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Maid in India...

Firdaus Ali

With 21-year-old Lara Dutta joining the growing band of Indian women topping international pageants, India appears to be the new fountainhead of beauty.

India now boasts of a beauty industry of international calibre where beauty enhancers, body sculptors, cosmetic dentists and etiquette teachers all help to put Indian beauty on the global map.

If a girl can smile warmly and give all the right answers, you have a sure winner. In the '70s India used to export gurus; now it is glamour girls. In a span of five years, India has turned out many beauty queens. Sushmita Sen picked up the Miss Universe tiara way back in 1994, the same year that ice maiden Aishwarya Rai grabbed the Miss World title. Diana Hayden made it a trio as Miss World 1997. Yukta Mookhey became Miss World 1999. And this year Lara Dutta has become the second Indian to be named Miss Universe.

"It is commendable that Indian girls are making it big in the international glamour industry. Girls like these three [Sen, Rai and Hayden] are living proof that Indian girls are amongst the best in the world," says Mala Singh, founder-director of SAMA [South Asian Modelling Agency] in Toronto.

"Indian girls not only exude physical charm with a gleaming skin and shiny hair, but also an inner poise and confidence. They take pride in being Indian and that comes through in their style, poise and walk. Added to this is a captivating persona and demureness that wins them the crown," says Singh, whose models have been chosen for many an international ad campaign.

One such beauty is Zeenat Vandenburg, 20, a SAMA model who is also registered with several international agencies and has modelled for Chanel and Tommy Hilfiger. She feels, "It is great that girls of Indian origin are making their presence felt at international pageants."

Vandenburg, however, says the same is not yet true of the fashion industry. "Indian girls are sometimes singled out in the fashion industry as many are yet to make their mark in the international market. With pageants, hopefully all this will change."

But Indian beauties are certainly being noticed by international fashion gurus and glamour experts the world over. "Indian girls do not need to expose their bodies to win a crown. They carry their country's cultural heritage on stage, which speaks a lot about them and the country they come from. One day, Indian girls will go on to capture the international fashion and glamour market," says Tricia Bhim, a Toronto model who was crowned SAMA Queen 1999. Tricia has now bagged an international ad campaign and will be traveling the world over to display Indian garments and beauty.

What is it that makes Indians triumph over veritable beauties from the world over? Some say it's the right mix of beauty and brains. Others say it's sheer chutzpah or even a cocky answer.

It all began in 1966 when a dusky beauty glided awkwardly down a ramp at London's Albert Hall only to walk away with the Miss World crown. It was the first time a woman from India had been acknowledged as the most beautiful in the world. She successfully showcased the Indian heritage for the world.

Reita Faria, a medical student from Bombay's JJ College, was the first Indian to become Miss World. Her transformation from gawky girl to poised princess was like a dream come true.

Fast forward to 1999. Another wannabe queen from Bombay swayed down a ramp at London's Olympia Theatre. But there was no bumbling this time. Mookhey was cool as a cucumber, sophisticated, poised, well trained. She aped her role model Audrey Hepburn in terms of her "inner beauty, compassion and great aura", winning the Miss World title and realizing a childhood dream.

While the girls are busy polishing their general knowledge and spontaneity, experts are converting them into glamour dolls with a better personality, chin, nose, hair, skin, even figure. Only the height is non-negotiable. A battery of experts from beauticians, nutritionists, hair stylists and designers to cosmetic surgeons, dentists, dance instructors and speech therapists create the right mix. All inadequacies are corrected through weight training, sprinting and a Vedic lifestyle -- fresh fruits, vegetables, yoga, mantras and meditation. Dance and jazz instructors ensure that these beauties walk tall, both physically and emotionally, working on posture and balance.

Many title-holders not only receive all the grooming and rigorous training from experts but also from hard-driving, ambitious parents. Together they work on fitness programmes, positive thinking and creative visualization. Brainstorming sessions on current affairs and ways to improve body language are a parent-daughter goal.

While in Rai's case her father was the driving force in her rise, Canadian beauty and 1998 Miss India Canada winner Melissa Bhagat attributes her success to her mother's determination and belief in her potential. "Had it not been for my mother, I would never have won the crown," says Bhagat, who also won the Miss India Worldwide title that year.

The Miss India Canada pageant originated in 1991 and has become a good platform for Canadian girls of Indian origin to showcase their looks and talent. Kamal Sidhu, winner of the first title, went on to become a television hostess, VJ and film actress back in India.

Komal Sahni (1992) appeared in Bell Canada commercials and continues to model and act in Toronto.

Ruby Bhatia (1993) also went on to become a television host and VJ in India and is today a name to reckon with in Bombay's entertainment industry.

Other winners of the pageant are Gita Bali, Rishma Malik, Komal Sahni and Poonam Chhibber, all of whom are doing exciting ventures in the Indian and North American entertainment industries.

Chhibber (1997) even became Miss India Worldwide as did Bhagat (1998), giving them international recognition.

The Miss India Canada pageant has prompted other contests like Miss South Asia and Mr South Asia, but continues to be the single largest South Asian pageant in Canada. As Kush Agnihotri, one of the organisers, says, "The title is only the beginning of good things..."

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