Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2009 Announces  20 National Finalists
 
Report and Pics from Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai (RD/SP)

Mumbai, Mar 13:  The talented and glamorous finalists of Pantaloons Femina Miss India (PFMI) 2009 were unveiled amidst much fanfare. Out of over 100 aspiring contestants who were present at the Regional Rounds, 20 stunning beauties finally made it to the top. These divas come one step closer to ‘Live the Dream’ – of winning the most coveted title – and would compete for the crowns on the Grand Finale stage.
 
The 20 finalists from across India sizzled on the ramp with the show choreographed by none other than Marc Robinson.
 
The gorgeous ladies were attired in cocktail dresses designed by renowned fashion designer Haasya Chandna. Her collection for the future Miss India’s was designed keeping in mind each ones personal attributes. The hues, the textures and cuts of each gown made every contestant stand out as an individual, exuding confidence of looking and giving their best in their quest to win the most coveted title of Femina Miss India’s pageant. The collection boasted of cocktail gowns woven in satin, enhancing eclectic hues of electric blue, sea green, wine pink and black. It emphasised on flowy textures, each cut to perfection. The aesthetic makeup was done by Vivian D Silva, Make up Expert from Make up Forever. The Hair styling was done by Najeeb Ur Rehman – Chief Colour and Styling Consultant from Schwarzkopf Professional.
 
Adding glamour to the grand evening was the unveiling of the three exquisitely designed crowns for the top three winners crafted by Collection G – a brand for the woman of today in association with D’damas and World Gold Council, exclusively for Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2009. The intricately crafted crowns inspired from the Sun, Moon and Stars were unveiled by the brand ambassador of Collection G, Jacqueline Fernandez. The trendy Collection G jewellery adorning the contestants lent grandeur and beauty to the evening held at the upscale Flute Lounge, located at Hotel Sahara Star.
 

These aspiring finalists will continue their journey towards the coveted pageant through a month long intensive training schedule at Hotel Sahara Star, carefully put together by the Miss India expert panel comprising of Marc Robinson – Fashion Director & Contestant Director, Alicia Raut – Ramp Walk Trainer Sabira Merchant – Diction Expert, Dr. Rekha Sheth – Nivea Visage Skin Care Expert, Dr. Dilip Deshpande – Smile & Dental Expert, Dr. Abhijit Desai - Makeover Expert, Dr. Apoorva & Sonal Shah – Hair Care Experts, Prasad Bidapa – Contestant Advisor, Zakia Shakir – Fashion Photographer, Najeeb Ur Rehman – Chief Colour and Styling Consultant from Schwarzkopf Professional, Anuja Katara – Make up Expert from Make up Forever, Latif Mohammed – Head Fitness & Training Expert from Talwalkars, Neesha Bukht and Avantika Shah – Diet & Nutrition Experts from Talwalkars, Sandeep Soparkar & Jesse Randhawa – Dance Experts, Ashley Rebello - Fashion Stylist for photoshoots and Anjanna Kuthiala – Art appreciation. These experts will thoughtfully guide them in various facets which are important for every aspiring ‘Miss India’ to possess. The star studded grand finale will take place on the 5th of April at Mumbai.
 
Speaking on the occasion Marc Robinson, Fashion Director and Contestant Director said, “India is a land of opportunities and the very same adage transcended into the Femina Miss India Pageant. The 20 Contestants at the PFMI 2009 beauty pageant are a young, confident, dynamic & intelligent lot of girls with aspirational values. It has been an exciting journey from the very start and I look forward to training these beauties keeping in mind the global lineage and repute synonymous with this pageant.”
 
According to Zahid Shaikh – Chief Marketing Pantaloons, “As the Pantaloons association with Femina Miss India now enters the third year, the pageant has moved from strength to strength. The success of the pageant has been to take this talent search to every corner of India upto Guwahati, Bhubaneshwar, Indore & Mangalore where Pantaloons has been an active partner in every city. Youth and Style is the cornerstone for both Pantaloons and Femina Miss India where Pantaloons is playing the effective part of grooming the contestants. With the success of Parvathy on the international platform last year, we hope that this year the contestants’ talent will make this an eventful year for Pantaloons Femina Miss India as well.”
 
Ajay Mitra, Managing Director, World Gold Council said, “Gold decorates achievers and winners. This lead to a natural progression in introducing the Collection g ‘MISS INDIA ENSEMBLE” that inspires women to reach greater heights. Our association with Pantaloons Femina Miss India over the last two years has firmly positioned gold on the podium along with successful and new age women. These young women, vying for the exquisite gold crown, are the future brand ambassadors of our country. Each represents the talent and class of women belonging to a country that celebrates contemporary fashion while retaining traditional values of warmth and passion that symbolises the core essence of gold.”
 
Speaking on the occasion,  G.K. Nair Director Gitanjali Group said, "At Gitanjali we believe that, it's beauty that captures your attention; personality which captures your heart, and a Sparkling beauty should imbibe both these characteristics. What adds to the beauty is the jewellery she adorns and what’s closer to her than Gold. We are proud to be associated with the Pantaloons Femina Miss India, a contest that has been a pioneer in providing great opportunities for women to achieve their dreams and to touch many people's lives in different ways. It is with this in mind that our brand Collection G by D’damas, has partnered with Femina Miss India 2009 which is a testimony of Gitanjali's leadership in the world-wide organized jewellery market."
 
Earlier, completing its second year, Pantaloons Femina Miss India South 2009 & the newly introduced East property for Femina Miss India namely Pantaloons Femina Miss India East 2009 were a major hit amongst the chic audiences in the smaller metros and were received with much enthusiasm and applause. An incredible amount of untapped talent and unconventional beauty was seen and explored by the commendable panel of judges. Ms. Faith Pandey was crowned the final winner for Pantaloons Femina Miss India South 2009 and Ms. Pooja Chopra for Pantaloons Femina Miss India East 2009, who have now got a direct entry into the top 10 finalists of the Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2009 national pageant grand finale.