This year Pantaloons Miss India 2009, traditional pecking order of the titles was given a tweak, Pantaloons Miss India Universe and Pantaloons Miss India World shared top honours both are No.1 and were followed by Pantaloons Miss India Earth.
The Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2009 pageant seemed to have hopped onto the Deccan Queen Express, although its route included a significant Delhi detour. The three winners were: Pantaloons Miss India Universe 2009 Ekta Chaudhary from Delhi, Pantaloons Miss India World 2009 Pooja Chopra from Pune and Pantaloons Miss India Earth 2009 Shriya Kishore from Mumbai.
Easily the most anticipated lookfest of the year, the PFMI finale was held in the open air setting of the Andheri Sports Complex. The action played out under a large circular canopy on sets kitted out in a bold geometic pattern. The venue was packed out with only standing room at the back. Without so much as a whiff of breeze by way of relief, the muggy April air probably had even more moisturiser than collectively used by the contestants.
The common question posed to the three finalists was, What was the one thing you would ask God if you met him, and why? All three were earnestness personified in their replies. Pooja Chopra, who has been brought up by a single mom, said she would ask why certain children were deprived of the love of a mother. The spunky 23 year old, with a relish for kickboxing and paragliding, also quoted the much flogged Mother's Day line that since God couldn't be everywhere, he created mothers. Choudhary, also 23, who has given up a graduate degree in business administration, said she would ask the almighty why, if we had all been created equal, we fought each other in his name. The third girl, Kishore, a 22-year-old from the Mumbai suburb of Kandivli, who is awaiting her hotel management degree, wrestled with the issue of mortality, but in a rather confused way.
The new beauties were crowned by last year's title holders, PFMI World 2008 and Miss World first runner-up Parvathy Omanakuttan, PFMI Universe 2008 Simran Kaur Mundi and PFMI Earth 2008 Tanvi Vyas.
One of this year's finalists was Harshita Saxena from Goa, who was disqualified last year after she won the PFMI Earth crown because of her contractual obligations to a rival show. The re-try proved lucky and Saxena, who was among the last five standing, also walked away with the Agile Femina Miss 10 title.
Keeping the evening flowing with a ready stock of gags and jibes were hosts
R Madhavan and the enviably good looking
Malaika Arora Khan. Their digs were mostly aimed at big designer labels, with Madhavan turning Gucci into a desi tongue twister and co hosts Swapnil Joshi and Karan Wahi pushing the gag further, making Dolce & Gabbana into "Dhokla & Ganthia".
Posted by Neha Mehta | Views 548 | Share Blog
