An eye for beauty

An upcoming Indian fashion pageant for the visually impaired is all set to prove that beauty goes beyond the shackles of sensory disabilities

Crouched down on the floor making last-minute alterations to her daughter Reema’s gown in her Mumbai house, Renu Jain is taking care of all final arrangements necessary for the first ramp walk. The only catch here is that Reema’s upcoming walk will be before a panel of judges who can see, unlike her. Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder goes the age-old adage and National Association for the Blind (NAB) along with a Mumbai-based NGO Blind Dreams is all set to prove it true. Princess India, a beauty pageant for the visually impaired is a take-off on the popular Miss India contest, and is touted to be India’s first fashion show for the blind. Dr Samir Mansuri, the founder of the NGO, and a visually challenged man himself, shares the thought behind the genesis of the idea, “The visually impaired in our country need a lot of motivation. In spite of the fact that their concentration levels are far better than their sighted counterparts, they don’t get the kind of opportunities that they deserve. They are often bracketed into professions like teaching, or playing musical instruments. No one ever thinks of them as beauty professionals, or anything associated with glamour at all. With this pageant we want to provide them with a platform where they can believe in themselves, and excel in any profession,” he says proudly.

Entries are being sought over the next few weeks across India and after a series of elimination rounds and semi-finals, the grand finale is scheduled to be held in Mumbai in January next year.

The New York fashion week recently conducted a fashion show for the blind on the final day of the event. At the end of the show, each of the models shared their emotional experiences with the audience members. Closer home, 100 per cent blind and partially blind girls between the ages of 18 to 30 years are eligible to apply for this pageant. Out of all the applications, 30 girls will be short listed for first round of the contest. 12 girls will be selected for the final round and will be put through 15 days of training. Pallavi Kadam, workshop director at NAB, Mumbai explains, “The last three rounds will be held in the city and the selected girls will be trained by a choreographer as well as a personality development trainer for the final event. At our centres across India, we have been training the visually impaired as physiotherapists and acupressure masseurs. This will make them more confident and give them a chance to understand if they want pursue fashion as a vocation.” We spoke to four participants about their experiences:

Annapurna Kaur, student Delhi-resident Annapurna was born blind, and after several corrective surgeries has managed to restore some of her vision. All set to doll-up for her big day, Annapurna is hoping that her audition dates do not clash wit her exams. “I completed my schooling from NAB in Delhi, and now I’m pursuing my honours in Hindi. My professor from NAB told me about the beauty pageant, and I decided to apply. It was a wonderful feeling to know that someone out there is thinking about us too. The finale is going to be in Mumbai, and this will be my first time here. I can’t wait to experience the city and share anecdotes about my time here with my folks back home!”

Shamshira Shaikh, clerk 27-year-old Shamshira lost her eyesight at a tender age of two due to small-pox. However, that did not stop this gritty woman from clearing her examinations and taking up a job as a clerk with Central Bank of India. She got to know about the contest from her acquaintances at NAB, and though sceptical initially, she decided to go ahead and participate. She shares, “I don’t know what exactly the contest was all about, but I know it’s going to be a ramp walk and I’m very nervous. I was surprised to know that it is a national-level competition, and that there will be many people like us participating,” she says. Shamshira says she enjoys playing chess with her father in her free time and loves listening to music, “I don’t even know if I’ll qualify for the finals but I’m participating just for the thrill of it,” says the excited Mumbai resident.

Yogita Pal, student A student of New Delhi’s Lady Shri Ram College, 21-year-old Yogita was rendered partially blind after losing her vision to retinal pigmentation at the age of seven. Yogita, who lives in Model Town in a family of 25 members, tells us that this competition is a step towards her dream of pursuing modelling and fashion, “I received a mail from my friend at NAB and I immediately decided to apply for the pageant. I just wouldn’t believe at first that something of this sort is going to happen for people like us and it was truly unbelievable,” she says, ecstatic. Besides her fashion ambitions, Yogita is also a national level javelin and long-jump player, and is currently pursuing her honours in English. Visiting Mumbai has for long been on her wish list. “I live in a joint family and everyone in the family is super excited. I never thought I would ever get an opportunity to walk the ramp; this is my time to shine! I have a bucket-list and I’m planning to visit beaches in the city,” she shares.

Reema Jain, tax-consultant Twenty-seven-year-old Reema had no inkling that a bout of fever following an infection would leave her completely blind at the age of five. That, however, did not stop this gritty lady from pursuing her dreams. A resident of Bhiwandi, Reema is a certified harmonium player, and is preparing to appear for her second exam in vocal training. Currently, she assists her father who is a tax consultant. When Reema’s mother Renu read about the competition in a local newspaper she was ecstatic. Having seen her daughter excel in studies since she was a kid, Renu wanted to leave no stone unturned to see her daughter do well on the ramp as well. Renu shares, “We filled the form as soon as the news came out, and the whole family is excited. We have seen Reema excel in everything she does, then why not a beauty pageant This is very encouraging news for all the visually challenged girls in the country, as this will boost their morale and remind them that they are as beautiful as any other girl with vision.”