| Contestants of Miss India 1998. Can you recognise Gauri Pradhan (second from left) and Smriti Irani (fifth from left)? |
Saas-bahu on the ramp
We dug out this picture from the archives. It was taken at the Miss India 1998 contest. Today's popular on-screen saas-bahu jodi Smriti Irani and Gauri Pradhan are among the contestants. We asked them to jog their memories and tell us all
Kunal M Shah and Sapana Patil Poojary
'I was thin then!'
Smriti Irani
My best memory of the Miss India contest in 1998 is that I was thin then!
I remember Gauri Pradhan, Diandra Soares, Shweta Jayashanker (Mahesh Bhupati's wife) and I were among the contestants. All of us who weren't from Mumbai, like Gauri and I, were put up in a guest house together and we really had a ball.
This was the first time that I had travelled to Mumbai from Delhi without my parents. It was also my first exposure to the media. The Times of India taught me to give interviews, and I guess that's where I have learnt to say, 'No comments'. Overall, the contest was a great eye-opener, since I had so far led a very protected life in Delhi.
I remember that I had to work in McDonald's after the contest to pay off the huge bills of Manish Malhotra, who had designed my clothes. In fact, I think I can even remember sweeping the floors at the restaurant. Jokes apart, I had borrowed money from my dad so it was really hard times for me.
A designer of The Times of India had done an excellent caricature of mine during the contest. I had it framed then, and I still have it at home.
'We would often talk all night'
Gauri Pradhan
This picture brings fond memories to my mind. Hey, I was a kid then! I had traveled to Mumbai from Pune for this contest. And yes, like Smriti, this was the first time that I had travelled alone.
All through the contest, none of us behaved like competitors. All of us were good friends and we would spend a lot of time together at the end of the day, chatting in each others' rooms. We would often talk all night. Of course, we gossiped a lot. Now, when Smriti and I think about those days, we can't stop laughing at all the things we did then.
Smriti, especially, laughs about how her looks have changed over the years and how she has put on a lot of weight. I'm slim now, but I used to be skinny then.
Although neither of us won any round, we had a really good time. I remember how during each dummy question-and-answer round Smriti would be the first one to raise her hand to answer the question.
Incidentally, after the Miss India contest, Nach Baliye 2 is the next competition that I am participating in.
