Dubai girl Aarpita Kaur is bringing home the crown.
The 20-year-old interior design student from Karama was crowned Miss Congeniality at the annual Femina Miss India contest in Mumbai. While she beat 1,500 hopefuls and made it to the top 25 in the month-long pageant, Kaur missed out on the main crown, which went to Jaipur girl Koyal Rana.
But, like all beauty queens, she’s graceful in defeat.
“It feels good. I got the most popular title so that’s great,” she said, speaking over the phone from Mumbai. “I’m not sad, I’m not feeling dejected. Whoever had to win won, and I wish them the best of luck. It’s all destiny. I’m just super excited to be coming home.”
The star-studded event on Saturday at the Yash Raj Studios also saw Jhataleka Malhotra from Mumbai being crowned first runner-up and Gail Nicole Da Silva from Goa the second runner-up.
With her title, Kaur, who’s been in Mumbai since February 21 to prep for the contest, wins a week’s stay at a five-star hotel in the city.
While contestants are permitted to enter multiple times as long as they are under 26 years of age, the Dubai beauty said she’s unlikely to do it again.
“I actually wouldn’t want to go through the whole thing again. Not because I didn’t win, but the whole process was not easy,” she said.
Kaur, who was born in Bengaluru in south India and moved with her family to the UAE 14 years ago, said they have spent more than Rs500,000 (Dh30,600) in the run-up to the contest.
“I’ve learned a lot from the whole process. We had four hours of sleep every day in the last month. We were trained by some of the best names in the industry and all that experience is what I will bring back,” said Kaur, who is currently in her second year of an interior design course at the Manipal University in Dubai.
Her parents, she added, have been with her through the entire process.
“They are the coolest people and my best friends,” she said. “I don’t know what I will do without them.”
For aspiring beauty queens, Kaur said confidence is key.
“Never doubt yourself. Before this, I was thinking this was not going to happen for me but it did take me somewhere. Just close your eyes, pray to God and go for it,” she said.
With Bollywood firmly in her sights, this young beauty and former Our Own English School student, says she wants to focus on the important things first.
“I want to make sure I finish my education and then let’s see,” she said. “But now I just want to come back to Dubai, get back to university and to normal life.”
To follow beauty queen Aarpita Kaur’s journey, go to www.facebook.com/ArpitaKaurDubai.
