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Southern girl Sindhura Gadde returned to Hyderabad and Vijaywada with small celebrations in her honor. She met with Telugu press and flashed her winning to smile. She addressed students are her childhood school and has constantly mentioned her focus on bringing the Miss World crown back to India, after a 4-year gap
About Niharika Singh, we find out that she was born in Haridwar, before making her way to Nainital, Agra, Delhi, and eventually Mumbai. Her mother is the director at a fashion design university, while her father happens to be a senior Tourism official in Uttaranchal state. He even worked a campaign for her during the pageant.
The three winners have travelled together to:
April-May: Philips Arena – Vision of the Future’ Inaugration in Bangalore
Reliance Web World Visit in Ahmedabad
Promotion for a Mobile Company in Kolkata.
Video-Conference in Lucknow for a Win-A-Date Contest
Sindhura also plans to go to her childhood school, Nirmala Convent at Vijayawada, to see her principal Sister Marina before leaving for Mumbai on April 4th to begin training for the Miss World pageant. She will be leaving for China in November for a short training stint there, before the Miss World contest in December. As for her family, they are excited and wished their daughter the best of luck, as they head back to New Zealand on Monday. A few New Zealand media outlets picked up on the local beauty's win in India.
Updated Note on Other International Representatives
The staff at Femina Magazine will make their own decisions on who will represent India at the next Miss International contest and probably the 2006 Miss Asia-Pacific quest. The question of the eligibility of finalists Priyanka Jha and Priya Nayak is likely to not be an issue, as both pageants have been known to be less strict about age than Miss Universe and Miss World. As it stands, neither Jha or Nayak were eligible to be crowned Femina Miss India-World or Femina Miss India-Earth, so whether they placed into those titles or not will never be known. Femina is expected to make its designations after the Miss Universe contest.
Amrita was asked what her net worth was, considering it was just a day after she was declared Miss India. As opening questions go, it was a bouncer. After a standard-issue "didn't hear that" to buy herself time, Amrita gamely responded with: "I'm just the same person I was yesterday. It's just a lot more responsibility now because I have to live up to the name of my country, and I have the onus of bringing the international crown back. I am going to do my best." According to Rediff, She was the obvious leader of the trio, taking the lead whenever it came to fielding questions, and flashing the brightest of smiles whenever the cameras beckoned.
Sindhura, currently based in New Zealand, hails originally from Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh. A journalist by profession, she has a double degree in pharmacology and physiology, as well as a modelling diploma. She elaborates: "I used to be a journalist for a youth news channel called Flipside because we always looked at each story straight and from the flipside! From the angle of 13-28 year olds. It was a fun kind of news, which had hard news stories like Iraq, as well as entertainment stories like 'have Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston really broken up,' and youth issues like suicide or AIDS. During Sunday night's contest, Sindhura's final answer echoed her wish to find a cure for cancer. She explains, "I wanted to say something that was possible. I'll tell you something personal. Two years ago my grandma passed away due to cancer. We were told there was nothing we could do. Coming from a medical background, I felt helpless. I have done research in chemotherapy, being in pharmacology. I answered from the heart. I truly believe that with a cure for cancer, the world will be a better place." What made her enter Miss India? "This pageant is not only the most prestigious pageant in India but it's also the most prestigious pageant overseas. I had exposure to this ever since I was a kid. I always looked up to all these previous beauties, and I thought that having had exposure in all these kind of areas in Australia and New Zealand -- the media and fashion industries, to be specific -- I thought why not come here and check out the Indian market?" Why not Miss New Zealand, then? "Simple," she laughs, "I'm an Indian at heart. I'm an Indian citizen and have an Indian passport."
