Miss Diva Universe and Supranational 2020 - A special report by Alvin Beart

If any country has confounded the pageant world at Miss Universe lately, it has been India! Even as the pageant power shook off a long slumber that followed the legendary 2000 year, picking up pace in the last five years with two runners up titles at Miss Grand International, two Miss Supranational crowns, a Mr. Supranational and Mr. World title, and finally capping it off with a win at Miss World, it has in the same period managed just two placements at MU – and had an unprecedented 4 year shut out! It’s not as though India doesn’t know what to do at Miss Universe – after all, this is a contest that India made the top 5 cut 4 straight years and has one of the longest top 10 streaks of all countries. Hence the excitement among fans when the Miss Diva contest was scheduled for February! After all, it is not a secret that practice makes perfect at Miss Universe.

In recent years, the Miss Diva contest has been held just weeks before the winner departed for Miss Universe. Coupled with the excitement that the stunning Vartika Singh generated for and Indian revival at Miss Universe last year (top 20), many eyes watched the pageant with interest. After a nationwide search, 20 finalists spent 40 days under the expert tutelage and watchful eyes of the Miss Diva team, being groomed. After a series of preliminary shows across the breadth of India, the girls returned to Mumbai to participate in the finale. As the pre-pageant progressed, fans and critics agreed that this was a very consistent batch, and all but a small handful had potential to win a crown. It is always hard to truly choose from the filter of Instagram and web videos, but a few girls started to capture attention.

Roshni Sharma became an instant favorite with her stunning face, drawing comparisons to Indian supermodel Archana Akhil-Kumar and Noyonita Lodh, Miss Diva 2014, but lost momentum as the pageant progressed. Adline Castelino from the southern state of Karnataka stood out for her fierce stage presence and incredible consistency. Rushali Yadav, of India’s Next Top Model fame shone on stage with her statuesque frame. Lavanya Gunasekar and Archana Ravi captured all attention anytime they spoke. Malashya Kashyap continued to defy expectations by racking up subtitle wins at every preliminary stop! By the end, about the only thing most people could agree on was that one of the crowns would go to Adline.

Among the judges were Miss Universe 2000, Lara Dutta and two Miss Supranational winners – India’s own Asha Bhat and the gorgeous reigning queen Anntonia Porsild. They were joined by the usual slew of designers and movie stars. Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2006 Jacquilene Fernandez, now a movie star in India performed a selection of her hits.

On the Miss Diva 2020 red carpet – Anntonia Porsild, Miss Supranational 2019, Lara Dutta Miss Universe 2000 and mentor, Miss Diva and Malaika Arora, host

On a spectacular and shimmering stage, the girls paraded in swimsuit and evening gown and bikinis, before the first cut of the night was announced – from 20 to 10.

The top 10 consisted of Adline Castelino, Anisha Sharma, Vaishnavi Ganesh, Neha Jaiswal, Arshina Sumbul, Archana Ravi, Roshni Sharma, Aavriti Chaudhary, Malashya Kashyap and Rushali Yadav. It was a very deserving group, each girl had made a strong impression in the pre-pageant period and while many others did deserve a spot in the top 10, it is hard to imagine eliminating any of the actual finalists. Perhaps the biggest surprises were the exclusion of Lavanya Gunasekar, a globe-trotting doctor who had charmed fans with her eloquence and Shreya Poonja, who won a direct entry by winning Campus Princess – a feeder contest conducted annually across Indian universities. Campus Princess alumni have often gone on to win Miss India and Miss Diva, and Shreya had made an impression as a girl with a balance of strengths.

This year, Miss Diva followed the Miss Universe format of introductory statements and each of the top 10 finalists got to introduce herself to the live and TV audience via an opening statement that they each had the liberty to script. In this round, Adeline, who went first, made a powerful impression, arguing for the need to provide sustainable livelihoods and healthcare to the millions of farmers across the country. Adeline’s own grandmother was a farmer who died in childbirth and the passion and sincerity of her statement resonated strongly in a country that is finely attuned to the severe challenges faced by a largely agrarian population.

