Contests that seek beauty ‘n’ brains

By Prabhjot Singh

NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD Gagan Atwal, a student of English Honours at Government College for Women, Ludhiana, had a tough schedule before she participated in Miss North India contest held at Chandigarh recently.

"It is tough. It is not beauty alone that counts. One must be confident and have a good IQ to be successful," says Gagan, who was adjudged the best from a group of 22 participants from all over North India.

Next on her agenda is participation in Femina Miss India contest.

Gagan has been an accomplished swimmer for three years. She represented Punjab in the National Games in 1993-94. Reading books and listening to music are her other pastimes.

Her father, Shamsher Singh Atwal, had been a national-level basketball player himself, while her mother, S.K. Atwal, is a national-level volleyball player, and is working as a lecturer of physical education.

"I try to do my best in competitions," says Gagan, who takes every competition seriously and prepares hard. "Once you are determined, you are sure to be successful."

Before competing in the Miss North India contest, she participated in the Miss Fresher contest in her college last year and was successful. When Computer Point organised the Miss Castle Princess contest later last year, she again catwalked to the crown.

While Gagan Atwal walked away with the Miss North India title, the Mr North India title was clinched by Sumit Singla, a city boy. Sumit’s father works in the Punjab Excise and Taxation Department. Before deciding to make "modelling" his career, 19-year-old Sumit had been performing street plays. Standing a little over two metres, Sumit loves music, films, acting, travelling and sports. A regular gym-goer, Sumit does long workouts to keep his body in shape.

"One has to really work hard to be at the top. I had to put in a lot of extra work to prepare myself for this Mr North India competition. All the participants come well prepared," says Sumit.

He, like Gagan Atwal, feels that the increasing number of fashion shows and beauty contests is making it tougher for newcomers to romp home with crowns. "One has to be really good to be successful," they add.