A bright smile envelopes the girl born in Delhi, schooled in Uttaranchal and earning her modelling livelihood in Mumbai. As Niharika gushes happily, she's "a complete Indian, not belonging to any one place but to all of India!" She's a relatively familiar face, with appearances in music videos and television commercials. Is this title going to ensure modelling specialisation? Niharika, a young girl with a penchant for the phrase 'frankly speaking,' disagrees. "Frankly speaking, I've been modeling for the last two-three years. I used to model in Delhi as well, and I've been modelling in Mumbai for two years after that. Frankly speaking, I thought my life was getting stagnated. I was so sick and tired of doing the same thing again and again every single day of my life -- getting up in the morning, going for auditions. Frankly speaking, I wasn't growing. I thought my life was stagnating. I thought I had better things in life than to get up in the morning, put on some make-up, and stand in front of the camera and smile," she laughs.
 FEMINA MISS INDIA-WORLD 2005 SINDHURA GADDE |  FEMINA MISS INDIA-UNIVERSE 2005 AMRITA THAPAR |  FEMINA MISS INDIA-EARTH 2005 NIHARIKA SINGH |
Completing the top five were 25 year-old Priya Nayak, a 5'10" Biotechnology student from Bangalore, and 24 year-old Priyanka Jha, a 5'10" Telecommunications student and model from Pune.
Actors Pooja Bedi, Sunil Shetty, and Kareena Kapoor, author Shobha De, industrialist Anand Mahindra, designer Rocky S, ex-Miss India Celina Jaitley, editor of Times of India Jaideep Bose and Olympic silver medalist shooter, Lt Col Rajyavardhan Rathore were the judges of the mega event.
The audience filling the Bandra MMRDA grounds was entertained by a medley of performers ranging from fresh-faced Indian Idol Abhijeet Sawant (seemingly shrunk to miniature proportions with most of the contestants towering over him), and lesser idols Rahul Vaidya and Amit Sana, who serenaded the beauties on stage. If Bombay Rockers set the tone with 'Chakde', Yana Gupta sizzled to a remix of big-band jazz. Television stars Amit Sareen, Manav Gohil and Chetan Hansraj also added their voices to the chorus, dancing in front of the off-white sets designed by Nitin Desai. And when the boyishly winning actor Shahid Kapoor pranced and leapt on stage in his item number, girlfriend Kareena Kapoor, a jury member, visibly perked up. Mona Singh, aka Jassi, lent her wholesome presence as compere, while the benignly cheerful Sameer Soni played fall guy to perfection.
 FEMINA MISS INDIA-WORLD 2005 SINDHURA GADDE |  FEMINA MISS INDIA-UNIVERSE 2005 AMRITA THAPAR |  FEMINA MISS INDIA-EARTH 2005 NIHARIKA SINGH |
 FINALIST PRIYANKA JHA |  FINALIST PRIYA NAYAK | TOP TEN: SONAL SHIVANI APARNA VAISHALI JYOTI |
 FIRST PLACE Jyoti Sardar (266) | SECOND PLACE Sonal Chauhan (184) THIRD PLACE Vaishali Desai (148) FOURTH PLACE Sindhura Gadhe (138) FIFTH PLACE Sonam Chugh (133) | TOP TEN: Hufriya Bhivandiwala (6th) Niharika Singh (7th) Aushima Shawney (8th) Aparna Sharma (9th) Amrita Thapar (10th) Honorable Mentions: Subra, Priyanka Kaveri, Kamaljeet and Ira |  2004 WINNER Shrutha Mudram |
 Launching of the Kiah-designed Crowns |  Press Launch of the Miss India 2005 Music Video Roop Ki Dhoop |
Amrita - A contestant who has become a big surprise. Resembles Yogini Nath, FMI2000 finalist, with distinctive skin
tone and eyes. The combination of good looks and charisma have made Amrita shine. Strong chance to place, good shot at top
five and crowns.
Through an informal casting process, eight finalists were announced for the Miss Talented award. They are: Aushima, Gwen, Naiyya, Ira, Niharika, Sindhura, Suchitra and Vaishali.
