Calling all aspiring beauty queens who want to wear a crown and bat for world peace from the UAE and beyond.
Femina Miss India 2022 has begun its hunt for this year’s pageant and will be cherry-picking contestants who can represent their country on a global stage.
Residents of Indian-origin in the UAE are also eligible to apply for these auditions. In a message to Gulf News, the spokesperson clarified that 'Indians settled abroad can also apply and that the current place of residence' is immaterial.
According to a statement, Miss India organisers — who will be holding the contest virtually for a second time in a row — are looking for 31 representatives from each of the Indian States and Union Territories. Bollywood actress and former beauty queen Neha Dhupia is on call to shepherd the finalists.
The selection process will include an online registration process inviting specific audition video task submissions.
To participate, every applicant needs to download an app, create a compelling profile, and upload three audition videos (introduction, talent, and rampwalk). The 31 finalists will be chosen after an internal screening process, stated the release.
“These short-listed finalists will undergo rigorous training and grooming and be mentored by none other than the former beauty queen and actress Neha Dhupia. Subsequently the girls will be further shortlisted and will arrive in Mumbai to compete for the coveted crown at the Grand Finale, later this year,” said the organisers in a statement.
Dhupia has hailed this beauty contest as a milestone that altered and shaped her life.
“Each year in the journey of Femina Miss India, I feel a strong sense of nostalgia as it takes me back to all the learnings and experiences I’ve gained and will cherish lifelong. It’s always endearing to see these young participants so full of enthusiasm and ready to take on the world. It’s their willingness to succeed that leaves everyone feeling inspired,” said Dhupia in a statement.
The participation criteria for an applicant includes women between the ages of 18 to 25 with a minimum height of five feet three inches. The winners from this contest has gone on to do well.
In 2021, Miss India Harnaaz Sandhu from Chandigarh won the Miss Universe 2021, held in Eilat, Israel. Plus, this contest has given birth to six Miss Worlds including Reita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999), Priyanka Chopra (2000) and Manushi Chhillar (2017). If that isn’t enough, glory beckoned when Sushmita Sen won the Miss Universe title in 1994 and years later in 2000, actress Lara Dutta brought home the Miss Universe crown.
