'I am open to Bollywood films' says Miss India

Parvathy Omanakuttan won the title of Pantaloons Femina Miss India World 2008 not only for her beauty but also her impressive answers to some rather tricky questions by
the judges.

The beauty queen was in Dubai last week to walk the ramp at Fashionova 2008, presented by Manipal University's Department of Fashion Design & Technology.

tabloid! caught up with her backstage for a chat and found that the young woman is confident, articulate, focused and much prettier than she looks in magazine pictures.

Excerpts from the interview:

What has life been like after winning the title?

Life has been very hectic. I have been travelling all over India and abroad to model at fashion shows, student shows, do inaugurations and interviews. I have no time for myself
and am missing my parents because I am away from home so much. But this is what I always wanted and now that I have it, I am really enjoying the moment. It has been a
complete role reversal. Earlier I used to admire other celebrities and now I am treated like a celebrity myself and feel like one.

How are you preparing for the Miss World pageant in Ukraine later this year?

My official training will begin in June, but I have started mentally preparing myself to win the crown for India. I believe that Indian women have everything it takes to win, but
previous contestants lacked the conviction and forgot the reason they were there at the Miss World and Miss Universe pageants. I am mentally preparing myself to go there,
do my best and bring the crown back to India.

What do you see as the strengths that helped you win this pageant?

I always wanted to be here and have been preparing myself for a long time. In college, I made it a point to be involved in various cultural activities and participated in
inter-collegiate competitions and walked the ramp at college fashion shows.

I did my first professional modelling assignment in my second year of college at a Hemant Trivedi show on the naval training ship, INS Vikrant, where I was the only amateur model selected. I also entered and won several beauty pageants before participating in the Miss India contest.

I have been the Navy Queen in two different cities, Miss Malayali and I won the Femina Miss India South title to gain a direct entry into the Miss India pageant. These wins gave me a lot of confidence in myself.

You impressed the judges with your responses to their questions. Did being a student of English literature help you come up with those answers?

It definitely helped. I actually wanted to study psychology, but missed selection by a few marks. I have never been an avid reader and was overwhelmed by the books I had
to study for the course in English literature. But I realised that the knowledge would be an asset in my chosen goal of winning the Miss India title, so I made up my mind to
study hard.

But the real credit goes to my teachers. They always told me that I had the potential to win the pageant and they would point out to me profound or witty words
in the books that could be useful in the pageant.

Who are your favourite designers and what is your personal style?

I am not brand conscious and do not believe in spending too much money on clothes. I am not fussy about what I wear and feel as comfortable in a sari as I do in a micro-mini.

How involved are you in selecting your wardrobe for the Miss World pageant?

I am fortunate to have designers like Hemant Trivedi and Ritu Kumar designing my wardrobe but I am keenly involved in the design and selection of the clothes I will wear.

What are your ambitions for the future? Are you interested in an acting career in Bollywood like previous Indian Miss Worlds?

From a young age my ambition was to be famous and be known by people and hence I focused my mind on winning Miss India. Now I am focused on preparing for the Miss
World pageant. After that, I am open to doing Bollywood films if I get interesting roles. I don't have one single ambition for the future. I just want to do my best and be successful in whatever role I play, be it as a daughter, wife, mother, model or actor.

On Dubai

“This is my first trip to the city. I have heard so much about it and I am excited to be here, especially because I am here for a student show. With a well-known designer you
know what to expect. But I find student shows more exciting because there is always something new," said Miss India 2008 Parvathy Omanakuttan.

designed by 18 students, each inspired by a different
theme. The grand finale featured the unveiling of the glamorous ‘Di Royale' diamond jewellery collection designed by Rosy Blue and available exclusively at Joy Alukkas
stores.

With sensuous curves and beautiful seven stone floral patterns set in 18k gold, the collection has been designed specially for the contemporary Asian woman and
includes stunning bridal sets as well as lighter sets for casual wear, evening wear and special occasions.

A panel of experts from the fashion industry judged the students' creations and prizes were awarded for best design collection, most innovative collection, best academic
performance and excellence in garment construction. The audience was also invited to vote for their favourite collection.