Femina has invited contestants over 23 for the first time ever this year, but the five who are taking part are only eligible for the Miss India-Universe crown, not the other 2, as age limits would become problematic. Four of these contestants are: Shivani, Aushima, Priya and Priyanka.
With the combined work of directors Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy, lyrics by the creative duo -- Piyush Pandey and Prasoon Joshi, and performed by vocalist Richa Sharma, the official theme song of this year's pageant, Roop Ki Dhoop, has been playing as a music video on various tv channels to promote the event.
Color commentary on the pre-pageant specials to be posted this Friday, along with final predictions/comments and other information. The current results for Rahul's World of Pageants Readers' Choice Award show Jyoti Sardar, Sonal Chauhan and Vaishali Desai as the top three vote-getters, followed closely by the likes of Sindhura Gadde and Sonam Chugh. Keep voting for your favorites...voting will close on Saturday, March 26th at 3:00 PM U.S. EST/1:00 AM Indian ST.
Saplings planted by the contestants were also handed over to the children who will now nurture them. As the contestants addressed the eager children they emphasized on the fact that beauty is for living & not just for show. Richa Puranesh, Marketing Manager, HLL Skincare says, “The Pond’s Femina Miss India contestants are role models & play an important role in spreading the beauty message. As beauty ambassadors for Pond’s they emphasize the importance of taking care of our surroundings in addition to taking care of our selves.?
The crowns have shining, colorful stones like ruby, yellow sapphire, blue topaz and round diamonds. The contestants found the crown amazingly beautiful and were eagerly waiting to wear it. "By looking at the crown you actually get the drive to work hard and win the crown", said Priya Nair, a Contestant. "The crowns are beautiful. I feel like wearing one of them right now and walk away. Who wants to wait till the 27th", said Priyanka Jha, another Contestant.
Starting tonight, Zoom Tv will begin airing specials on Femina Miss India, going behind the scenes so the audience can get a feel for what is really going on backstage, among the contestants. In addition, Sony will be broadcasting a series of specials leading up to the grand finale, profiling the contestants and run-up to the event.
Schedule: INDIA: Friday - Thursday at 7:30 pm
As part of their training, delegates have been placed on a special Saatvik Diet, which consists of whole grains, lentils, vegetables and fruits intended to remove toxins from the skin and mind. However, its not just aobut what they eat: From 6:30 to 8:30 each morning, the delegates meet the fitness expert Mickey Mehta for yoga, pilates, pranayaam and boot camp drills.
The delegates are being housed at the ITC Grand Central. Besides Pond's, well known jeweller Kiah and Swarup Group of Industries.
Entries Close February 5th, 2005
Regional Selections in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore: February 7th-18th
Finalists Chosen and Contacted: February 21st-25th
Training Program Begins in Mumbai Hotel: March 1st
Rehearsals and Shootings for Pageant: Throughout March
Final Event: March 26th, 2005 in Mumbai. Venue unknown.
The selection of a new Femina Miss India 2005 is coming up fast, with the winners set to represent India in Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International and Miss Earth. Due to the April date of the delayed Asia-Pacific contest, it is unknown is Simran Chandhok, last year's designated rep., will compete or not. Approximately 30 delegates will be chosen for the final rounds, where training will cross all boundaries and prepare the women for different career paths, in particular, film, television and modelling. Sony Entertainment TV will once again hold exclusive rights to telecast the event in India and Abroad. Check this page for future updates.
Aparna - Consistently performing from the beginning, Aparna's modern style is her main asset. If she continues smiling
like that throughout the final night, she can go all the way to the top. Strongly chance to place and strong chance at
bagging a crown
Aushima* - Very polished, attractive contestant whose features fail to stand out overall. Despite this, her
communication skills could boost her. Good chance of placing, not sure from there.
