Today is special for India as, after a hiatus of 28 years, one of the world’s most anticipated events of the year, the 71st Miss World Pageant, is taking place right here in Mumbai. As the Jio World Convention Centre at Bandra-Kurla Complex lights up for the evening, the attention of the world is sure to be on the star-studded gala affair being organised with such pomp and show.
Initially slated to be held in the United Arab Emirates, the hosting rights were finally awarded to India in June last year. According to Miss World Organisation’s Instagram post, “the decision to award India with this prestigious honour recognises the nation’s rich cultural heritage, its commitment to promoting diversity, and its passion for empowering women.”
With star performers and some of the Hindi film industry’s biggest names set to grace the stage, the evening certainly promises to be a fun-filled joyride.
What Happened In Miss World 1996?
The excitement and jubilation that’s seen around the event today, however, belies the fate it underwent 28 years ago, when it was hosted in Bengaluru, India. The 1996 event was organised by superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s ABCL group. None had anticipated the kind of backlash it would receive. The public reaction to the event was nothing short of a nightmare for the organisers, who had to incur huge financial losses due to nationwide protests against the competition. In fact, the New York Times reported one death by self-immolation during the protests.
The protests, initiated by Hindu fundamentalist groups, saw the competition as an attack on the cultural values of India, especially the swimwear round. What was surprising was that the feminists sided with the protestors as they considered such contests degrading to women. As a result, the swimwear competition was shifted to the nearby Seychelles islands.
The same year, in an interview with journalist Vir Sanghvi, Mr. Bachchan recounted the shock he felt at such a violent reaction: “When you talk about response, you are referring to a small but vocal group that is opposed to the contest. We ran a survey before we said yes to consider the reaction from the public at large. That survey said that people approved of the pageant.
I still believe that by and large, there is widespread public support for Miss World. Or at the very least, the public is not opposed to the pageant. So in that sense, the survey was right. What we didn’t consider was that there would be a very vocal minority that would oppose Miss World at all costs.”
The response was indeed shocking, as just two years prior to the hosting of the beauty pageant, two Indian beauties, Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen, had won the Miss World and Miss Universe titles, respectively, and were warmly welcomed by the people of India.
India’s Association With Beauty Pageants
India has been hosting the Miss India contest since 1947, and there has not been any protest, violent or otherwise, barring 1996, against such competitions. The first woman to be crowned Miss India was Esther Victoria Abraham, who became a popular actor and the nation’s first female producer.
In 1952, two Miss India pageants were organised of which Indrani Rehman and Nutan were winners. Indrani represented India at the inaugural edition of the Miss Universe pageant. Miss India 1954, Leela Naidu, was, in fact, featured in Vogue magazine’s list of the world’s 10 most beautiful women, the same year.
The breakthrough came in 1966, when Reita Faria, India’s entry into the pageant, won the Miss World crown. Since then, India has produced five Miss World titleholders. Aishwarya Rai (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999), Priyanka Chopra (2000), and Manushi Chillar (2017).
The Purpose of Beauty Pageants
Over the years, the Miss India pageant has evolved into an industry as diverse as any industry can be, right from fashion design to grooming to skill development and cosmetic surgeries.
But the question remains: are beauty pageants really necessary?
Well, here’s what Miss Universe 2021, Harnaaz Sandhu, has to say about that: It’s just like the Olympics. It’s not just about glamour.
According to her, unlike popular belief, the focus of a beauty pageant is not just “beauty”, it also places equal emphasis on a strong personality, quick wit and a sharp mind, which are a sort of pre-requisite to reaching the final round.
In recent years, beauty contests have come under strong criticism. The argument given is that they promote unrealistic beauty standards among young women. Though there is some truth in the argument presented, the positive aspect of such contests cannot be denied. The Miss World, or Miss Universe, platform is also used to showcase leadership, empowerment, diversity, and intelligence. The contestants also present their views on important issues like climate change, environmental degradation, carbon footprint, poverty, hunger, wars etc. Contestants get a chance to represent their countries and their cultures, and become the voices of their fellow citizens. Most importantly, they empower others. Hence, it is no longer just a beauty contest, but a contest of “beauty with a purpose”.
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