Universe at Mrs India’s feet

As someone who didn’t go by the book while growing up, clinching the Mrs India Universe 2017 — World (Gold category) title came as a pleasant bolt from the blue for  Shreya Krishnan. The 32-year-old marketing and communications professional, who has been ‘a dusky-toned tomboy’ all her life believes the winning offered her a much needed boost — to use her voice and flair for writing to empower women to chase their dreams. In a candid chat, she tells us more...

“I stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the stunning glamorous women, who were so well turned out. I was the simplest at the risk of being too plain. But, I managed to break every stereotype in the book that exists about beauty by being self aware and embracing my flaws,” reminisces Shreya. She was adjudged the winner among 40 participants, and also bagged subtitles like Mrs India Universe — Beauty with a Purpose and Mrs India Universe — Confident.

The grand finale was held at the Castle Mewar, in Udaipur on October 27.  A doting mother of a four-year-old, the lissom Shreya didn’t always grow up feeling the way she now does. “I was the typical ‘plain Jane’ and grew up with comments how I wasn’t pretty and behaved like such a boy... With myopic eyes that needed thick cylindrical glasses, I was called ‘soda’ after my soda-bottle thick glasses throughout my school days. Everything else was more or less status quo,” she reveals.

While most of us might whine about the hustle, Shreya digs it! “The pageant was right in the middle of a work break, so I didn’t really get time to prepare much and was  on my toes even during an off'.” The routine however stayed unaltered. “I do Kathak on the weekends and that’s my only exercise. I maintained a mindful eating practice throughout the contest as I always do,” she explains.

Shreya aims to propagate body positivity. “I’d like to use my identity help women live life on their terms and not  for a societal construct,” Shreya signs off.