Gwen - What she has many of the girls failed to demonstrate in their footage: attitude! Besides being beautiful, that
attitude on-camera and on the ramp gives her something extra. She is here to win! Strong chances of placing and bagging a
crown
Hufriya - Turned out to be a pleasant surprise, but its difficult to see her going very far in competition. A
surprise possibility
Ira - Probably the most clean-cut of the girls, Ira's American accent and no-nonsense look wins her points, but what
needs work is the lack of charisma she demonstrates on-camera. It could keep her out altogether. Reasonable chances to
place
Jyoti - Almost the twin of ex-Miss India Manpreet Brar, Jyoti also carries forward the same qualities: self-confidence
and letting the audience know she does not doubt herself. While I don't feel she stands out in this group, that extra
confidence can push her ahead. Could throw in a surprise
Kamaljeet - A pretty young woman who does not seem to stand out. Unlikely to place
Kaveri - Competing for the 2nd time, Kaveri is definitely more polished. However, its hard to see her making the
impact that many other second-timers made before. Unlikely to place
Lakshmi - Despite being the tallest girl, a lack of polish causes Lakshmi to fall behind in this group. Unlikely to
place, unless height is a major factor
Naiyya - While she is cute, this is a competitive batch. She does not manage to make herself stand out. Unlikely to
place
Niharika - One of the tiniest girls in the group, but also one of the most surprisingly sexy and full of life
contestants. While her stature will make it difficult for her to rise to the top, there is no counting this one out.
Strong chances to place
Pooja - With a hint of Divya Dutta, this beauty seems to fade into the mix, whereas she stood out with her unique
style beforehand. Surprise possibility
Priya* - Her simplistic beauty is what gives her an edge and takes it away. Good chances of placing, possibly going
further
Priyanka* - A ravishing, more traditional Indian beauty with perfect skin and eyes. She reminds us of Sayali Bhagat,
in both her looks and mannerisms. Looking forward to seeing this girl take the finals by storm. Strong chances of placing,
strong chances of bagging a crown.
Shamshad - Possibly the shortest contestant, Shamshad displays a lot of charisma, but she also seems too traditional
to make a big impact in this group. Unlikely to place
Sindhura - While she is definitely attractive, her looks fail to put one in awe. What she has going for her is her
amazing confidence and charisma (she is a tv presenter, after all), and she can command attention is necessary. This will be
a very strong tool with the judges. Good chances of placing
Sonal - If one girl continually blew me away in the run-up footage, it is Sonal Chauhan. What she lacksi n height, she
makes up for in unbelievable beauty. Add to that a great ramp walk and charisma, and you have a winning package. It would
be a shame if this girl did not win a crown!
Sonam - A contestant who I initially believed to be a frontrunner is now fading fast. The major problem areas are her
poor make-up and hair color, both which distract too much from an otherwise strong package. Semi-strong chances of
placing
Subra - Despite looking ravishing in the press presentation, her performance afterwards has been less than stellar.
Her main hopes are in getting that look back for the finals. If so, she can save herself in competition, otherwise sink.
Can't really determine
Suchitra - An under-rated contestant, Suchitra is definitely the most exotic of the girls, with her black tresses and
constant smile. While she has not been noticed as a contender thus far, and chances are that won't change, its worth it to
look at her again. Semi-strong chances of placing
Vaishali - Like Sonam and Subra, Vaishali's performance has been inconsistent, from being a frontrunner to fading
behind with poor styling choices. Again, if she gets herself back into the right look, she can do anything. If not, she can
be out altogether. Can't really determine
FINAL PREDICTIONS
Miss Universe - APARNA
Miss World - SONAL
Miss Earth- PRIYANKA
1) GWEN
2) NIHARIKA
TOP TEN: AMRITA, SINDHURA, VAISHALI, AUSHIMA, SONAM
Good luck to all the contestants, you've all done a great job
The contestants are busy rehearsing and prepping for the final event. There will be three collections unveiled by the contestants throughout the night. One will be by designed Suneet Varma, coming back to the pageant after many years. Another set will a black and white collection by staple designer Ritu Kumar, which will be an ethnic set, but with much simplicity.
