Bhubaneswar: Odia actress and anchor Pupul Bhuiyan won the Opera Mrs India Global 2018 title by defeating 25 other finalists Saturday in New Delhi. Organised by Opera Media & Recreations Put Ltd, the event recognises gifted women from across India and it is supported by Australia-based newspaper Hindi Gaurav which began operation in 2010 at Sydney and organises pageants regularly each year across Australian cities. The theme of the beauty pageant this year was preventing acid attacks on women and to help them out.
Pupul spoke with Orissa POST about the pageant and her win. “I was competing against the world’s most talented women doing great in their respective fields (professionals such as doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs and youth icons). All finalists were supposed to create awareness against acid attacks and to get donations. I managed to convince 1,200 people and collect donations amounting to Rs 32,000. In the final round, I was asked how I would spend the two hours immediately after the finals were over. I answered that I would like to celebrate my journey as a contestant and woman and that saw me through the finals. I won the winner’s trophy, a contract to act in an upcoming Bollywood movie, a trip to Australia and another one-year contract for music videos.” Pupul had also won the best ramp walk prize in the semi final.
She said she was heartened by the fact that she had gotten an opportunity to work for acid attack survivors, which “is simply great”. “I feel blessed to be the chosen one,” Bhuiyan said.
Judges of the pageant were actress Neha Dhupia, film producer Rakesh Upadhyaya, Miss India Australia International 2018, film, music and literary personality Ankita Shetty and media personalities from Australia Sandeep Nath and Swechha Kulshreshta.
Neha Dhupia congratulated Pupul on her win and said she “showcased her feminism, humanity and compassion in the finals”. “It is a great opportunity to serve the acid survivors for whom the show was dedicated,” Neha added.