaker Dev Anand launched her in his blockbuster, ‘Des Pardes’. The trio really did big in the films.
After Poonam, Zeenat and Tina, the gorgeous lasses of the beauty pageants started to flow into the Hindi film industry. Sangeeta Bijlani (wife of the famous cricketer Mohammad Azhar ud Din), a name to reckon with on the ramp, won the title of Miss India in 1980. Soon after, she was seen on the silver screen enacting with the giant male costars like Vinod Khanna, Jackie Shroff, Naseeruddin Shah and many others. ‘Tridev’ is the enterprise, which still reminds of her good acting prowess. The finest model turned actress Juhi Chawla got her crown of Miss India in 1984 and after a few years’ hiatus, she made her Bollywood debut with Aamir Khan in ‘Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’. Today she leads a happy married life with the millionaire Jay Mehta and runs a film production company ‘Dreams Unlimited’ with Shah Rukh Khan and filmmaker Aziz Mirza. Sonu Walia, a psychology graduate and a student of journalism, was conferred with the title of Miss India in 1985. After winning the crown, she embarked on a career in film acting and won accolades for her performance in her very first film. Miss India 1992, the leggy gal Madu Sapre’s entry into Bollywood was with the film, ‘Boom’ with Amitabh Bachchan and Jackie Shroff. She still is the hot favorite ramp model.
Namarta Shirodker, Miss India 1993 was launched in Bollywood opposite with the macho man Salman Khan in ‘Jab Pyar Kissi Se Hota Hai’. Today she is married but still has sparks for the movies. The long-legged Pooja Batra, Miss India Second Runner-Up 1993 was introduced in a film, ‘Virasat’ opposite Anil Kapoor.
The very gorgeous Sushmita Sen (nicknamed Sush in the industry) won the title of Miss India in 1994 and the same year she got the Miss Universe crown in Manila. The coveted filmmaker Vikram Bhatt gave her the launching pad with his venture, ‘Dastak’ opposite Mukel Dev. During the shooting, both Vikram and Sushmita fell in love with each other but finally after some years they broke-up the relationship. The same year (1994), Aishwariya Rai (nicknamed Ash) Miss India First Runner-Up was crowned Miss World in South Africa. Soon after winning the title, the offers started to pour on to her. And she made her debut in movies with the film, ‘Aur Pyar Hogaya’ opposite Bobby Deol. Today she is married to Abhishek Bachchan and called the world’s most beautiful woman.
Diana Hayden, Miss India First Runner-Up 1997 (who won the Miss World title in Seychelles) and Miss India First Runner-Up 1999 Yukta Mookhey (The 5’11” tall brunette who became Miss World in 1999 at London’s Olympia Theater) too joined Bollywood but unfortunately could not make better in films. Gul Pang, Miss India 1999 did handsome jobs on the celluloid in the movies such as ‘Jurm’ and ‘Dor’. She is still in good demands by the filmmakers.
The year 2000 proved to be magically precious for India when the three beautiful ladies – the stunning Lara Dutta (Miss India 2000 who wore the crown of Miss Universe in Cyprus), the dusky beauty Priyanka Chopra (Miss India First Runner-Up 2000 who won the Miss World crown in London) and the elegant Diya Mirza (who got the title of Miss Asia Pacific in Manila) brought all the three titles of beauty pageant in the country. Lara and Priyanka both were launched together opposite Akshay Kumar in ‘Andaaz’ and Diya was introduced in ‘Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein’. Today all the three gorgeous women are doing pretty well in the films and rated the big actresses of Bollywood. Celina Jaitley (Miss India 2001), a real crowd puller gal due to her curvaceous body is doing great in movies. Neha Dhupia, the dark brown-eyed girl (Miss India 2002) and Tanushree Dutta (Miss India 2004) are proving their skills of acting impeccably in Bollywood.
Without any doubt, the contribution of beauty queens to the silver screen is remarkable and this trend must go on.
- Written By: Goher Iqbal Punn
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- The writer is a popular and experienced Bollywood and Indian TV Analyst and laced with a good rapport with both of these fraternities and the people associated with these entertainment worlds. He also shares a good rapport with the celebs of these swanky industries. You may contact him at the e-mails: goheriqbal@yahoo.co.uk, goher.punn@yahoo.com and goher.punn@gmail.com
