Ruopfuzhano Whiso, the Femina Miss India Nagaland crown winner of 2018 will represent Nagaland in the Miss Universe India 2024 pageant. Whiso was selected at an open audition conducted by the Beauty and Aesthetics Society of Nagaland (BASN), at the Niathu Resort, Chümoukedima on July 2.
The jury for the audition included Amjad Khan, Director of Operations & Marketing, Miss Universe India and Asmita Chakraborty, Miss Tourism India 2023.
Announcing the winner at a press conference at the audition venue, BASN President Mele Pucho, said that Whiso was selected from a pool of 19 contestants, who auditioned, from across the state. “This is the first time we are organising and hosting the ‘Miss Universe’ (state level) pageant here in Nagaland. From this year onwards, we are going to select a candidate to represent our state directly. Whoever gets selected today, will represent our state in the Miss Universe India pageant to be held in the month of September,” said Pucho. According to him, the judges, Asmita Chakraborty and Amjad Khan had a tough time picking the winner.
Khan said that after the Glamanand Group, the franchise holder of the Miss Universe India pageant, decided to take the auditions to all the states and select union territories from 2024 onwards. Before 2024, auditions were held in select locations or cities, where hopefuls had to travel on their own expenses.
He said that the Group came up with the idea to hold auditions in all the 28 states and 2 union territories to enable the contestants to audition in their own home states and cities. The winner of the national pageant will represent the country at the Miss Universe scheduled to be held in November, this year, in Mexico.
Co-judge Chakraborty said that taking the auditions countrywide would foster a more inclusive environment in beauty pageants. “India is a huge country. It has so much diversity that if we pick girls from only one particular area, it won’t justify the beauty that the country has… that we go to each state and pick their true representative. This is just fostering more inclusive environment for pageantry in its own,” she said. According to her, they had a really had a good tough time figuring out who would be the best candidate.
She admitted to being “already prepared to see a lot of beauty here” but surprised by the intensity of competition displayed. “Beauty is just a matter of, you know, in the eyes of the beholder. But over here, what I saw was everyone is so well-spoken,” she said. Walking and posing can be worked upon but she added, “Speaking is something which has to come from inside. You cannot train somebody within a short span to speak well. And over here, the girls are so well-prepared. They know how to speak from their hearts.”
The Miss Universe India 2024 will take place in September. It will be a two weeks long contest and will start by mid-August. Khan said that they want to wrap up the national contest by the first or second week of September to provide ample time to the title winner to prepare for the International finale in November.
Looks or intellect
The judges were asked, “What is it you look out for (in a contestant) — looks or intellect? Chakraborty replied, “For me, I think Miss Universe is something which requires both equally.” She said that it has to be a person who understands situations.
She added, “Miss Universe is not just about spreading awareness in the field of beauty. It’s as much about taking up your causes, your advocacy and having a very strong opinion… When you are questioned by the media about issues like war or politics, you need to have an opinion. And that is not somebody who can do without a good intellect. So, apart from being beautiful, you need to have that as well. And that’s what we look for.” Stage presence and confidence are one, but, as a judge, she said that she looks for how a contestant handles a situation, say, when a question pops up. “We cannot decide what a perfect answer is because nobody writes a perfect answer or defines one. But, it’s how you react at that moment and what comes from your heart. How well you can put that in within a few words and present it,” she said. Ruopfuzhano headed for Miss Universe India 2024 | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com