The 23 finalists of the most prestigious beauty pageant in the country ?Pond’s Femina Miss India 2005 on the 16th March 2005 embarked on a beauty awareness drive in Mumbai. They visited schools and spoke to schoolchildren on the importance of keeping their surroundings clean and beautiful. The Pond’s Femina Miss India 2005 finalists visited Anandilal Poddar High School and Rose Manor High School in Santacruz. After getting a rousing welcome from the children, the contestants interacted with them and gave them tips on keeping their surroundings clean. Recounting their own experiences the twenty-three contestants had a whale of a time answering queries from the excited young ones.
BusinessWire India
The organisers of the mega event "Miss India", unveiled the Crowns for the Femina Miss India 2005, slated to be held on March 27. The ceremony took place at a suburban hotel in Mumbai with the final contestants of the competition walking on the ramp. Studded with real natural diamonds and sponsored by Kiah, the crowns are a perfect combination of Indian motifs with contemporary designs. Kiah is the official sponsor of the Femina Miss India 2005 contest. Ajay Kakadia, the managing director of Sheetal Creations said, "There are natural diamonds, nearly 600 to 700 of them are there. On the fire crown we have precious and semi precious stones also. This should bring some vigour in their catwalk".
In an effort to refurbish the pageant and generate more public interest, Femina is taking a big step towards getting the audience involved. Provogue Miss 8888, a first for this year, will be the public's official choice via SMS Voting. Besides a 1 lakh prize, the winner automatically advances into Femina's Top Ten Finalists on March 27th.
USA: Saturday (3/16) at 10:30, Monday-Thursday at 7:30, Friday at 2:30.
Check www.setasia.tv for other listings
EROS ENTERTAINMENT was at the Press Call for Femina Miss India. If you want to see more photos from the event, click the photo below (courtesy Eros Entertainment).
LEFT TO RIGHT: Gwen, Hufriya, Ira, Jyoti, Kamaljeet, Kaveri, Lakshmi and Naiya.
The team of experts who will attempt to transform these new faces into supermodels and actresses during the training period includes: Dr. Malvika Kohli, skin specialist; Israar Qureshi, Photographer; Kumar, Make-up expert; Mickey Mehta, physical trainer and official nutritionist; Dr Apoorva Shah, hair expert; Sandip Soparrkar, Dance instructor; Sabira Merchant, Diction expert; Anu Ahuja, Choreographer; Ruksana Eisa, Grooming and Etiquette; Dr Sandesh Mayekar, Smile; and Erica D'souza; Voice techniques.
On Monday, March 7th, the remaining 23 finalists of Pond's Femina Miss India 2005 were introduced to the press in a special conference. Renowned painter and film maker M F Hussain was among the invited guests. Indrani Dasgupta, well-known Indian model, has dropped out of the contest due to illness, officially. Here are some snaps from the event:
PHOTOS: Hindustan Times Online and IPAN
The 2005 FMI Contestants Are:
1. AMRITA THAPAR
Height: 5'8" (1.73 m)
Home: Pune
Pursuing: Modelling; Post-Graduate Fashion Design
Experience: Miss Pune, May Queen 1999
