| Since perfection is always elusive,
beauty is a question of taste and a matter of much argument. So too is
a beauty contest. Some believe it is demeaning and offensive. But most
others in India view it as a lucrative profession, for contest winners
not only earn impressive money but often move on to film careers. It
has meant that in the past decade the concept, and business, of beauty
in India has undergone a triumphant revolution.
The Indian look, if there was such a
thing, was given to us by Hindi cinema. The generously endowed,
saucer-eyed, voluptuous actress became, acceptably or not, the
generalised definition of subcontinental beauty. But in the West, on
modelling ramps and at contests, another dimension of beauty was
applauded -- height, long legs, toned bodies, slim waistlines. So
India adapted. And obviously successfully, for in the past decade it
has produced one Miss Universe and three Miss Worlds -- the last being
Yukta Mookhey, crowned last week.
But if India is seen as an exporter
of beauty, producer of an assembly line of winners, it is not luck. As
our cover story reveals, it is the result of a burgeoning beauty
business where every detail is meticulously taken care of. Mookhey,
for instance, had at her disposal a dentist, an elocution teacher and
even a spiritual guide (to help her think positively!). To delve
deeper into Mookhey's triumph, Principal Correspondent Robin Abreu
spoke to her in London and her family in Mumbai. At the same time,
Principal Correspondent Farah Baria and Senior Editor Madhu Jain, who
anchored the story, spoke to an assortment of dieticians, physical
instructors, cosmetic surgeons, cosmetic dentists and teachers of
etiquette to understand how winners are manufactured.
And manufactured they are. As fitness
instructor Rama Bans told us, "Today, all a girl needs is to be
tall and have a reasonably pretty face. We do the rest." So much
for beauty.
(Aroon Purie) |
