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Nidhi Bhimani, 22, a pharmaceutical student, has no plans to go to Bollywood, being on the brink of becoming a Doctor of Pharmacy after 6 years of beating the path from classes to the library at Northeastern University, Boston. But she was willing to take part in the one-of-a-kind beauty pageant that focuses on a healthy body and mind. She won that hands down, becoming Miss India Connecticut at the Sept. 21 “Beauty from the Heart” pageant held at the prestigious Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, Connecticut.
One of the prizes is a year of training as an actress and performer at the Whistling Woods International Institute in Mumbai founded by renowned Indian filmmaker Subhash Ghai.
“Acting isn’t even close to what I planned doing with my life,” Bhimani told Desi Talk. In fact, her decision to sign up for the contest “confused” her parents Jagdish and Hansa Bhimani, shocked that their hitherto studious daughter had nursed a lifelong dream to take part in a pageant.
Nevertheless, Bhimani not only fulfilled that dream, she came out on top. As she paraded in her royal blue ghagra-choli before the crowd of close to 1,000 ticketed guests, some in vibrant sarees of purple, turquoise and gold, she exuded a sense of her own personality through the experience, she said she gained in the weeks preparing for the pageant. When she was asked what was the one thing she would want to change in this world if she had the opportunity, Bhimani said, “I would work to end poverty and world hunger because food should not be a privilege but a right.” Relatives had brought her ghagra-choli all the way from India; and her western dress was a red form-fitting gown.
Anita Bhat, founder of America Diva, a non-profit organization that aims to promote a healthy body image for young women, told Desi Talk it was a sold-out event with tickets ranging from $28 to $78.
Fifteen young women were selected as finalists from the 28 who sent in applications. This one-of-akind pageant focuses on the whole person and on a healthy weight in contrast to most pageants known for promoting the tall and slim look.
Bhat wants to send a contrary message out. As a clinical dietitian who graduated from University of Western Ontario, Canada, Bhat gave up her practice to organize this bi-annual event since 2008, because she says she wanted to do something for the community. She hopes to battle the behemoth fashion industry’s image of thin bodies and qualifiers have to have a healthy body-mass-index (BMI) if they want to be part of the one she organizes.
But concedes it’s no easy task. “It is very difficult to break into the fashion industry and hard to conduct such a show unless the wider community supports it.”
However, she does not turn away anyone interested between the ages 17 and 27 if they don’t fall within the BMI. “We don’t say no to others. We even have a dietician to suggest the diet those not within the BMI can follow to reach their potential before the contest. And we do not consider height among the qualifications,” Bhat said.
According to Rajeev Khinchi, a Bollywood choreographer who choreographed the Miss India Connecticut show, the standards of the event are high. “When a show is restricted to a small community like this city which is focused on education, the girls who qualify have quite commendable backgrounds; and several of them could also qualify to become Bollywood actresses,” he told Desi Talk.
Winner of the 2012 Rashtriya Rajiv Gandhi Achievers Award for fashion and dance choreography, Khinchi who has choreographed the Miss India USA contest as well as several fashion shows around the world attests to the professionalism and attention to detail on Bhat’s part.
“I don’t even know where to begin to describe what a great experience this pageant was for me,” Bhimani said. From making new friends, learning how to present herself, and numerous other life lessons, she says it was “unique” and “much more” than a beauty pageant. She for one, did not have to change her lifestyle to compete. “I eat health and exercize anyway, so that didn’t change,’ she said. “But I do have a sweet tooth that I had to control a few days before the event,” she laughs.
Born and brought up in West Hartford, Connecticut, Bhimani attended Conard High School.
Winners get $1,000 plus the one year training at Ghai’s institute in Mumbai as well as $10,000 in scholarship if they decide to join the American University of Barbados School of Medicine, plus a two-week internship in India organized by Global Internship Services run by Jasmine Bhajwa.