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Blessed angel ... on a road to success New Delhi, May 31: Miss India 2003, Nikita Anand is India's hope for the coveted Miss Universe crown. She beat 25 fellow contestants, to be crowned Femina Miss India-Universe 2003.The gleam in her eyes, the warmth in her voice and the spring in her step ... it doesn't take long for one to realise, why this 19-year old won the crown. But, the new-found fame has not come as a surprise to Nikita's parents. Veenita Anand, Nikita's mother, says it was her daughter's belief in herself and her confidence that led her to win the title. "I did feel very elated. I knew I was heading for something like this. She was such a confident child. It was when she was 13 that she was told to walk for Miss Ranchi and that was the time I realised, yes she has it in her. And then it went on. At 16, she won several crowns in Mumbai's various clubs, then again she won in Delhi's DSOI Club. A few months later was the Face Mirage Hunt. She walked away with the title and we were looking forward to the Femina Miss India Contest. We always wanted that and at the age of 19 she walked away with the crown. I think it's her confidence that got her the title, "said Veenita. Nikita did her schooling at Cathedral & John Connon in Mumbai and is currently studying fashion designing at NIFT in Delhi. What was it that made Nikita put aside her designing and enter the glamour world? Her father had wanted her to be a doctor like him. "Initially, I did think about that. She was a very good student. She had Physics, Maths, Chemistry and Biology and excelled in all of them. But then we had open minds. I did not want to force her to become a doctor. This was one line she chose and went on with it. We have been brought up in a very open atmosphere right from my childhood. In army we have a very open and healthy life. I wasn't hesitant in sending her or when she wanted to take part. And for the last couple of years she has taken part in many contests and did well," said SS Anand, Nikita's father. The story does not end here. This Delhi girl is now on another road of success .... The Miss Universe Contest, which will come to a glitzy finale on June 3. However, for Nikita's parents, the thought of their daughter standing out in a sea of the most beautiful faces in the universe at the contest doesn't cause the tiniest wrinkle or worry line. They just leave everything to the Almighty. "Absolute tenterhook, with my hands folded towards Almighty. That's what I can say. If it happens to me, then I will be the happiest person on earth. She has been doing fairly well. She is one such person who simply takes things on her own and blossom at the right time. Her ratings on the net have been very good. For the last 10 days she has been ranked in 10's. So let's see how she does. It is a moment of pride for the entire family, "said Mr Anand. When asked about the details of her training for the Miss Universe contest that Nikita underwent, Veenita said, "Lots of preparations. She is very good with her voice, very confident, spoke very well. Her diction is very good. Initially, when she was a baby she joined Mrs Balucha's classes in Pune, for speech and diction. I thank Mrs. Balucha, whose work is showing of lately. She is an intelligent child, she could think for herself which is very important. Lots of gym, lots of current affairs, lots of thinking took place and lots of shopping, "added Nikita's mother. Nikita is at Panama City all set for the contest. Her bags are full of designer clothes especially designed for her by Ashley Rebello and Ritu Kumar. Kumar, who has been designing national costumes for the Miss India Contest, has designed a traditional red and gold lehenga, a national costume to be worn by Nikita at the competition and Ashley has designed an evening gown in natural green colour, with a tiny white leaf on it. 72 contestants from across the globe, including Nikita, will vie for the coveted Miss Universe Crown and other fabulous prizes in the beauty pageant. Indian beauties like Sushmita Sen, Aishwarya Rai, Diana Hayden, Yukta Mookhey, Lara Dutta and Priyanka Chopra have already made the country proud at various international pageants. Now it is Nikita's turn to carry forward the torch of success and bring back fresh laurels for the country. And on her return, like most of her predecessors, Nikita too might take to Bollywood after a few years. All of India wishes her, the very best! Crystal tattoos create a buzz in Mumbai (Go to Top) Mumbai, May 26: The trends with tattoos have been ever changing. From basic black to bright hues, tattoos have now become a crystal studded affair. To enhance their beauty, women are sporting tattoos of all shapes and sizes, of vivid hues and colours, particularly studded with crystals as a fashion statement of the season. "Crystals they sparkle, they are much cheaper than diamomds. And lot of girls love the whole glitter look. I used to love it a lot. And now that crystals have come back in. I think it's really gonna work because when you go out to a party or whatever you love to wear those kinds of things. And you don't have to make them permanent either. Like I have just done my nails, I will probably get bored of it in a couple of days and it would just come out," said Anusha, an actress who visited a show where the new range of tattoos were showcased. "And you can stick them (the tattoos) on your body and you can play with it. You can have lot of fun with it. Bright colours are in and crystal colours. You can change the colours also. I am sure you can get them in lot of colours. You can stick them all over your face. You can make tattoos out of them. Yeah, you can put them on your nails. So, I think that would really catch on with the youths," she added. According to Pooja, the spokesperson