PFMI

Every year, a number of beautiful, smart, talented young women line up for the coveted "Miss India" title. Its a great contest - it's entertaining, it gives confidence to a lot of the participants and if nothing else - they can always say - I took part in a beauty pageant. (I tend to justify a lot of things with "once in my life" as you will see in posts to come). And I'm not ashamed to say that when I was younger (I'm ashamed to say how much younger - perhaps not too long ago!) I wanted to be Miss Universe. Of course this was when Sushmita Sen was Miss Universe not some flash-in-the-pan gorgeous girl. These days they're not even that good looking sadly.

Anyway to get to the point, I opened BT (Mumbai not Bangalore) one morning to see PFMI splashed all over it. The contest had just concluded and this saved the supplement from having to cook up (and get paid for) ridiculous stories about South Africa being the next holiday destination because all of Bollywood goes these to shoot. (this was the next day's article). Now unfortunately this is the only paper I can read considering I live with 10 others so we can't all have one common newspaper requirement - we have to make do with the best (or worst) of the lot. Also I think they deliver only this to the area we we live in.

So You must have seen apart from the winners in these contests, there are the sub contest winners as they are called. These include Miss Crowning glory (hair), Miss Talented (talent-Duh!) etc. BUT I was really unaware that PFMI (for the uninitiated this is P F Miss India - I can't directly name sponsors because they change every year) has many MANY more eggs in that basket.. and quite a few of them are rotten. Check this out - and hre I have to mention sponsors - thats why they've given the money after all!

1. Sahara Star Femina Miss Hospitality: ... because warmth, compassion and hospitality has been the principle responsibility of an Indian woman...
2. Indiatimes Miss 58888: this belied explanation even from as shallow a supplement as as this one
   
3. Collection G in association with D Damas and World Gold council Femina Miss Golden heart: children from... were thrilled to choose the onewho touched their hearts the most

Maybe I should have entered some contest after all! I mean even the certificate of participation is an award! Maybe I could have gotten Airtel Miss One-Who-uses-most-Voice-SMS or Bangalore University Miss stubbornly-trying-to-get-her-degree-but-is-waylaid-most-often.

Its good to know I have something to look forward to at least. Plus I get a really cool sash. What do you have that could compare, really!