Chennai: Have a goal and work hard towards achieving it. This is young Pavithrra Venkatraman’s mantra. From a humble beginning to coming second in Mrs India beauty pageant, Pavithra has crossed many hurdles to achieve big in her life.
An IT professional and a mother of a five-year-old kid, Pavithrra, a Mrs Tamilnadu title holder, has done everyone of us proud with her list of achievements.
Keen to serve the society in a big way, Pavithra speaking to News Today, says, ‘I want to contribute in awareness about mental health, because unlike physical problems, it is not so prominent’.
Excerpts from her interview:
Q: Tell us about yourself?
A: I am a trained bharatnatyam dancer, classical singer, certified yoga trainer, an aspiring actor and an entertainer. On the other side, I am also a district topper in 12th, a B. Tech and M. Tech graduate from elite institutions in India and work in the field of artificial intelligence. Many of my friends find it fascinating that I am logical and artistic at the same time. When I came across Mrs India, I thought this is the best platform for me to showcase my varied talents. More than that, this platform also gives me an opportunity to talk about social issues and make a difference in society.
Q: Brief us through Mrs India contest. How did you prepare for it?
A: The tagline of Mrs India was: We create role models, not just models. A participant is not just judged on her physical appearance, but there are many other factors that contribute even more.
Overall, There are 3 main aspects. One aspect is around the participants appearance and presentation. Then there is a talent round where participants get a chance to showcase their talents and skills like dance, singing, painting or anything creative. Lastly, but not the least, judges look for participants overall achievements and contributions to society and their ability to create an impact in future.
I started preparing around 6-7 months before the event. Mrs India gave me the opportunity to work on my fitness. I started regular gym and tennis. I practiced yoga every single day for about 3 months. Especially after marriage, after having a baby, women tend to put on weight and they tend to care less about their fitness. Pageants like this are really a great motivation for self-love, self-care and to get fit again. There were about 10 to 11 different rounds including Talent round, personal interview, traditional wear, textile reuse/restyle round, evening gown etc. So, that involved a lot of shopping, designing dresses and some creativity around it. We were asked to make introduction videos and many other short concept videos. The director of Mrs India Deepali Phadnis guided us throughout the preparations via conference calls. I would say it was a hectic time, but I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it.
Q: What is beauty according to you?
A: Every woman is beautiful irrespective of the age, shape, size and colour. Beauty according to me is kindness and compassion.
Q: What is your aspiration? Will you take up acting in future?
A: I am definitely interested in acting. Looking for opportunities in Tamil media and outside. Would love to work on interesting projects on ad films, movies, web series etc. Not only that Mrs India Title gives me the opportunity to contribute to society. So I am planning to get involved in many CSR activities snd awareness programs especially on mental health.
Q: How did your family support in your endeavours?
A: My husbandâs name is Vimal Jangid. Without his support, it is impossible for me to achieve this. Daughterâs name is Mishika. I have to mention my mother Padmavathi, because she has been my inspiration. She s such a strong woman and her confidence in me is what made me achieve things from childhood. But when I went through depression, my family could not understand and that just increased my suffering so much. Thatâs the reason I want to contribute in awareness about mental health, because unlike physical problems, it is not so prominent.