Parvathy Omanakuttan, a 20-year-old from Kerala, was crowned as the Pantaloon Femina Miss World 2008. Simran Kaur, a 22-year-old from Mumbai won the Miss India Universe 2008 title and Harshita Saxena, 20, from Goa, was the Pantaloons Femina Miss India Earth 2008.
The gala evening started with the beautiful contestants performing to the theme track Main Miss India specially choreographed by Sandip Soparrkar wearing gorgeous drapes by Shaina NC.
The stunning contestants then walked the ramp specially choreographed by Hemant Trevedi – Official Choreographer and Contestant Director for PFMI 2008 and dazzled in spectacular creations by Pantaloons, Shantanu & Nikhil and Ritu Kumar. The contestants wore exquisite jewelry designed by Collection G by D’damas gold in association with World Gold Council and walked the ramp wearing the Senorita Miss India Collection 2008 shoes designed by Liberty.
The audience was captivated by the beauty, charm and style of the gorgeous contestants. The panel of judges Katrina Kaif, Tabu, JJ Vallaya, Rina Dhaka, Arnab Goswami, Celina Jaitley, Zeenat Aman, Dino Morea, Shiamak Davar had to face the nearly impossible task to choose the winners amongst the lovely 28 finalists.
PFMI the grandest pageant in the country had some of the country’s leading bollywood divas perform at the gala evening. Bipasha Basu had the audience captivated with her performance on the hit tracks like Allah Duhai and Pehli Nazar. Sameera Reddy paid a tribute to the very sexy Zeenat Aman as she danced to the ever green hits like Laila Main Laila, Chura Liya hai and Kareena Kapoor was her usual charismatic self as she swayed and enthralled the audiences to the tunes of Its rocking, Mauja mauja and Aaj ki Raat. The show was hosted by R. Madhavan and the gorgeous Dia Mirza. The Bollywood Acts were choreographed by Shiamak Davar and performed by Shiamak Davar Institute of Performing Arts. The Event was managed by: 360 Experience and the show scripted and directed By – Moranis & Soorma Of Cineyug Entertainment.
The Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2008 contestants experienced vigorous in-house training sessions at Hotel Sun-n-Sand, Mumbai. The daunting task of preparing these 28 young women to achieve their aspirations was accomplished by a list of experts each renowned in their field like Hemant Trevedi – Official Contestant Director & Choreographer, Deanne Panday- Official Fitness Expert , Aditi Govitrikar – Official Ramp Walk Trainer, Dr. Jamuna Pai – Official Skin Care Expert, Dr. Apoorva Shah & Sonal Shah of Richfeel – Official Hair Experts, Seema Hingorani – Official Psychoanalyst, Subi Samuel- Official Photographer, Sandip Soparkar – Official Dance Trainer, Dr. Niti Desai -Official Dietician, Sabira Merchant- Official Diction Expert, Bharat & Dorris- Official Make up Expert, Dr. Poornima- Official Beauty & Wellness Expert & Dr. Sandesh Mayekar -Official Smile Care Expert.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sameer Soni – National Director of PFMI said ‘We are very pleased with the response and enthusiasm we have received for the new format that we launched this year. We went across 12 cities in India and also had a South pageant organized so that we could have participation from all corners of the country. We had very strong contenders for the title tonight. I’d like to congratulate each of the winners for whom the journey has just begun. The new Beauty Ambassadors will now go on to represent India in various international beauty contests. India looks forward to witness the winners bringing home more crowns and titles and making our nation proud.
