Bold and beautiful

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

her stunning good looks as well as her brains.

“I feel quite privileged about it all,” she said afterwards. “I hope this award gives me that extra leverage in my work to improve India-Australia relations.”

As a researcher at the University of Melbourne’s Australia India Institute, she hopes to influence policy change regarding the Indian students’ issue.

A talented dancer and actress, she has also managed in recent months to find a good break in Mumbai’s thriving entertainment industry: her first feature was Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan, released recently.

“It’s all coming together for me,” she revealed happily.

A picture of dignity and charm, grace and poise, she presented herself as confident in her identity as both Indian as well as Australian, at the Miss India Australia (MIA) event. She portrayed grounded sensibilities and a maturity way beyond her years as she spoke about the current state of IndiaAustralia relations. And when it was time to dance, both her classical bharatanatyam as well as her Bollywood-style performances were executed to perfection.

And that is what the organisers of the contest are seeking. Raj Suri, founder of the pageant in collaboration with Miss India Worldwide, explained, “We look for glamour as well as talent. And a good mix of east and west, to reflect our joint heritage as Indians as well as non-resident Indians.”

Pallavi, born in Perth and raised in Melbourne, fit the bill perfectly this year, with the added quality of self-assured confidence.

The contest

Auditions were held across Australia and finalists came from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Among them were, impressively, doctors, engineers, lawyers and teachers. There were no professional models, and most participants listed dance as a passion.

On the night itself, the girls had gone through weeks of rehearsals, and were ready to face the audience.

The Formal Wear round was quite conventional, but the Talent Round brought forth some surprise items. While the mandatory Bollywood dance was predictable, Neha cleverly converted Khaike Paan Banaraswala into an act and got the crowd going; Menaka put in some gymnastic poses in her snake-dance bharatanatyam item; Helena’s Radha Krishna number combined classical Indian with hip hop, and Inderpreet carried off her unusual choice of Sikh shabad simply beautifully. But Pallavi’s bharatanatyaminspired number was pure class: by now she had established very strongly that she was a cut above the rest.

The Q&A round included some predicted questions on the issues currently perturbing our two countries, and gave the girls an opportunity to wax forth on what they can do in the area - a welcome change from the “world peace” and “underprivileged children” kind of replies.

Among other memorable moments from the contest, were outgoing winner Kanchan’s dignified manner, MC Shivani’s brave attempts to enthuse the audience, 17-year-old Sonkia’s promise-filled exit speech, and Sherissa’s unbridled joy at being picked Miss Congeniality.

Showcasing international talent

In a brave new addition this year, international models participated as well in a separate section, strutting on the ramp, flaunting a bit of body encased in fashion swimwear, and even entertaining the audience with short acts.

“We can’t exist as Indians only – we have to be part of the mainstream,” Raj explained. “And with the show, we’ve reached a level where we’ve simply had to incorporate the wider community. Just as we as Indians have to go out there, we have to provide an avenue for the mainstream to come in. And that’s how the international segment was born.”

It turned out to be a segment separate from the Miss India Australia contest. The participants were found from Raj’s own contacts as a fashion photographer, and with the help of modeling agency AdPro Management Group (which has represented Miss Universe Australia Rachael Finch).

Of course, the segment cleverly allowed for the swimsuit round to slip into the whole show, so far considered way too bold for Indian sensibilities. It was bindis and bikinis as the girls strutted their stuff, and the audience didn’t quite know what to make of it all.

The Pashmina round however, was an innovative way to integrate the international segment with the overall Indian link. As the girls took to the catwalk, their plain jeans and nondescript tops made sure the attention was all on the lovely shawls. The MC’s running commentary on the history of Pashmina art drew further awareness on this garment, which has become Indian fashion’s ubiquitous offering to the western world.

An Indian choreographer handled this segment, and Raj expressed satisfaction with how it panned out.

“Yes, the girls learnt how to carry it off quite well, I thought,” he said later.

In the talent round, two participants presented their acts. Aimy Zad, in her intense film scene, managed to throw in a loud political statement - and some censorable language. Sophie Serafino, vibrant in beautiful red, impressed with her animated violin playing which saw her traverse the length and breadth of the stage (and even up and down the stairs – no mean feat that, with her long flowing dress and those killer heels).

