SUNDAY POST FEB 8-14
DEBINA BOSE
At the age of 21 she has bagged the Miss Orissa 2014 crown and is on her way to attaining fame in the Oriya film industry. The dusky damsel hailing from the small town of Damanjodi in Koraput has won millions of hearts with her alluring personality by winning the Miss Orissa pageant held in the city last December.
Jyotirmayee Bal, aka Millie, as she is popularly known, started her stint in the fashion industry when she was only 18 years old. Her journey in the fashion world was initiated by her mentor and fashion photographer Sanjay Mohanty. “My portfolio was done by Sanjay Mohanty and later through him my photos got published in various local newspapers and magazines. Soon after offers started pouring in which marked the beginning of my dream journey,” says Millie.
She was also the first runners up in the Navy Queen 2012 pageant where she was groomed to adopt the basics of modelling from dressing sense to ramp walk. “Bhubaneswar has limited scope in terms of the fashion world. So after doing a few local modelling shows in 2013 I went to Pune to undertake a three-month workshop at The Tiara Pageant Training Studio under the guidance of India’s leading pageant training coach Ritika Ramtri. The Tiara grooms all aspiring models and gives them opportunities to participate in various pageants across the country,” says the chirpy model.
To be selected the beauty queen in a contest of 200 participants was itself a huge achievement. “That was the first time when ‘Mu Miss Orissa’ pageant was organised in the state. So deep inside, I knew that was the only opportunity to establish my credentials in the fashion world. Auditions were held in various places in Orissa like Puri, Bhadrak, Cuttack and 50 contestants qualified among which 20 of us reached the finals. We were judged in accordance with the various skills required like cooking, dancing, acting, to ramp walk, etc.” She adds, “We even had a photo shoot in Puri where we our photogenic traits were observed. The finals were held December 21 where we had to walk the ramp in both traditional attire and swimsuits. Finally, 10 of us qualified at which stage I won the Miss Catwalk and Miss Style Diva titles. It was followed by a Q&A round and then from the top five, I finally won the Miss Orissa crown along with four other trophies, a `10,000 gift voucher from the salon Indulge, cash prize and also a golden opportunity to be part of a Bollywood ad film.”
Millie still cherishes the moment when she was crowned and hugged by her favourite actress Ileana D’Cruz. “It was a far more intense feeling than winning the title,” she exclaims.
The beauty queen is now on her way to participate at the Miss Global India pageant representing Orissa and hopes to win the crown and make her native place proud. “Winning the Miss Orissa title has helped me to directly qualify in the final round as a wild-card contestant. The finals will be held in Goa from February 8 to 11 and since I am representing Orissa I will be adorning a traditional attire of the state. I will also speak about the cultural heritage of the state. I will try my best to corner the title,” she says.
Millie, however, is a little disappointed for not being able to participate in the Femina Miss India pageant, the audition of which was recently held in the city. “I was not eligible to participate in the pageant as my height is 5.5 and the requirement is 5.6 and above. Still I have not lost hope, aiming to work harder and participate after two years. Till then I’ll try for the other pageants like Gladrags and Miss Global India where there are no such height requirements.”
Millie is currently shooting for the Oriya film Akhi bujhi dele tu directed by the duo Pupinder and Murli. “Before Miss Orissa I had participated in a local reality show and had found a place among the top 10. A few days after the show I got a call by Pupinder sir and he offered me the movie.” Though this is Millie’s first stint in cinema, professionally she prefers to pursue a career in modelling.
The 21-year-old is doing an integrated MBA course from BJB College and tries to maintain a balance between profession and academics. “Studies have always been my first priority, as I believe without proper education and training you cannot fare well in any profession. My teachers and friends have been extremely cooperative and they regularly keep updating me with notes that have been given in class.”
Millie is also aware of the basic requirements of the fashion world which needs her to be bold enough to pursue sartorial experiments facing the world with confidence. Even though she had faced initial hindrance from her parents her passion and hard work finally paid off. “I had initial jitters exposing myself in front of the camera but then I realised it was all part and parcel of my profession. When I walk the ramp I get transformed into a different individual; at home I am the simple, down to earth, pampered girl. My parents, my sister and other family members are proud of what I am today and their encouragement and blessing are all I need.”
Millie has a message for all youngsters who are aiming to enter the fashion industry: “I feel winning should not be the ultimate aim of life as every step is a learning process. No matter how successful you are, always stay grounded.”
