Femina Miss India 2009 party in Mumbai

R Madhavan, host of the Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2009, in his distinctive tongue-in-cheek style, told the crowd to stop fanning themselves with the invitation cards and clap for the contestants instead.
Yes, Sunday evening was hot at the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai, but not just because of the summer heat; the temperature notched higher when 20 beautiful ladies from across India strutted across the stage, competing for the three golden crowns.
Three emerged winners — Ekta Chowdhry (PFMI-Universe 2009), Pooja Chopra (PFMI-World 2009) and Shriya Kishore (PFMI-Earth 2009), but despite just three women walking away with the Universe, World and Earth as their oyster, the night itself was a winner from the word go! With the sensual Malaika Arora-Khan upping the glam quotient of the night as co-host with R Madhavan, and Priyanka Chopra, Kangna Ranaut and Genelia D’Souza entertaining the cheering crowd with scintillating acts, the night was all glam, glitter and finally, glory.
The 20 contestants first walked the ramp in a striking collection designed by Rocky S, and through the course of the evening, also showcased spectacular creations by Pantaloons (designed by Rajesh and Anirban), Arabella (by Prasad Bidappa and Varadha Rajan) and saris by Ritu Kumar.
The women were accessorised with beautiful jewellery by Collection g in association with D’damas and World Gold Council and shoes by Citywalk. Jacqueline Fernandes, Brand Ambassador for Collection g, also walked with the girls who were choreographed by Marc Robinson — Contestant Director and Fashion Director for PFMI 2009.
These rounds were interspersed with the star performances. Genelia took us back to the retro generation with evergreen hits like Nisha and Mil Gaya Humko. Kangna performed to the hit tracks Mera Piya Ghar Aaya, Nimbuda and Barso Re while Priyanka made the crowd literally ‘get up and bounce’ to the tunes of Marjawa, Ma Da Ladla and Desi Girl. “This is where it all started for me.
We are all desi girls and we are really the hottest girls in the world,” she quipped, before the stage lit up with firecrackers and tri-coloured flags. All the acts were choreographed by Shiamak Davar and performed by Shiamak Davar Institute of Performing Arts. And Swapnil Joshi and Karan Wahi had the audience in splits with their ‘French designers’ act and other witty one-liners.
Of course, in the middle of all this excitement, there were a few tense moments when the 10 semi-finalists and then five finalists were picked out. The esteemed panel of judges — Sushmita Sen, Ravi Krishnan, Deepika Padukone, Madhur Bhandarkar, Anil Chopra, Ajay Devgan, Asin, Nandita Mahtani and Mickey Broadman — were faced with the difficult task of questioning and then selecting the three most deserving girls. Enjoying the nail-biting evening were Kabir Bedi and Parveen Dusanj, Waluscha Robinson, who loudly cheered her hubby’s efforts, Tulip Joshi and Capt Vinod Nair, Vatsal Sheth and Anna Bredemeyer, amongst others.
The contestants experienced vigorous in-house training sessions at Hotel Sahara Star, Mumbai. The daunting task of preparing these 20 young women for the big day was accomplished by a list of experts, each renowned in their field. Marc Robinson – Fashion Director and Contestant Director, Sabira Merchant – Diction Expert, Dr Rekha Sheth – Nivea Visage Skin Care Expert, Dr Apoorva and Sonal Shah – Hair Care Experts, Alicia Raut – Ramp Walk Trainer, Dr Dilip Deshpande - Smile and Dental Expert, Dr Abhijit Desai – Makeover expert, Prasad Bidappa – Contestant Advisor, Zakia Shakir – Fashion Photographer, Najeeb Ur Rehman – Chief Colour and Styling Consultant from Schwarzkopf Professional, Vivian D Silva – Senior Make Up Artist-Make up Forever, Sandip Soparrkar and Jesse Randhawa – Dance Experts, Anjanna Kuthiala – Art Appreciation, Ashley Rebello – Fashion stylist for the photoshoot and Prashant Talwalkar – Health and Fitness Expert-Talwalkars.
Pantaloons is the title sponsor for PFMI 2009. Nivea Visage, Bajaj Allianz and Collection g in association with D’damas and World Gold Council are the associate sponsors. Collection g in association with D’damas and World Gold Council is the Crown and Jewellery partner, Nivea Visage the Beauty and Skincare partner, Talwalkars the Fitness partner, Richfeel the Hair Care partner, Hotel Sahara Star the hospitality partner, Vogue Eyewear (Luxottica India Eyewear Pvt. Ltd.) the Eye Wear partner, Evolve the Smile, Makeover and Wellness partner, Make up forever the Make up partner, Schwarzkopf Professional the Hair Colour and Styling partner, Citywalk the Footwear partner and Kohler co partner.
Gift Sponsors: Jashn Sarees, Royal Palms and Remanika. Grand Prize: Turkish Airways. Other partners: Whyte & Mackay – Beverage partner, Bright Outdoor – Outdoor partner, Indiatimes.com – Online Partner, Official Website: www.feminamissindia. indiatimes.com, Sony Entertainment Television – Telecast partner, Zoom – Reality series partner, Radio Mirchi – Radio partner, Times Now – English News partner, Shoot Talent Management – Talent partner, Ground Transportation partner – Harshaan Travels.
Stage and Wardrobe Management – On Cue Productions. Special thanks to Qua. The PFMI Team would like to thank Clint Fernandes for the contestants’ make up and hair; Arabella (Prasad Bidappa and Varadha Rajan) and Ritu Kumar for Malaika’s costumes, and Arabella for the costumes of Parvathy Omanakuttan (PFMI-World 2008, Miss World 1st Runner up 2008), Simran Kaur Mundi (PFMI-Universe 2008) and Tanvi Vyas (PFMI-Earth 2008). The event was managed by 360 Degrees Experience and the show scripted and directed by Moranis & Soorma Of Cineyug Entertainment. A special thanks to Vikram Phadnis and the show’s technical directors Nishita Patwardhan and Rajoo Chandiramani.
Nicole Dastur, Deepali Dhingra and Nimisha Tiwari