Miss Universe 2009

Miss Venezuela Stefania Fernandez, center, was named Miss Universe 2009, Sunday night in Nassau, Bahamas. Miss Dominican Republic Ada Aimee De la Cruz, l., was first runner up.

Imran in love with Shenaz Treasurywala!

Everyone is so tightlipped about the cast of Aamir Khan Productions Delhi Belly that it becomes hard to say whether they’re making a film or designing the blueprint for the national defense.We all know that the film’s leading man is Aamir's nephew Imran Khan. Beyond that everyone is silent on the cast, including Imran himself.When asked about the cast he chuckled, "Sorry I’m not at liberty to talk about the rest of the cast, besides myself."Ask him if it’s Lisa Ray who was to earlier play the female lead when Ranbir Kapoor was to play the lead."No it isn't Lisa Ray. Beyond that you won't get anything out of me," Imran laughs.The cloak of secrecy further deepened recently when veejay-turned-part-time-actress Shenaz Treasurywala was mysteriously quoted as saying, "…It's a fantastic production. And my costar…there is not a single young lady in India who doesn’t believe he's the most adorable thing around."The "fantastic production", as it turns out, is none other than Delhi Belly. And the "the most adorable thing around" is Imran Khan.Shenaz, who made her screen debut opposite Shahid Kapoor in Ken Ghosh's Ishq Vishq, also did a walk-on part in Kunal Kohli’s Hum Tum.

Bad Luck for Ekta Chaudhary

India’s drought at the Miss Universe pageant continued as Miss India Ekta Chaudhary failed to reach the top 15 for the 2009 edition of the event, but the designers here feel she was a “deserving candidate” and lost because of sheer “bad luck”.
“Bad Luck!” designer Vijay Arora said after he got to know the result.

The Miss Universe 2009 contest took place in the Bahamas early Monday (India time) and Stefania Fernández from Venezuela was crowned the beauty queen.

This is the first time in many years that an Indian contestant has failed to make it to the top 15.

“I am very surprised by the fact that Ekta didn’t even come in the top 15. Indian beauties have always managed to come in either top five or top ten. But this is a complete surprise,” designer Ritu Kumar told IANS.

Kumar has been looking after the wardrobe of the Indian contestants in international beauty pageants like Miss Universe and Miss World since 1994.

The last Indian to wear the Miss Universe crown was Lara Dutta who won the title in 2000.

“There must be some discrimination. One can’t digest the fact that no one from India has won the crowd for past so many years. Ekta was a very deserving candidate and I believe there is something wrong going on,” Rahul Jain of designer duo Rahul-Gunjan said.

Ritu Kumar said: “A lot has changed in the format. What I feel is that a lot depends on the sponsors there who might be dictating their terms. All we can do and have been doing is try and give our best. After all we have to take our chances.”

Many people were sceptical about Chaudhary’s short hair as Indian beauties are always associated with long tresses.

Leena Singh of Ashima-Leena designer duo feels that it might it one of the reasons for her early elimination.

“She looks very pretty and has Indian looks but I feel her short hair was the main drawback. It didn’t gel very well with her Indian looks and costumes,” Leena said.

But she maintained that to represent India at the pageant is an achievement in itself.

With India failing to win for so many years, designer Alpana of label Azara feels that it is the time to introspect because the quality of models representing India at the international pageants is deteriorating.

“These things happen and it is very unfortunate. But I feel that this is the time to introspect and think what went wrong. For so many years we haven’t produced a winner which means there is something wrong with the selection criteria. This is the time to start doing something about it,” Alpana maintained.

Source: The Indian