Navneet Kaur Dhillon, Pond’s Femina Miss India World 2013

ALWAYS READY TO WIN

That’s Navneet Kaur Dhillon, Pond’s Femina Miss India World 2013, for you. Charming, yet determined to get the crown home, she tells us how she’s going to do it

    Pond’s Femina Miss India World 2013, Navneet Kaur Dhillon, is a curious yet endearing mix of something very girlie and delicate, with a steely determination. She doesn’t pause to look for words when she talks about all that she wants to do, or when she speaks aloud her Bollywood dream. And barring that one fleeting moment, when she asked herself ‘Is this a dream or is it really happening?’ when she was crowned a beauty queen, Navneet was pretty much confident of winning.
    “Even when I was very young to actually dream about a future, I used to dream about becoming a beauty queen. My dad had seen Aishwarya Rai win the Miss India crown in 1994, and had said that one day, his daughter will also become the beauty queen, and that stuck – not only in my mind, but also in our family,” recounts Navneet, who is pursuing B.Tech in Television, Film Production and Media Technology from Patiala University. And if all this was not enough, she is also a para-legal volunteer with the legal services authority. What does she have to do as this para-legal person, we ask. “We go to small villages and towns and speak to people, rather they talk to us. We take them to lawyers or try to help them. In fact, I’ve become half a lawyer already,” says Navneet. And how did she get into this? “Some judges and people from the High Court had come to our college and asked us to make social awareness films as part of our course. That’s how I got involved. I wanted to make a difference, do something that will better the society we live in,” she says.
    One thing Navneet was always sure about was that she wanted to be where she is today. “I always wanted to be here, to win this crown, and my parents were very supportive. Winning the crown hasn’t changed me because I was always like this. I always had a balanced diet, would work out diligently — that is the most important thing. My father is an army officer and so, discipline was the most important thing. He is not very strict, but discipline comes naturally to an army man. I didn’t mind all that because somewhere at the back of my mind, I was always preparing to win this title,” says Navneet.
    But now that she has been chosen to represent India at the Miss World pageant, life has changed in many ways for the beauty queen. She is not just endorsing big brands, but is also being trained by the best names in the country for her international pageant — be it for fitness, diction, ramp walk, styling or make-up skills. And since she has won the Miss India crown in the pageant’s 50th year, Navneet says it’s special and she will give her best to bring the crown home this year.
    Born in Ambala and brought up all over India, Navneet says her USP is that she is a ‘real’ Indian in that sense. “I’ve been in Naseerabad (Rajasthan), Coimbatore, Bhopal (“my dad’s currently posted there”), Siliguri, Imphal, Ferozepur, Bhatinda, Allahabad,” she rattles off, adding that all this has made her a better human being. “I have seen different cultures, languages, mindsets — small town, big town. So, I adapt to situations really well. And with this crown now, I’ve become responsible too. I have just started doing things, have gotten involved with an NGO that is fighting against child labour, female foeticide and is all for women empowerment,” says Navneet.
    Of course, none of this has taken away her girlie charm. From a regular college girl, she is now living the life of a celebrity, but Navneet insists she hasn’t changed as a person. “I love to cook,” she reveals shyly. “Not that I am a great cook, but I like standing beside my mom and learning when she is cooking. My favourite is chicken, but I don’t meddle because mom does that best. Pasta is another favourite as it’s easy to make,” laughs Navneet. And when she is not worrying about changing the world or grappling with a new recipe, Navneet loves playing with her pet German Shepherd.

Pond’s Femina Miss India World 2013 Navneet Kaur Dhillon