Pantaloon Femina Miss India returns, the director counts the reel & the actor prepares
IMP News Wire
Dated 20th January 2010

Taking the four-and-a-half decade old legacy to newer heights, the mother of all beauty pageants - Pantaloons Femina Miss India – returns with greater zest and zeal this year!

The country’s most sought after beauty contest today announced a strategic collaboration with two of India’s ace directors Madhur Bhandarkar and Vipul Shah, at Mumbai. These directors will identify, mentor and launch two Miss India finale contestants in their respective upcoming film projects. And that’s not all - industry stalwarts Anupam Kher and Shiamak Davar will also be supporting the association by way of training and mentoring the contestants in acting and dance respectively.

This is the first time in the history of Femina Miss India, that an association of such scale is being worked on. Femina Miss India works as the perfect platform for aspiring young girls to showcase and get acknowledged for their talents, not only in the global fashion arena but also in Bollywood.

The brand Femina Miss India has evolved constantly with new initiatives being added each year to make it a more engaging and innovative platform for women.  In the past two years, Miss India added the South and East regional pageants to ensure equal participation from these regions. This association with Bollywood is also a one of its kind exemplary effort to work in synergy with the film industry and provide the perfect launch platform for talented individuals. With the support of stalwarts and leading veterans from the film industry, Femina Miss India can work as the perfect platform for aspiring young girls to make their Bollywood dreams come true.

Madhur Bhandarkar and Vipul Shah will interact with the contestants of Femina Miss India during the training period (Mid March 2010 – End April 2010). From amongst these, they would audition and select one contestant each and launch the selected talent in one of their upcoming projects.

Anupam Kher, who spearheads ‘Actor Prepares’, one of India’s finest acting schools, shall be designing a specialized training module for contestants in nuances of acting. In fact, ‘Actor Prepares’ shall also award a scholarship for their Full Time Diploma Course in Acting – 3 months to any one of the deserving contestants.

Shiamak Davar, India’s guru of modern contemporary dance , along with his team at SDIPA will be conducting exclusive workshops where he will train the contestants in Bollywood dancing.

The credibility of this pageant lies in its experienced and noteworthy panel of experts, who this year will include the likes of Marc Robinson, the official Contestant Director and Fashion Director,  Mickey Mehta, Dr. Jamuna Pai, Dr Purnima Mhatre, Alisya Raut, Seema Hingrany, Sabina Merchant, Dr. Sandesh Mayekar and Prasad Bidappa.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sameer Soni, National Director, Femina Miss India said, “This year we have introduced a fresh concept of cinema to the entire property since most of our past contestants have received a red carpet entry in the film industry. With this new chapter added to the pageant, it would now provide a bigger opportunity and open up newer avenues for the participating contestants. We are happy to associate with filmmakers Vipul Shah and Madhur Bhandarkar in launching this initiative and express our gratitude to industry stalwarts Anupam Kher and Shiamak Davar who support us in this venture by imparting training to the contestants in acting and dance.”

The CEO of Pantaloons, Sanjeev Agarwal said, “A step into Bollywood now signals success for the new talent in the fashion industry. Pantaloons is proud of the new association which Pantaloons Femina Miss India is creating with established production houses in Bollywood, thus creating a definitive culmination to the journey of the contestant which starts with the entry to the pageant.”

Filmmaker Vipul Shah stated, “Today Indian cinema is becoming the dream that millions want to achieve. Young individuals from across the country come to Mumbai to achieve this dream but they don’t know how! Without proper preparation many talented candidates lose out on possible glory. Femina Miss India is a great platform for talented individuals to get noticed. By providing specialized and focused guidance to the potential Miss Indias, they will become a complete package not just for Indian cinema but also to represent the country more confidently on the global platform at a later stage.”

Commenting on the association, filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar says, “This association will bring about a novel, focused yet entertaining element to the Miss India training process. We will ensure we create superb actresses in tandem with the Femina Miss India team. It is known fact that I love working with newcomers, new subjects for my films and I think that this innovative tie-up will give the film industry talented actresses to reckon with. I am looking for the right mix of talent and individuality and Femina Miss India is the perfect place to find such a person. “

Veteran actor, producer and acting mentor, Anupam Kher stated, "I am very happy that my school Actor Prepares will be a part of this initiative. Femina Miss India is a great platform for scouting talent especially since we have had great actresses from that background. Actor Prepares and I look forward to training the contestants in nuances of acting. Bollywood is an aspiration for many and it is fulfilling to be a part of making someone's dream come true"

Shiamak Davar, the guru of modern contemporary dance adds, “Since I have been present at the South and East Pageants respectively this season, I have observed great potential in the contestants who have been carefully handpicked. Dance is an essential part of basic co-ordination and it is essential that the mind, body and soul are in perfect sync. The film industry today is a competitive place and it is a privilege for these contestants to be trained in dance and acting and be prepared to take the challenge head on.”

Marc Robinson, Contestant Director & Fashion Director PFMI 2010, stated, “I’m extremely pleased to be associated with Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2010. This association with Bollywood has opened up an exciting avenue & we are excited about tapping talent & honing them to take the film industry by storm. We will endeavor to focus on potential talent who showcase an innate the aptitude and strive to create a niche for themselves, not only by their outstanding looks & a perfect body, but also their aspirations, talent & intellect.”