Meenakshi Sheshadri, representaitve 1981

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Gayatri Joshi, representative 2000

How did these women fare at the international rounds? Check it out at Indian Pageant Success

Note: This information is not for use on any other site. Do not attempt to copy it. Credits are due to pageant historian Donald West for filling in numerous gaps, and of course to Periss Khambhatta for her beautiful book, helpful in research purposes. Make sure to buy a copy of Pride of India for a complete, colorful look down Miss India history.

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The Sixties and Seventies

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1960: Iona Pinto

1975: Indira Bredmeyer

1976: Nafisa Ali

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1961: Diana Valentine

1962: Sheila Chonkar

1968: Sumita Sen

1969: Wendy Leslie Pereira - Went in place of winner; Director of a firm which manufactures industrial safety equipment.

1970: Patricia D'Souza

1971: Samita Mukherjee

1972: Indira Muthanna

1973: Lynette Williams - Started a confectionary with her family and now runs a garment outlet "Lynn's Corner" where she manufactures ethnicwear.

1974: Leslie Jean Hartnett

1975: Indira Bredmeyer - Modelled for pocket money until she was married. She came back to modelling, but could not stay in it for long. She still does some work in the fashion and modelling world.

1976: Nafisa Ali - Natinal Swimming Champion in 1994, and a decorated athlete. After the pageant experience, she made one film, but then left a potential career for her husband, whom she met when participating in an equestrian show. She has spent most of her life pursuing social work, but has recent dabbled in film and television.

1978: Sabita Dhanrajgir

1979: Neeta Sharma

1984: Nalanda Bhandari

1988: Shikha Swaroop

1981: Meenakshi Sheshadri - A certified Classical dancer, Meenakshi immediately went on to a number of films until the early 1990's, when her career ended. She was very academic, and so even while being an actress, she managed to finish her studies and graduate. She was never known to be involved with film industry people much, and in 1996 she revealed her marriage to an American investment banker. She began to perform Classical dance onstage once again, and completed her M.A. in Ancient Indian Culture and wants to do a Doctorate.

1982: Betty O'Connor

1983: Sahila Vimal Chadha

1984: Nalanda Bhandari - A British Airways stewardess and a part-time model

1985: Vinita Vasan - Dabbled in the fashion industry, and then married a wealthy sports businessman

1986: Poonam Gidwani - Working as a model, she was a former Miss Young India (the international competition can cancelled). She married and moved to Australia and is a fashino consultant for labels such as DKNY.

1987: Erica De Souza - A model for a period of time, she married and settle din Dubai, where she helps her husband with his shipping business

1988: Shikha Swaroop - She won a Gold Medal at the All India Open Pistol Shooting Championship in 1988, and played badminton on a national level. she modelled for a while, and during the international competition, she contracted a serious illness, killing any of her high hopes to win. She was offered film roles, but was unsuccessful and could not deal with the style of the industry. She spent some time on television, as well.

--- Side Note: due to lack of data here, it's safe to assume that when Eve's Weekly met it's demise, Femina took over. In 1989 and 1990 no delegates were sent. ---

1993: Pooja Batra

1994: Francesca Hart

1995: Priya Gill

1996: Fleur Xavier

1992: Komal Sandhu

1993: Pooja Batra - While Namrata Shirodkar headed to Miss Asia-Pacific in place of Pooja, Ms. Batra was sent to Japan. Her modelling career was full of endless fashion shows and some print ads, as well. she soon dropped out of the modelling world for films, debuting in the successful "Bhai" and then the blockbuster "Virasat," and making a number of different films, but never really getting the desired result.

1994: Francesca Hart - This 5'10" beauty, she loves flowers and books, rafting and music and also some fast tennis. Not much is known about Francesca Hart, except that she placed third in Miss India 1994, right behind the fierce Aishwarya Rai-Sushmita Sen battle.

1995: Priya Gill - After this Mumbai-ite's participation in the contest twice, she started her film career in 1996 with the very-successful "Tere Mere Sapne." Although the dismal "Shyam Gansham" and "Bade Dilwala" did not fare as well, she is finding some renewed success with "Sirf Tum" and "Josh."

1996: Fleur Xavier - Mumbai-ite Fleur was among the finalists of Miss India 1996 and elected "Miss Beautiful SKin." She also came Second in the "Look of the Year" contest. Today she is a reputed model.

1997: Diya Abraham (Bangalore)

1998: Shvetha Jaishankar (Chennai)

1999: Sri Krupa Murali (Bangalore)

2000: Gayatri Joshi (Mumbai)

1997: Diya Abraham (Bangalore)

1998: Shvetha Jaishankar (Chennai)

1999: Sri Krupa Murali (Bangalore)

2000: Gayatri Joshi (Mumbai)

1998: Shvetha Jaishankar - The Chennai-based commerce graduate is a state-level tennis player and superb Bharatnatyam dancer. After her graduation, she is concentrating on a modelling career

1999: Sri Krupa Murali - Bangalore-based Sri Krupa stood as a finalist in Femina Miss India 1999 and also finished second in Gladrags Megamodel 1998. She went to Japan and was unsuccessful. Despite a good amount of modelling work, she refused to put her business studies on the sideline. in march 2001, Srikrupa dropped modelling, endless big-banner film offers (For which she was called crazy) and was married to Dr. Rajesh Narayanan, a professor at Ohio University. She will move there with him and pursue her MBA, and she hopes to open her own business. She feels that there is no serious future in a modelling career.

2000: Gayatri Anilkumar Joshi - A professional model from Mumbai, she has years of experience. Gayatri stood as a finalist in Femina Miss India 1999, and was selected to represent India a year later. She continues to pursue a prestigious modelling career.

Photo by Indiafashion Weekly

2001: Kanwal Toor (Delhi) Among the finalists in the 2001 contest, Kanwal was chosen. She is a professional model from Delhi, and has won titles such as "Miss Delhi 1998" and "Siyarim Star Miss India". She continued India's success in this pageant by landing in the semi-finals. She came home to begin her own fashion design label and continue modelling.

Photo provided by Globalbeauties.com

2002: Gauhar Khan (Pune) An 18 year-old First year B. Com student and professional model, Gauhar raced to 4th place at Femina Miss India with her wit and charm. She is a state debate winner and event management consultant. She is now beginning a Modelling Career and has appeared in various ramp shows, ads and music videos.

Photo by Thaimiss.com

2003: Shonali Nagrani (Delhi) Shonali is 21 years old and 5'7". She is from Delhi, and is a professional model while pursuing her Masters' in History with the aim of becoming a lecturer. She won Miss Delhi 2002 and May Queen 2002. She finished 4th in the Femina Miss India contest and with her beauty and charm, once again brought India to the brink of winning its first crown, but lost to a Venezuelan. She has modelled and participated in a variety of functions, including that of serving as Prince Charles hostess in India.

Mihika Verma Mihika is from Mumbai. She was studying Commerce and aspiring to modelling, directing, and advertising at the time when she became a Top Ten finalist at the Femina Miss India contest. She went on to become a semi-finalist in the Miss International Pageant in China.

2005: Vaishali Desai Vaishali, from Bangalore, was a Top Ten finalist in the Femina Miss India Pageant.

2006: Sonali Sehgal (Kolkata) Model