A quick conversation with Miss India World Nandini Gupta, who has entered the quarterfinal of the 72nd Miss World competition.
As the 72nd Miss World competition unfolds in Hyderabad, one of the most memorable highlights was seeing India's Nandini Gupta advance to the quarter-finals after winning the Top Model round.
She was joined by Martinique's Aurelie Joachim, Namibia's Selma Kamanya and Ireland's Jasmine Gerhardt, who have also won the Top Model round in their respective categories.
As the Kota-born beauty is prepares for the grand finale on May 31 in Hyderabad, she thanks the late designer Rohit Bal for blessing her journey.
"My experience at the Top Model round was spectacular. I got to wear Archana Kochhar for our first round.
"For the World Designer Award, I wore Rohit Bal. It was a black velvet lehenga kissed with sequins from his last collection, Kaaynaat: A Bloom In The Universe. Luckily, I think it was his blessings; he was watching me from the heavens and I was able to shine on the stage. And yes, just like his collection, I was blooming on the world stage," she tells Divya Nair/Rediff.
With back-to-back challenge events lined up every day, how does she maintain a healthy balance?
Nandini credits her parents, who are farmers, for introducing her to organic food early on in life.
"As I come from a farming background, I have the luxury of getting the resources in the purest form in which they are grown -- be it lentils, pulses and even fruits. So I think I'm lucky on that front."
She explains how a simple diet and lifestyle has helped her maintain a healthy routine. "I don't like to apply skin care; I prefer eating it," she smiles.
"Everything that you eat has to be at the right time and in the right proportion. I don't feel people need to skip their meals in order to stay healthy. Rather, you need to have all your meals, including breakfast, which is the most important meal of the day. You have to have it with the right amount of minerals, vitamins and nutrients."
It's been eight years since India's Manushi Chhillar brought home the Miss World crown. As Nandini advances to the final leg of the event, the excitement is palpable.
"The preparation for the finale has been rigorous. We are doing rehearsals day in and day out and also doing various other things throughout the day. There are different visits and different interviews each day," she says.
India first hosted the Miss World pageant in 1996 in Bengaluru.
After 28 years, in 2024, the contest returned to India and 24-year-old Krystyna Pyszkova of the Czech Republic was crowned the winner at the at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.
This year, contestants from 107 countries are participating in the global beauty pageant.
Describing the scale of the 72nd Miss World finale in Hyderabad this year, Nandini says: "I'm really looking forward for the finale day at the HITEX Exhibition Centre. No one has seen this kind of a production and efforts. It's a bigger stage. And it's larger than life, just like Telugu cinema."
"I'm really looking forward to the world witnessing the beauty, the purpose and the magic. And I'm sure that the world will love it."
'Kindness isn't always loud, it's in gentle hands, shared tears and quiet acts of care. That day, bruised and breathless, I found sisterhood in a green room full of love. We weren't just contestants, we were each other's strength. Beauty, I realised, runs deeper than the surface. It lives in the heart,' Nandini wrote on Instagram about her performance in the challenge round.Photograph: Kind courtesy Altair Media
At a time when Telangana government and the Miss World pageant is dealing with allegations of exploitation and harassment over the sudden exit of Miss England Milla Magee, Nandini extends her support to the government and the organisers for promoting tourism in India.
"After May 31, people will love to come back to Telangana. Thank you so much to Telangana government, Telangana Tourism and the Miss World Organisation for letting us have this beautiful experience. It would not have been possible without your collaboration."
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