Others who impressed were Archana Ravi, whose eloquence shone through in her fervent defense of the need to eliminate bullying, a cause she has embraced through her social work for many years. Neha Jaiswal also made a strong first impression – although she did not have a cause as powerful as some of the others – but her message of overcoming self-doubt and the power of ordinary people and extraordinary dreams was simple, honest and resonant. Anisha Sharma and Aavriti Chaudhary also impressed – Anisha with her lawyer’s eloquence and Aavriti with her story of learning to appreciate her looks in a country that constantly sends a message of a singular type of beauty.

The girls were all impressive here, with the only weak link being Rushali, whose nerves and perhaps lack of confidence let her down. But she made a strong impression with her beauty and we hope to see her return with renewed confidence in a future edition of the contest!

The judges had a tough task! After some intense deliberation, the top 5 were announced, to do a final walk and answer the dreaded (or anticipated) common question. Adline, Aavriti, Anisha, Neha and Roshni beat off stiff competition from the others. Again, it was a very solid group, and arguably the right group from a very strong batch. Of the girls left behind, we would particularly like to see Vaishnavi Ganesh return! Her height and beautiful smile made her stand out on stage, and with a little life and professional experience behind her, she could contend for a crown in another year!

Of the chosen girls, each had a balance of strengths. The girls were each asked the same question in turn – “Does religion divide or unite?” On the surface an easy question, but a politically loaded one in India where there is a strong debate on the rise of a less secular state.

Adline was the first to answer and set the bar high with a powerful response in which she argued that it was human beings rather than religion that sow the seeds of discord. The theme was repeated by most of the girls, which suggested that the final result was likely to come down to an overall impression created over the course of the evening and the preliminary (several of the finale judges had been part of the multiple rounds of preliminary judging).

While the judges deliberated, there was a touching tribute to the magnificent Lara Dutta on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of her win as Miss India Universe and later Miss Universe. With messages from Mia deKlerk, Miss Namibia 2000 and Lara’s best friend at Miss Universe 2000 and Paula Shugart, CEO of MUO, Lara was in tears as she noted how in spite of the scorn sometimes placed on pageants, she has received nothing but love and respect in India and across the world.

Finally, it was time for the farewell walk of the stunning Vartika Singh, Miss Diva 2019 and the results.

First was the announcement of Neha Jaiswal as the runner up. Neha was a very pleasant surprise, who had gone largely under the radar throughout the contest. But in the final, she made a very strong impression with her doll-like beauty, composure, and eloquence. Many were of the opinion that she deserved one of the titles. If she does not represent India internationally, we would love to see her return in a future edition or try her hand at the main contest, Femina Miss India.

Aavriti Chaudhary was crowned Miss Diva Supranational 2020 by outgoing titleholder Shefali Sood and Miss Supranational 2019 Anntonia Porsild. Aavriti is 21 years old, stands 5’8” and is a professional model. Her win was a minor surprise. Aavriti had always been a popular contestant and consistently in top 5 lists but few pre-pageant polls had her as an actual winner. In our opinion, she is beautiful and a refreshing change from what has been a fairly narrow type of winner. Aavriti’s beautiful skin tone and curly hair represent a large section of the Indian population and it is wonderful to see it finally recognized at such a high level. In our opinion, with a little polish, she could do very well at Miss Supranational. She is an experienced model and has a vibrant personality that should translate very well on the international stage.

Miss Diva Supranational 2020 is crowned in the presence of the current international titlholder.

Miss Diva Universe 2020 is Adline Castelino. In retrospect, I suppose one could say this was never in doubt, but pageants are full of pitfalls and unfilled promises and Adline certainly had her share of challenges! But in the final, she shone – with a beauty reminiscent of Iris Mittenaire and consistent, powerful performance. Like Aavriti, she has work to do, but something about Adline reminds us of Manushi Chillar – a fire to win, an understanding of what to do, and a lack of any real weakness. If she gets the right support and stays focused, she will make a mark at Miss Universe and we will be keeping an eye on her!

Congratulations to the winners and much success! Special thanks to Alvin Beart.