of Swarovski Crystals, the response from the women towards this new crystal edition has been overwhelming. Women responded tremendously to the new trend by getting their body done in large numbers at the festival. "Crystals can be used in different ways. We launched body jewellery in the year 2000 internationally as well as in India. Then we launched the tattoos. These are readymade tattoos. These are readymade transfer, you can just put on to your body anywhere, be it your face, neck, arms, legs whatever you want to show off, whichever part of the skins especially in the summer where you are showing skin off. There you can use tattoos, and you can also use lots of belly jewell," said Pooja. The colours used for these tattoos are skin friendly as they are dermatologically tested for their skin sensitivity. Also these tattoo marks are just temporary which last to just about five days - just the time one could get bored with it. Trained tattoo artists and workers are engaged for laying intricate and creative pattern of different sizes and shapes. The cost of each work depends on the pattern and the amount of crystals being used. The event is a part of the ongoing Swarovski Crystal Celebration being held in Mumbai. Manish Malhotra goes Hollywood (Go to Top) Mumbai, May 24: Designer Manish Malhotra, who has dressed up Bollywood beauties like Urmila Matondkar, Karishma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor will now be designing clothes for Hollywood actress Reese Witherspoon. Reese was seen in famous Hollywood films like 'Legally Blonde' and 'Sweet Home Alabama'. Manish is designing her clothes for Mira Nair's film 'Vanity Fair'. Reese will be donning Manish's clothes for a Moroccan dance number, which will be given a Bollywood treatment. She shed 82 kgs in 11 months! (Go to Top) Lucknow, May 1: Thirty-three-year old Monica Sharma, a resident of this city, is set to enter the record books for achieving what most can only dream of. Monica reduced her weight from a whopping 150 kilograms to 68 kg in just 11 months and now vies for a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, and its Indian variety, the Limca Book of Records, as the world's fastest load shedder. The record in this regard in the Limca Book stands at 50 kg in 11 months and for the Guinness, it is 55 kg in 11 months. An interior designer and a mother of two, Ms Sharma said that the fear of falling sick due to obesity prompted her to take up regular exercises. "I was afraid of falling sick due to excessive weight and apart from that, it was the love for my dear ones (my husband and my family) that motivated me to go for weight reduction," she added. At the time when she took up her exercises she could not even walk a distance of 50 meters Now this has been increased to almost 15 km. "I began (my exercise schedule) by walking. Initially I could only walk upto 50 metres and after persistent walking, I started losing weight. Then I started walking 500 metres and then further increased its duration. Initially, it used to take me at least two hours to walk small distances, people also used to make fun of me and I used to wonder whether I will ever be able to walk fast. But today I walk upto 10-15 km daily," Ms Sharma elaborated. She now wants to sensitise people suffering from obesity, especially women, and make them aware of the right lifestyle to remain healthy. Kurtas are cool, fashionable and comfortable (Go to Top) Mumbai, May 1: Fashion follows a certain pattern and every season promises to bring in new trends that become the 'in' thing for the fashion-conscious people. 'Kurtas' have taken on a new dimension altogether in the present times, they are fast becoming a fashion statement not just in India but also in the West. A khadi kurta with a Ghandhian cap became synonymous with the freedom-fighters. And for a long, long time, kurta stuck to its serious image, until recently when it was revived by the new breed designers into an attire that has both poise and style. Today kurtas spell attitude, and come in almost all colours and fabrics. From funky kurtas with sequins and beads on them, all kinds kinds are available in the market. The best thing about these kurtas is that they are not just worn by men but are preferred by women also. From churidars to denims, from pants to skirts, kurtas can be easily worn with anything and everything. It is not a vernacular or 'behenji type' outfit but has evolved into a hip-hop fashion statement. Wearing kurta is very 'in' and makes one look hot and happening. While many prefer to wear these short and long kurtas during the day in office, for others it is a comfortable and stylish outfit for a party or an evening out. Men and women wearing kurtas at fashion shows and other social gatherings is a common sight these days. A cool casual wear to a well-textured evening wear, kurtas are here to stay. Whether you buy it from a designer store or pick it from the street-side vendors, they make you look cool. There can be sleeveless kurtas, short or long kurtas or 'kurtis'. Tight kurtas like in the 70's or casual free-flowing ones, they offer many choices. The market nowadays is flooded with kurtas for men and women of all shapes and sizes with prices that range from reasonable to expensive depending on the material, the design and the work. For men, there are plain cotton kurtas in plain shades, kurtas with different necklines with embroideries on them, and kurtas with bell sleeves with paintings on them. For women, they range from slim styles to rich tapered ones with rich motifs and delicate embroideries and laces on them. kurtas are not just worn by the commonman but by many rich and famous people as well. kurtas look good not only in old matured people but on young people as well. -ANI |
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