Mr. Sanjeev Agrawal, CEO Pantaloons said, ‘Pantaloons has been in the forefront of fashion and defining fashion week after week. Pantaloons philosophy of fresh fashion led us to be part of the pageant which crowns the most beautiful girl in country. Fresh Fashion directly associates with the Fresh Faces that PFMI creates. Today Pantaloons emphasis is more towards the young and contemporary Indian women who come to our lifestyle outlets. Also, on a broader scale, this is part of our consistent effort in associating with events to identify talent amongst today’s youth, especially the women’ Pantaloons is the title sponsor for PFMI 2008. Liberty, SAFI and Radio Mirchi are the associate sponsors. Liberty is also the ‘Official Footwear Partner’. Collection G by D’damas and World Gold Council is the ‘Official Crown and Jewellery Partner’ for the pageant. Richfeel Trichology Centre is the ‘Official Hair Care Expert’. Sun n Sand is the hospitality partner. Wrigley India Private Limited, Luxottica India Eyewear Pvt. Ltd., Dr. Poornima’s Gorgeous Cosmetology Centre and SOTC are the co sponsors. Gift Sponsors: Guess Watches, Avon Cosmetics, Remanika, Lawrence and Mayo. Portfolio Sponsors: Jashn Saris, Remanika. Grand Prizes: SOTC and Malaysian Tourism Radio Mirchi is the official Radio Partner, Sony Entertainment Television is the official telecast partner, Zoom Television is the Reality Series Partner and Indiatimes is the Official Online Partner for Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2008
Dia’s costumes: Shaina NC, Shantanu Nikhil n Ritu Kumar. Madhavan’s and male escort costumes: YU Fashion Spa. Official Communication Partner – Airtel, Official Beverage Sponsor – Mc Dowels No. 1 Mineral Water, Official Outdoor Partner – Bright Advertising, Ground Transportation Partner – Harshaan Travels. Stage & Wardrobe Management – On Cue Productions. Post Party Host: High Lounge, Sahara Star. Thanks to: Poison and olive Bar and Kitchen. Special thanks to: Arjun Rampal, Celina Jaitley, Neetu Chandra, Jesse Randhawa, Amruta Patki, Sidharth Kanan, Tanya Vakil, Tina Chatwal, Rahul Dutta, Pooja Chitgopekar, Puja Sharma, Meer Ali, Rahul Singh, Asif Amin, Ritesh Aras and Bharat Sharma.
Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2008 – Sub title winners
1 Pantaloons Femina Miss Fresh Face: Tapasee Pannu
2 Collection G Femina Miss Golden Personality: Kajal Jain
3 Gorgeous Femina Miss Photogenic: Parvathy Omanakuttan
4 SOTC Femina Miss Friend of Earth: Pragya Jaiswal
5 Orbit Femina Miss Beautiful Smile: Sangeeta Chauhan
6 Safi Femina Miss Beautiful Skin: Tapasee Pannu
7 Richfeel Femina Miss Beautiful Hair: Parvathy Omanakuttan
8 Vogue Eyewear Femina Miss Beautiful Eyes: Aakanksha Mansukhani
9 Jealous 21 Femina Miss Sexy legs: Lekha Anantharaman
10 Ajile Femina Miss 10: Radha Bhrahmbhatt
11 Senorita Femina Miss Dancing Queen: Pragya Jaiswal
12 Femina Miss Talented: Nupur Sharma
13 Zoom Miss Personality: Parvathy Omanakuttan
14 Sony My Miss India: Aakanksha Mansukhani
15 Times Miss Sudoku: Sangeeta Bora
16 Indiatimes Miss 58888: Aditi Singh
About Femina
Femina is India’s largest English language women’s magazine. It is the largest read women’s magazine in the country (with almost a million readers). Indian in spirit and international in look, the new look Femina counts beauty, fashion, relationships and inspirational features editorial themes, while health, childcare, careers, finance, food and the environment also find importance in this fortnightly, all presented in an easy editorial style that is intelligent, polished, non-judgmental and witty. Research shows that the Femina reader is independent and assertive; she wants to make smart and logical choices. She is fashion and beauty conscious and also values quality and brands. Femina’s Believe tagline acknowledges that for today’s Indian woman, the battle is all in the mind. The campaign inspires readers to hitherto-unexplored heights by featuring strong, beautiful women who have forayed into paths thought `unsuitable’ and who have made indelible marks on them by succeeding in achieving their dreams.
The Femina Miss India pageant was acknowledged as one of the most significant points in the nation’s 60-year-old history since Independence. It changed Indian attitude to personal grooming and beauty. It heralded the age of consumerism. Femina is read across countries as varied as Malaysia and Singapore to Tanzania and Kenya to Canada and the USA.
About Alternate Brands Solutions Ltd (formerly known as Times Innovative Media Ltd)
360 Degrees Entertainment is the Experiential Marketing Division of Alternate Brand Solutions Ltd… Present across the country with offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chandigarh, it has a team of highly experienced professionals from across the industry. The company offers below the line solutions including Product launches, Sales conferences, Dealer Meets, Seminars, Conferences, Exhibitions, Promotions, Road shows, Theme Parties, Concerts and Annual properties. 360 Degrees Entertainment has organized some of the biggest events in the country such as Filmfare Awards, Femina Miss India etc. The client list includes brands like Samsung, Mc Donald’s, Deutsche Bank, Siemens Engineering etc. and the company also handles in house events for BCCL.
Targeted Brand Building, great entertainment…. Create experiences that build brands!