Special guest Sanjay Suri, who also served as one of the judges, brought in the magic of Bollywood even though he has grown to become an ambassador for the industry’s “thinking” films. He spoke passionately about his latest project, the I am series of films, which seems definitely bound for critical acclaim and a possible run on the international film festival circuit. The film clip he brought along with him, set in Kashmir and featuring Juhi Chawla and Manisha Koirala, was intriguing to say the least.

About Pallavi Sharda

Pallavi has been performing on stage since she was three. It all began with small functions in Melbourne’s Indian community, and went on to serious dance at high school and Uni. Dance workshops incorporating various styles followed. Widening her scope, she took to journalism (she’s penned a few her own show on Melbourne’s Syn FM station, as well as on radio in India and Singapore.

But the entertainment scene has been a childhood dream.

“I’ve let journalism become a long-term goal. For now, I want to realise that childhood dream,” she claimed.

She packed her bags for Mumbai in 2008, and with no contacts in the industry there, began making the rounds with her portfolio.

It was a hard slog before her first big gig came along - a Prahlad Kakkar commercial, no less, for a mouth freshener. Meanwhile, she was picked up for a role in the stage comedy 1888 Dial India. A more prestigious shampoo ad (Sunsilk) followed, and by now Karan Johar had noticed the fresh appeal in this talented newcomer. He sought her out and offered her a cameo in his film My Name is Khan

It must have been a dream beginning in the film industry.

“Yes, my first big venture with a director of the stature of Karan Johar, and working alongside a star of the stature of Shah Rukh – I couldn’t have asked for more,” revealed Pallavi.

This talented young lady filmed in LA for four days, and if you’ve seen the movie you’ll know her as the young Muslim lady who feeds rotis to the lead character Shah Rukh.

The role also came at the right time, as Pallavi had just decided she did not want to do any more ads, preferring to concentrate on acting instead.

Pallavi will soon be seen opposite Manoj Bajpai in the film Dus Tola, and in an IndianAmerican feature It’s All Been Arranged, both ready for release. Two more features are lined up, one in a Kareena Kapoor film.

But if you’re thinking this girl is all about tinsel and stardust, think again. For someone whose parents and grandparents are hardcore academics, she is by her own admission, “quite nerdy”.

She may come from a typical Punjabi family, but she speaks fluent Tamil, Bangla and even French.

Her law degree in international human rights opened the path to a job at the Australia India Institute, where she is currently working on a project on the Indian students’ issue. “I’d like to see steps taken to have the violence reduced, and pastoral care increased,” she noted.

She hopes to put her MIA win to good advantage in her work at the Institute.

“It all complements each other… I seem to have the right skill-set to achieve what I want to,” said Pallavi.

With her work commitments both at the University and in the entertainment scene in India, Pallavi missed a day of rehearsals for the Sydney event. “But I’m in my element when I’m performing, so I was cool with it,” she stated confidently.

She also enjoyed making friends with the other girls. “It was fantastic meeting these confident, inspired girls. Like me, they want to create a presence for themselves… Indian communities in other countries have been able to rise up, and we would all like to do the same,” she said enthusiastically.

She was particularly pleased with the question she got in the last round: as Miss India Australia, what would you do to improve India –Australia relations?

“I know it is the luck of the draw really, but it is something I’m passionate about so I could be true to myself while answering,” said Pallavi. Her answer clinched it for her.

Currently, Pallavi is on her way to South Africa for the Miss India World event in late March. While the MIA team has high hopes from her, there is a small setback. Soon after her Sydney win, Pallavi suffered an accident during a morning jog, and had to have surgery to her chin and hand. This has meant changes to her planned competition routine.

“She’s a fighter,” said Raj, revealing that she even considered dropping out, but he was able to convince her to stick with it. “My whole team will be with her, offering every support possible.”

Pallavi herself is stoic about it.

“It’s been a phenomenal start to the year… perhaps it’s just God’s way of balancing things out,” she averred.

But with her characteristically studied attitude to everything, Pallavi has reorganised her presentation with careful thought, and is certain she will perform to the best of her abilities.

Here’s hoping she brings home the crown.