So, one more Indian head is crowned with glittering jewels. Priyanka Chopra is Miss World. Even as she revels in her glory, in her interviews she admits, “I do not rule out the possibility of entering the world of Hindi films. Where else is there the glamour, the adulation and the media attention to match that of beauty contests and Miss World ?” She is not entirely wrong. Promises of serving the world during beauty contest question-answer sessions and idolising the likes of Mother Teresa are understood as being instrumental in winning. That the winners should really end up doing so is a hope and not really an expectation. The normal human instinct of beauty contest winners would be to seek ways of continuing in the limelight even after their reign. The best bet for this would be films. The last Miss World Yukta Mookhey in fact could not wait to pass on her crown, so she could be free to pursue a career in Bollywood without any obligation towards the Miss World organisers. During her tenure as Miss World her circulation among the film fraternity was frequent. A few days ago, soon after she passed on her crown to Priyanka Chopra, she signed her first film, Pyaasa. Being produced by Ramesh Sharma and directed by A. Muthu (of Tera Jadoo Chal Gayaa fame),the film also stars Aftab Shivdasani and newcomer Syed Zulfi. It is indeed rare to find the likes of Diana Hayden, a former Miss World, who prefers the high drama of London to the frolics of Hindi films. Not surprisingly, Bollywood is bedecked by prima donnas who have been former Beauty queens. Let’s profile some of them who have left a mark.

Juhi Chawla
She won the title of Miss India but the Miss Universe title eluded her. Her own reasoning for this being that she should have been “much slimmer”. Well, her generous curves were more than welcome in Bollywood and she made her debut in Arjun Hingorani’s Sultanat opposite Karan Kapoor. Juhi Chawla went on to become one of the top-runners and recently turned producer with Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani along with her partners Shah Rukh Khan and Aziz Mirza. Today she is all set for motherhood.

Aishwarya Rai
Her porcelain looks, experience as a model and enviable grace, won her the Miss World title. She had a rather inauspicious start in films with flops like Jeans and Aur Pyar Ho Gaya. ‘Non-actress’and ‘unlucky’ were other titles which were bestowed on her. However her sterling performances in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Taal turned the tide and she had the world at her feet once again. Today she is unanimously acclaimed as the numero uno. Noteworthy however is the fact that during her Miss World tenure she had pledged to donate her beautiful brandy eyes at the end of time.

Sushmita Sen
She created history when she went on to become the first ever Indian “Miss Universe”. It had everything to do with her height, exuberance, slender body and super-confidence. For the same reasons she was however not exactly the best candidate for Bollywood. But the determined Scorpio wanted to make it as an actress. Her much discussed Silicon transplants later, that did happen. Her debut role of Miss Universe in Dastak earned her accolades, but not box-office success. However her fiery attitude held her in good stead and she managed to carve a niche for herself even winning a trio of Best Supporting Actress Awards for her performance as the other woman in Salman Khan’s life in Biwi No. 1.Whether it is a sizzling one song appearance in Fiza or a full fledged heroine’s role in Aaghaz Sushmita manages to make sure that she’s noticed.

Namrata Shirodkar
Pretty as a picture, this Miss India could barely conceal her disappointment when she stood fourth at the Miss Universe contest and narrowly missed out. Back home it was Bollywood for her. This despite her umpteen denials earlier that she was not cut out for Hindi films. Starting with a guest appearance in Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai, she went on to star in films such as Pukar, Mere Do Anmol Ratan, Kachhe Dhaage and Vaastav. Today she is there, but not up there. While her sister actress Shilpa Shirodkar has given up films for marital bliss, Namrata Shirodkar has broken up with longtime boyfriend Deepak Shetty and is wooing box-office success.

Sangeeta Bijlani
A successful model. A beautiful Miss India. She debuted in Hathyar co-starring Rishi Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt. But despite being a competent actress, she was in the news not so much for her roles as for her disastrous relationship with Salmaan Khan. More controversy followed when she went on to marry the much married cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin and eased out of Bollywood. Today when her husband is neck deep in humiliation, she stands beside him like a rock.

Meenakshi Seshadri
Shashikala Seshadri was another Miss India. She stormed Bollywood in hot pants in Manoj Kumar’s Painter Babu which flopped, to put it mildly. Fortunately for her producer-director Subhash Ghai saw a spark in her and Meenakshi Seshadri was born. She was re-launched in Hero, a mega success. She had a successful reign as a heroine, with Damini being her crowning glory. The sensible girl that she always seemed to be, Meenakshi gave it all up at the right time to marry NRI Harish Mysore. The marriage however did not pass the test of time and she returned to Mumbai. She now keeps her creativity alive through classical dancing.

Zeenat Aman
Her va-va-voom figure and gorgeous looks made her the first Indian to win the Miss Asia title in 1970. She was a man’s ultimate fantasy. Surprisingly, she made her debut as a sister in Dev Anand’s Hare Rama Hare Krishna. Her superlative performance notwithstanding, thanks to her westernized looks she did not get typecast as a sister. She became a trendsetter of sorts in the ’70s and ’80 and emerged an ’A- grade’ heroine. A long inning as an actress came to an end when she entered into a doomed wedlock with Mazhar Khan.

Swaroop Sampat
This beauty queen first starred in Nakhuda. She did not make much of an impact as a heroine, although she did go on to star in quite a few films. She found success on the small screen with the laugh riot Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi. One sees her in sporadic roles but she is more content as wife of the talented actor Paresh Rawal.

Ayesha Dutt-Shroff
Her half Indian-half Irish lineage held her in good stead and the Miss India first runners-up title became her’s. She was wooed by Bollywood with Aao Pyaar Karen, a remake of The Blue Lagoon opposite Mohnish Bahl. Some indifferent roles followed. Her interest was targeted more towards her first love Jackie Shroff and she was more than happy to bid adieu to films and become Mrs Jackie Shroff. Two kids later, she is back in Bollywood, but as a producer. Her first film Jish Desh Mein Ganga Rehta Hai, a Govinda-Sonali Bendre starrer directed by Mahesh Manjrekar, was released recently.

Monica Motwani>>>