About Pantaloons
Pantaloons, is among India’s largest chains of fashion stores, with 35 stores across 20 cities. Pantaloons has established its presence with stores not just in the metros like Mumbai & Delhi but also in towns like Bhubaneshwar, Lucknow, Agra, Mangalore & Rajkot.
Pantaloons, with its focus on ‘fresh look, feel and attitude’ offers, trendy and hip collections that are in sync with the hopes and aspirations of discerning young and ‘young-at-heart’ consumers. Pantaloons stands out as a fashion trendsetter, on the lines of how fashion is followed internationally. This ‘fresh fashion’ destination allows customers to shop for the latest in fashion apparel and accessories throughout the year in an attractive and visually stimulating ambience.
About Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited
Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited is a leading retailer with a turnover of over Rs. 3236.74 crore for the financial year 2006-07. Headquartered in Mumbai, the company operates through primarily the ‘Lifestyle’ and ‘Value’ formats through multiple delivery mechanisms and lines of business — some of them being, fashion, food, general merchandise, home, leisure and entertainment, financial services, communications and wellness. The company has stores in over 40 cities across the country, constituting over 5 million square feet of retail space. The company caters to the ‘Lifestyle’ segment through its 35 Pantaloons Stores and 5 Central Malls, as well as its other concepts. In ‘Value’ retailing it is present through 75 Big Bazaar hypermarkets, 107 Food Bazaars and other delivery formats.
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The final fab five!
After Sameera’s electrifying performance, it’s time to announce the final five contestants! The judges have given their verdict and the final five to battle it out for the coveted crown are Harshita, Tanvi, Parvathy, Simran and Sangeeta C.
The question posed to the finalists is “The rate of divorce in India is on a rise. What is the cause? Is western influence the cause or something else?”
The contestants were given 90 seconds to answer the question and the ladies came up stupendous answers!
Harshita : “Marriages are what we make of it. Divorces are prominent because we don’t have the abilities to sustain them. We have to be more strong and determined as human beings.
Parvathy : Divorces are not a result of western influence. At the end of the day, it is we who decide whose worth us. Marriage is not when one completes the other but is when both share their completeness.
Sangeeta Chauhan : Yes, western influence is somewhere responsible for the rise in divorce. Long working hours and stress are taking a toll on people.
Simran : The mindset is changing but divorces cannot be attributed to western influences. In fact we need to come up with a system to tackle this dilemma.
Tanvi : The rise in divorce is because of lack of compassion and not western influence.
Question-answer round!
The 10 Semi Finalists have now entered the Q and A session. The contestants have chosen their judges and the round has begun!
Tabu to Aditi
Q. If women were to rule the world by 2050, how different would it be?
A. The world will become a sensitive place to live in, without any cruelty. Women are love personified
Zeenat Aman to Farah
Q Which quality of women gives them an edge over men?
A Compassion towards men, children and the mankind is the most special quality about women that gives them an edge.
Shaimak Dawar to Simran
Q. What is the one change you would like to see in India?
A. India can do better with empowerment of women. Though we have achieved a lot, there is a lot of scope for the same.
Katrina to Sangeeta Chauhan
Q. What is the special feature of the women from your state (Gujarat)?
A. Though I hail from Gujarat, my hometown is in UP. But not just UP, I think the special quality of all Indian women is their culture.
Arnab Goswami to Radha
Q. How would you go about change that you would want to bring?
A. Actions speak louder than words. With sensitivity, subtlety and compassion, a step can be taken towards directing a change.
Zeenat Aman to Malvika
Q Do you think that the youth today faces more pressure than the pervious generation?
A Yes, the youth today definitely faces more pressure than the previous generations. But it is this very pressure that is making them perform to make India an economic superpower on the global platform.
JJ Valaya to Kajal
Q. In what role does a man add most to a woman – Father, son or a partner?
A. A man adds to a woman in all of the above roles with equal intensity.
Katrina to Harshita
Q. Do you prefer a love marriage or an arranged marriage?
A. I prefer a love marriage because marriages are not made in heaven. They are made on earth by confirming compatibility.
Shaimak Davar to Tanvi
Q. Do you agree that the purpose of a woman’s life is to stay back at home and look after the family?
A. Yes, I agree since I believe that being a homemaker is the most difficult and challenging job.
Rina Dhaka to Parvathy
Q. What’s the nicest gift a woman can give a man?
A. The best gift a woman can ever give a man is the birth of a child with all her compassion and patience.
Source: http://feminamissindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2928968.cms
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