Click to play videoNew Delhi: Miss India Simran Kaur Mundi could not crack the just concluded Miss Universe contest.
It seems that India is not producing winners at beauty competitions anymore in contrast to a few years ago when we were producing bagfuls of them.
In fact, it turns out, that there have been no winners at all since 2000, when India swept all three, Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss Asia-Pacific titles.
Sushmita Sen became the first Indian Miss Universe in 1994, and Aishwariya Rai was crowned the Miss World. It was a windfall of international tiaras and roses as several Indian super-beauties succeeded on the world stage including Diana Hayden, Lara Dutta, Priyanka Chopra, Yukta Mookhey and Diya Mirza.
India was the flavour of the world at beauty pageants, so much so that in 2000, Miss World Priyanka Chopra clinched the title even after giving the wrong answer. She was asked of a living woman she idolises and she said, “Mother Teresa”.
However, in stark contrast, India's Simran Kaur Mundi failed to bring the crown home in 2008, joining in the long lists of losing beauty queens like Celina Jaitley, Nikita Anand, Neha Kapoor, Tanushree Dutta, Neha Dhupia and many more.
The fact is, that ever since India grabbed all the three titles in 2000, Indian beauties have not won a single title.
Some say that beauty pageants themselves are on their way out.
“There are other avenues opening up like modeling for girls,” says diction trainer, Sabina Merchant.
Unlike popular belief that the pageants are rigged, many celebrities believe, that the beauty pageants are not rigged.
Meanwhile, India seems to be waiting for the crowning glory and its next big beauty queen.
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