NO false modesty for 20-year-old Yukta Mookhey. Winning the Femina Miss India-World 1999 crown is a vindication of her belief in herself and her beauty. "I've always felt very beautiful about myself and I've dreamt of this moment ever since I was a child," she declares. "I've always wanted to be looked upon as a beautiful woman and a person respected for her dignity and intelligence. I have built this self-image and worked towards this moment all my life!"
The title's barely a day old as we speak, but Yukta is already in celebrity mode. She's totally in her element at the outdoor shoot, as awe-struck fans come forward to congratulate her, shake hands with her, request an autograph or ask her to pose for a photograph with them.
A third year student of zoology at Mumbai's Kelkar College, Yukta has also won a number of essay and public speaking competitions and is looking to a career in mass communications and computer graphics. "That's because I have a very creative mind," she explains.
Her strengths? Great self-esteem, a warm personality and, of course, her height (an imposing 177.5 cm, or 5 feet 11 inches).
Looking at the big picture, she says motivating youth is now going to be her raison d'etre because "We must realise that it's so important, as youngsters, to be able to shape the future. We have so much power and we really mustn't waste it. If we want our country to be better, we've got to take matters in our hands and not just sit and crib about how bad things are." Family values and communication are also important to Yukta. "Ultimately, everything comes down to family values. Life is all about what you've learnt while growing up."
As we speak, a little girl walks up, asking for an autograph. "I love children!" Yukta enthuses. "I think it's important to acknowledge the little child within you who can help you enjoy life and the return to innocence."
Training for the contest was a great learning experience, she says, but also great fun. "The best times were with Hemant (Trevedi) and Nayanika (Chatterjee). All of us had our own styles and we were told not to imitate anybody - just refine our body language. But some of us had such funny styles, we just couldn't do anything about them. And Hemant would get wild and mimic us and we could see for ourselves how funny we really looked."
The morning sun glints off the exquisite crown that sits prettily on her head, as she says, more seriously, "I put in 100 per cent. And when I answered the question put to me by Sir Vivian Richards, I meant every word I said. I genuinely believe that you've got to be willing to lose if you really want to win. It's so important to learn what defeat is in life because only then can you understand how to handle success."
And that's what this year's representative to the Miss World pageant cites as her formula for success in the contest to come. "My ultimate aim is to be a good human being and to be able to spread light wherever I go, because finally it all comes down to peace of mind and happiness," is her parting shot as she goes off to face the arclights once again.
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