Desert beauty: " I'm the best "

Farzana Parveen says she is ready for Bollywood if given a good offer That's the kind of confidence the UAE representative is bubbling with ahead of the Miss India Worldwide pageant in Abu Dhabi on May 14. Call it a measure of her unbridled ambition or what you will, but when a five-year-old turned up at a fancy dress competition dressed as Miss Universe, one thing was certain: The little girl from Dubai had found her calling very early in life. It's this self-belief that Farzana Parveen, now 23, hopes will stand her in good stead when she represents the UAE at the star-studded Miss India Worldwide beauty pageant at Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace Hotel on May 14.

The former Indian High School student will be pitted against beauty queens from 30 countries. But Farzana remains confident of clinching the coveted crown on her home turf and walking away with the $9,000 (Dh33,030) cash prize.
"It's a formidable challenge, of course, but I am undaunted because I know I am the best. I am in no doubt about my winning chances," says the dusky Keralite beauty, who also happens to be a trained Indian classical dancer.
For ten consecutive years, she fetched the Best Female Dancer title at inter school and college competitions.
"Normally, you wouldn't expect Indian Muslim families to let their daughters learn dancing let alone participate in a beauty pageant, but my parents are very liberal and have always encouraged me," says the youngest of three siblings.
"They have no problems with me participating in a beauty contest because unlike most other pageants, Miss India Worldwide doesn't have a swimwear round. It goes beyond the notion of body beautiful and focuses on the overall personality of the contestant."
Farzana said she has taken leave from her job as an events coordinator to concentrate on her preparations.

"It's been a tough few weeks - not so much because I have to brush up my general knowledge in anticipation of the question answer rounds, but because of the strict diet regime that I am forced to follow to keep myself in shape. For a food buff like me that's hard. I had to even forego my birthday cake last month."
Considering the perks of the Miss India Worldwide title, she shouldn't really mind resisting the sweet temptations. Besides a cash prize, the lady who wears the twinkling tiara will bag modelling contracts worth thousands of dirhams. There's also some talk about a Bollywood launch.
Farzana has done a cameo in a yet-to-be-released Mohanlal-starrer Malayalam movie by Priyadarshan.
Will Tinseltown be a natural progression for her if she wins?
"If I get a good offer, then why not

Does she have a celebrity role model?
"I have two - Angelina Jolie and Oprah Winfrey. They have done so much for humanity. Every time I look at them, I feel proud to be a woman."
Tickets for the event are priced between Dh125 and Dh600. Call 04-346 0040 or 050-885 9092. Tickets (Dh350, Dh200, and Dh100 for children 12) for Talents Night to be held at Crowne Plaza, Dubai, on May 12 are available at Spinneys and Sind-Punjab restaurants.

Meet and greet

Lamcy Plaza is hosting a ‘Meet & Greet' event on May 13, from 7pm to 8pm, where you can interact with all the contestants of the Miss India Worldwide (MIWW) pageant.
The pageant is a celebration of Indian culture and values as embodied by Indian women in different cultural and geographical contexts, says Dharmatma Saran, Chairman and founder of the New York-based organisation IFC, which produces the annual event. John Matthew, National Director MIWW, said the 2011 edition will be in line with the UAE's inimitable style of offering only the best. Harmeek Singh, Managing Director of Plan B Advertising, organising the event jointly with Emirates Vision, said the special effects at the show will be one of its kind in the UAE.