Opening Doorz

By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | January 26, 2021

Aishwarya Vinu Nair is no ordinary teen. Her feet firmly planted to the ground, this passionate dancer of myriad Indian forms who is also a stunner in front of the camera was crowned Miss Teen Earth India. At the Kingdom Of Dreams, Gurgaon, New Delhi, the curtains came down on the seven-day event on Tuesday, January 25, 2021, where Aishwarya put her best foot forward in her first-ever ‘live’ pageant.

For this precocious Grade XI ,16-year-old who studies in Dubai Scholars Private School, Dubai, this is a big step in her foray into the glam world.

Throwing light on the event for which she auditioned towards the end of 2019, Aishwarya says: “My Mom and I were searching for different teen pageants on Facebook when we came across Miss Teen Diva. Since I live in Dubai, I gave online auditions, wherein I had to fill a form with my details. There were also a few questions mentioned in the form that were to be answered. For the next round, they asked for a ramp walk video and finally they had asked for an introduction video. Initially, the event was supposed to start on April 24, but later it was postponed to May 30 due to the pandemic. Finally, I flew down to India in the New Year to participate in the event.”

The Pageant organised by Glamanand Entertainment, was a seven-day event held from January 19 to 25. There were four days of the event held in Jaipur and the final was in Gurgaon. Opening Doorz caught up with the elated Aishwarya, who is getting ready to go to her regular life: her school and studies!

From 23 to the final four…

There were 23 finalists in all. After the first few rounds, the top 15 were selected and from there the top eight from which were chosen the four winners. The four titles were Miss Teen Multinational India, Miss Teen Earth India, Miss Teen Universe India and Miss Teen International India. Aishwarya will now represent India at the Miss Teen Earth Pageant sometime in September 2021. The venue is not yet disclosed, but she says, “It might most probably be in India.”

Thrilled to make it to the podium

“I was extremely happy to make it to the top 15 and eventually the top 4,” reveals the teenager. “A lot of people have a lot of expectations from me and I would be breaking their heart if I had not won. So it is a win-win situation for all,” she says, matter-of-factly without a hint of a boast. So is she weighed down by expectations from those around her? “No. I do not feel the pressure at all. I am used to it because even in my dance competitions, I have experienced this. In fact, this keeps me motivated and going. I enjoy the pressure. I have learnt how to handle it. I give my best,” she smiles.  

The journey to the crown…

Aishwarya trained online with Cocoaberry last year and in the last month, the organisers trained all the contestants in various aspects. “It was a thorough session wherein we got to experience all aspect of the Pageant. I plan to come back to India sometime in July to train further for the International Pageant,” says the dancer who is as adept in Bharathanatyam as she is in Kuchipudi, Mohiniyattam, Folk Dance, Bollywood or even Western Dance.

The spark, the talent, the hard work…

Ask her how she got to be so talented (believe me, she is an all-round package) and Aishwarya is quick with her reply: “I think it all started with my parents. They noticed that spark in me and they supported me all the way. It was up to me to utilize that talent and capitalize on it. With God’s Blessings, I’ve become the person I am today.”

Kamala Harris it is for Aishwarya Nair…

In the round of eight, all contestants were asked the same question: Who is the contemporary woman of today you would like to emulate? Fourth in line, Aishwarya spoke without a glitch. “The answer came naturally to me and I spoke without halting. My answer was Kamala Harris. I said she is the first Female Vice President of the United States of America of Indian origin with Jamaican roots. She might be the first, but she definitely won’t be the last because she has given hope to so many girls like me where we can learn from her life, from her struggles to where she is today.”

Back to normal life…

The Miss Teen Diva Pageant was an event in her life which has opened her horizon. At the moment, she knows that she has to get back to Ground Zero. “I have to go back to my regular life, to school and studies,” she laughs when asked, where to, from here!

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