Grace Simon’s phone kept ringing as soon as she got off the stage. She hurried out to a corner of the crowded hall to speak to her husband, who seemed as anxious as Grace was to know the outcome of the audition round of Mrs. Vizag contest.
A nurse at the critical section of anti-retroviral therapy at KGH, this was Grace’s first experience in the modelling world as she walked the ramp, a bit tentatively, to participate in the first beauty pageant held in the city for married women.
“I would have never done this had it not been for my colleagues and my husband,” said the 27-year-old mother of two.
Handling the critical care section of providing support to HIV-positive patients, Grace has learnt the art of taking challenges with a smile.
“Married life is challenging and so is the ability of striking a balance. Once we learn to do any work with love and commitment, it is easy to deal with the challenges. Family support, of course, is very crucial,” said Grace, who looks at the Mrs. Vizag platform as a medium to gain self confidence and also to spread awareness about AIDS and various medical assistance available for the patients.
Grace was one of the 80 participants who registered for the audition round of the contest held at Hotel Royal Fort on Tuesday.
Being organised by Moon Power Events, the finale of the contest will be held on February 28 at MGM Park.
The audition round brought out myriad facets of a woman. It was a first for many contestants, who broke the image of their traditional roles as a housewife and a mother to pull out a smile and walk on to the ramp in glittering Indian wear. The wobbly steps on high heels were the first attempt at winning recognition, and, perhaps, one day even celebrity status.
The husbands, with a degree of pride, stood holding the kids and capturing the moment on their cell phones while watching their wives sashay down the stage.
“Doesn’t she look charming!” a man whispered, as he cheered for his wife.
Twenty-five-year-old Charu Chowdhary waited for her turn to walk the ramp as her husband and her months-old baby waved out to her from the other end of the hall. “My husband took a day off from work to support me in the auditions,” she said with a smile and added, “This platform will help me discover myself.”
The winner of the contest will get a gold crown worth Rs. 1 lakh. The event is being held for a charitable cause. The proceeds from the show will go for the welfare of HIV-positive people.
Participants in the audition round of Mrs. Vizag contest shed their traditional roles to make a dazzling debut
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Nivedita Ganguly / Visakhapatham – February 18tgh, 2015