New Delhi: India’s first Mrs. World – Aditi Govitrikar – has launched a pageant that invites all married women – divorced, separated, and/or widowed – to the competition.
In a groundbreaking move that is set to redefine the world of beauty pageants, renowned model, actress, and psychologist Dr. Aditi Govitrikar has unveiled her latest initiative as she launches her own beauty pageant for married women called Marvelous Mrs. India 2023. Aditi Govitrikar has started her own beauty pageant and intends to train hopeful women for a month before to the finals, which is set for mid-September. In an exclusive interview with ABP Live, Aditi Govitrikar emlightens about her beauty pageant and her upcoming projects.
Here are a few excerpts from the interview:
Aditi, can you share with us the most memorable moment when you ventured into acting?
There are so many moments in various films – starting with ‘Thammadu’ – my first ever film. Since it was a Telugu film, the language was a bit difficult but the director Mr Arun and my costar Pawan Kalyan were incredibly helpful. The memorable part was when I said my first dialogue in Telugu and everyone was on the floor rolling with laughter as my pronounciation was hilarious.
What inspired you to venture into the world of beauty pageants and specifically to start your own beauty pageant Marvelous Mrs India 2023?
The idea of starting my own beauty pageant, Marvelous Mrs India 2023, was born out of a desire to create a platform that celebrates the true essence of Indian womanhood. I wanted to provide a stage for married women across India to showcase their talents, intelligence, and inner beauty while breaking stereotypes and promoting diversity and inclusivity. By this I mean, there’s no specific age, height or weight criteria for entering. For me, my pageant is not just about outer beauty, but about empowering women to make a difference in their lives, communities and beyond.
Tell us in brief about MMI and how is it different from other beauty pageants?
MMI celebrates the beauty of experience, intellect, talent, and maturity; showcasing that age, marital status or motherhood is no barrier to achieving dreams or making a positive impact. What I feel makes my pageant different from others is that with MMI, there’ll be support beyond just the crowning moment. I’m offering workshops with mentors who’ve learnt everything the hard way but are motivated to ease the journey for the next generation pageant goers. There’s a 1-month online training where we focus on all aspects of wellbeing, be it physical, emotional, spiritual, social, intellectual, etc. There are networking events to uplift and empower the contestants in their personal and professional lives among other pageant related activities.
What do you hope to achieve or promote through Marvelous Mrs India 2023?
Marvelous Mrs India 2023 aims to empower and celebrate married women, challenging traditional beauty standards and in a way breaking age-old stereotypes. The pageant promotes diversity and inclusivity while creating role models who inspire others. The ultimate goal is to instil confidence and empower married women to step up, make a positive impact on their lives, families, communities, society and uninhibitedly live their dreams.
What unique qualities do you believe sets apart one contestant from the other?
I am looking for uniqueness or genuineness. Someone who is her own person. Of course, criteria like confidence, communication skills, authenticity, stage presence, grace under pressure, empathy, and leadership skills are all equally important, but I’m looking for someone who is determined and committed to excel, learn, absorb knowledge, and bloom into a well-rounded individual not just for the competition, but someone who wants to be more balanced in all areas of life personally as well.
Could you share some insights into the preparation and training that you would be offering the contestants?
Since this is my first time executing a full-fledged beauty pageant, there are many aspects of planning, organizing, and executing that’s keeping me busy. Right from planning for every contestant’s confidence building, communication skills, talent development, stage presence, fitness, spiritual growth, nutrition, wardrobe, social impact, media training, and mentorship; arranging for experts in these particular fields has been quite challenging yet exciting. And since I want my contestants to be well accommodated in a 5-star property during training, get proper care and exposure, and experience an unforgettable journey and Grand Finale; it’s safe to say, everything’s hard work.
How much personally Pageants matter to you?
It’s no surprise that pageants hold a significant personal importance to me. My journey of participating and winning the crown of Mrs. World has been a life-changing and empowering experience. At this point, I wish for nothing but being instrumental in helping others feel empowered and fulfilled through a medium I have been a part of, have experienced and navigated through.
What advice would you give to young women wanting to participate in beauty pageants?
I think to succeed anywhere, not just the entertainment or beauty pageant industries per se, it’s important to be authentic, embrace uniqueness and avoid comparison. You must work on yourself to cultivate confidence in such a way, you face all of life’s challenges positively. As I say, learning never stops, aim for continuous skill improvement and use rejections (if ever) as motivation to learn from. Make sure to also surround yourself with supportive people who want to see you win and just persevere, your dreams are within reach.