Venkat Raman –
Far from being a beauty contest, Miss Indianz has created a pool of talent- not just 250 young maiden in their best elements of alacrity and grace, says Dharmesh Parikh, Director of Rhythm House Limited, the architect of the annual competition that entered its teen years just now.
Even as we investigate complaints of participants in other contests that they are obliged to pay the organisers to enter their contest, sell tickets and donate to a Trust of which little is known, we note the pride with which Mr Parikh, his wife Sapna, brother Hemant and a host of others organise Miss Indianz year after year. To remain above scandal is an incredible thing and to manage the aspirations of so many young beings is quite another.
Miss Indianz 2015 will go on stage at Aotea Centre on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at 730 pm. It is therefore time for another curtain raiser- the third in our series.
“We believe that Miss Indianz has become a symbolic event of the Kiwi-Indian community. Besides presenting beautiful women in their finery on the catwalk, this event has provided opportunities for hundreds of musicians, singers, dancers, hair and makeup crew, technicians and photographers. Many made their debut at this event and have created their own brands and are well recognised in their respective fields,” Mr Parikh said.
Readers can exercise their ‘Miss Public Choice,’ by texting ‘2015 Name’ (first name of the contestant) to 226. They will automatically go in to a draw to win $100 Westfield Voucher. The name of the winner will be announced at the event. Public Choice voting is now on, and will conclude on Friday September 11, 2015,” he added.
Deepti Mahapatra
A final year doctorate student in Biotechnology at the University of Canterbury, this young women is on the topic of food proteins.
She is the product of East and North; her father is from Odissa while her mother hails from Punjab, India. When she was 17 years old, Deepti Mahapatra shifted to Chennai to pursue a degree course (BTech) in biotechnology.
Her creditable academic background earned her a seat to pursue her PhD.
Vociferous and friendly, she collaborated with her friends to form a fusion band called, ‘SMC,’ which has been gaining popularity.
“We have been doing small live gigs in Christchurch in weekends and holidays. I also won the Judges Choice award at the Christchurch Bollywood Singing Star Contest. Just before coming to New Zealand, I recorded a devotional music album with T-series as my debut,” she said.
Emelda Shah
Dance in every form holds the interest of Emelda Shah, who is a trainee studying in the NZDF military preparation course with the association of Cooperate Academy Group.
She said Miss Indianz is an intriguing event.
“I am sure that this cultural extravaganza will provide me an opportunity to share my passion for beauty and fashion, tempered by cultural and social values. This is a programme that has brought together many talents,” she said.
Komal Prinika Prasad
This young girl says that her aim is to express herself through inner and outer beauty.
“I hope to speak and walk with confidence with the experience gained as a participant in Miss Indianz 2015,” she said.
Komal Prinika Prasad says that most Indian girls dream of becoming a Bollywood actress and that she is no exception.
“Miss Indianz will be my first stepping stone towards achieving my goal. I am proud of my Indo-Fijian heritage,” she said.
Riddhi Patel
This young from Gujarat, India, is looking forward to getting to know the members of her close-knit community of Dargaville by stepping into the limelight for the first time.
Riddhi Patel recently migrated to New Zealand.
Editor’s Note: We commenced profiling Miss Indianz participants in our July 1, 2015 issue and hence this is our third in the series. We will introduce other participants in our August 15 and September 1 issues.