Beauty queen Jyoti Sardar on her missing the final shot for the Miss India crown.
A blank moment came in between the crown and Muscat-raised Jyoti Sardar as she bowed out of the Ponds Femina Miss India contest after the last round recently in Mumbai.
A googly bowled by a former Miss India made Sardar blank out for four seconds and she missed a final shot at the coveted Miss India title.
"It was the toughest question from Celina Jaitley and I blanked out for four seconds," says Sardar, who now works with an airline in Dubai.
In fact, when Sardar froze at the question, many a heart sank in Muscat where members of the close-knit Indian community were anxiously watching the show in television.
No regretsTalking exclusively to Gulf News at her parents' house in Muscat, Sardar is quick to add that she has no regrets about missing out on the crown — even though she was one of the strongest contenders.
"I am a changed person thanks to the rigorous 25-day training prior to the pageant," she says.
"I have developed new found love for food as we were kept on a strict diet by the organisers during the training."
A self-confessed nomad, Sardar would like to see the world as much as she can and also learn as many languages as she can.
"At the moment, I am learning Punjabi and Italalian," she says.
She believes that visiting different countries and cultures helps grow personality.
"I have grown ten years in the last four years of studying in Spain and the US and the past one year working with as an cabin crew member with an airline in Dubai."
Travel opportunityA Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering, Sardar, 5ft 9in, joined the airline because of her love for travel and the opportunity the job gave her to do just that.
Talking about her childhood and her days at the Indian School Muscat, Sardar feels that being in Oman she and her older sister were a bit over-protected.
"We got wider exposure outside Oman." However, she adds that her mother ensured that their personality received an overall development while in Oman.
An exponent of the Indian dance form kathak, Sardar would take part in every event – cultural or sporting – and at the same time stay ahead of the pack at her schoolwork.
"That teaching by our mother to stay ahead helps in every sphere," she says.
Talking about the Miss India contest, Sardar believes that it was a great learning experience that opened up a lot of doors for her.
"The training was like a military camp but that helped me rediscover my self and my talent," she says.
She has no remorse for missing out due to one bad moment. Recalling is she said, "I was relaxed and had in fact pepped up the other girls in the contest to stay relaxed.
"We as cabin crew learn to stay calm in a crisis but when all the lights and cameras fell on me at the time of question, I was a bit nervous."
She said that the negative nature of the question, (she was asked what lie she would use to win the Miss India Crown), threw her completely.
"The question had a negative steak to it and was the most difficult of all," says Sardar, who tried to buy time by repeating the question.
In hindsight the answer could have been, "obviously it is better not to lie," she says. "I was blank for at least four seconds after the question and a chuckle from the host rattled me further."
The futureOn her future, she said emphatically that she is not looking to films in India for a career. She said there were other options as many modelling offers are pouring in.
Sardar believes that there was something different about her from the 23 finalists.
"I was unique, I was Indian but I have lived abroad and seen more of the world," claimed the kathak dancer, who says that she takes Indian culture with her wherever she goes.