2. APARNA SHARMA
Height: 5'9" (1.75 m)
Home: Delhi
Pursuing: B. Com Studies
Experience: Metropolitan Top Model, May Queen, Delhi
3. AUSHIMA SAWHNEY
Height: 5'7" (1.72 m)
Home: Bangkok, Sydney
Pursuing: Media Studies Graduate and Model
Experience: 
4. GWEN ATHAIDE
Height: 5'6.5" (1.70 m)
Home: Mumbai
Pursuing: Studies
Experience:
5. HUFRIYA BHIVANDIWALA
Height: 5'8" (1.73 m)
Home: Mumbai
Pursuing: Model, attempting Film Career
Experience: 
INDRANI DASGUPTA
WITHDREW
Height: 5'9" (1.75 m)
Home: Kolkata, now in Mumbai
Profession: Leading ramp model in India
Experience: 
6. IRA TRIVEDI
Height: 5'8" (1.74 m)
Home: Indore/Boston
Pursuing: University in Boston, USA
Experience:
7. JYOTI SARDAR
Height: 5'9" (1.75 m)
Home: Dubai, UAE (Has lived in Oman, USA and Spain)
Profession: Aerospace Engineering Grad, employed with Emirates Airline
Experience: Finalist, Femina LOTY 1999, Miss Photogenic, Miss India America 2002
8. KAMALJEET KAUR
Height: 5'9" (1.75 m)
Home: Patna
Pursuing: English via Mail
Experience: 
9. KAVERI JHA
Height: 5'9" (1.75 m)
Home: Nasik
Pursuing: Modelling, Journalism Studies
Experience: Contestant, Femina Miss India 2003
10. LAKSHMI GANGTKAR
Height: 6'0" (1.82 m)
Home: Bangalore
Pursuing: Textile Engineering Studies
Experience: Finalist, Metropolitan Top Model 2004
11. NAIYYA SINGH
Height: 5'10.5" (1.80 m)
Home: Delhi
Pursuing: Holds M.S. Journalism
Experience:
12. NIHARIKA SINGH
Height: 5'6" (1.68 m)
Home: Uttaranchal
Pursuing: Modelling
Experience: 
13. POOJA ARORA
Height: 5'7" (1.72 m)
Home: Delhi
Profession: Regional Model; Hospitality Graduate
Experience:
14. PRIYA NAYAK
Height: 5'10" (1.78 m)
Home: Bangalore
Profession: Regional Model; Masters' in Biotechnology
Experience:
15. PRIYANKA JHA
Height: 5'9.5" (1.76 m)
Home: Pune
Profession: Regional Model; Studying Electronics and Telecommunications
Experience: First Runner-Up, Metropolitan Model 2003; May Queen 2003
16. SHAMSHAD BEGUM
Height: 5'6" (1.68 m)
Home: Chennai
Pursuing: Regional Model; Commerce Graduate
Experience: 
17. SHIVANI SABIKHI
Height: 5'8" (1.73 m)
Home: Chandigarh
Profession: English Grad; Has Worked as Air-Hostess with Singapore Airline; Model Launched in LIFW2004; Has modelled in Italy and China, among others
Experience:
18. SINDHURA GADDE
Height: 5'8" (1.73 m)
Home: Auckland, New Zealand
Pursuing: TV Presenter on TVNZ, Pharmacology Student, Has Modelled in Australia and New Zealand
Experience: First Runner-Up, Miss IndiaNZ 2002
19. SONAL CHAUHAN
Height: 5'7" (1.71 m)
Home: Noira, UP
Pursuing: Regional Model; Philosophy Studies
Experience:
20. SONAM CHUGH
Height: 5'6.5" (1.70 m)
Home: Delhi
Pursuing: Commerce Studies
Experience: May Queen, Delhi
21. SUBRA SHARMA
Height: 5'6" (1.68 m)
Home: Guwahati
Pursuing: Holds B.A. Economics
Experience: 
22. SUCHITRA VARMA
Height: 5'9" (1.75 m)
Home: Mumbai
Pursuing: Pursuing Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism
Experience: First Runner-Up, Limca Fresh Face 2004
23. VAISHALI DESAI
Height: 5'8" (1.73 m)
Home: Bangalore
Pursuing: Modelling, Psychology
Experience: First Runner-Up, Elite Model Look India 2004
TANUSHREE DUTTA
SAYALI BHAGAT
JYOTI BRAHMIN 
MIHIKA VARMA