Mona
Everyone has a way to find the kind of life she/he wants to lead. Rupa Khurana has found hers. An interesting circuitous route that goes through reality shows. Nicknamed a ‘reality queen’ in her circle, Rupa has participated in as many as nine reality shows already and counting. Oh, did we forget to mention; she is also the runners up, Miss World Peace 2015. In Chandigarh to launch Max Winter Collection 15, this glam girl opens up on the journey and the ‘purpose’ she is pursuing.
Born in Delhi, Rupa spent most of her growing years in Kolkata, when modelling happened almost overnight. And, here was this young, pretty dame who had lived all her life in protective embrace of her father and brother, stepping onto the telly screen at Rahul Ka Swayamwar.
Swayamwar done, Rupa kept participating in other shows to ‘find’ herself. “Reality shows put you in situations that let you discover yourself in new light,” says Rupa, who found her very ‘wild’ side on Splitsvilla. Coming from a conservative, Punjabi family, Rupa was shocked when she saw her act on telly wooing the ‘King’ pretty provocatively. “On reality shows you often find yourself in situations you never imagine. In one of the tasks we had to be in like really nude bikini, basically body paint and usually the shy, introvert one, I couldn’t believe I could go this bold for the task,” reveals Rupa.
The obvious next is how ‘real’ were the shows that she became part of? “Look, the concept is to be ‘made’, what happens next lies in the hands of the contestants,” sharing this reality show veteran, who believes that mostly it’s ‘love angle’ that sells. About her being part of a beauty pageant, she is proud to carry the crown that she won competing with participants from 80 other countries. “I feel proud. There are millions of beauty queen aspirants in India, but to be the chosen one to represent the country means so much to me. Having won the crown means I am doing something right.” As the winner of the crown, Rupa is looking forward to work in association with charities active in promoting education and peace.