Lass with spunk

TANYA Bhaterjee says she desperately wanted to win the Miss Asia World title this year. Sure, she is comfortable in the glittery tiara and other trappings that come with her year-long job as the pageant queen.

But for Tanya, winning the title satisfied her childhood dream to contribute to society.

Tanya is here for India Spunk!, a high-energy entertainment extravaganza that will feature eight leading Malaysian designers showcasing their work today in Ipoh, Perak.

The designers are Bill Keith, Jonathan Cheng, Dominique Chan, D’Reka and Von Jolly.

The celebrity models include Amber Chia, Ericka Krystalyn (Miss Malaysian Indian Global 2007), AIM award winner and international artiste Reshmonu and Boh-Cameronian award-winning dancer, Guna.

Gracing the event will be Sultan Azlan Shah, the patron of the Perak Society for the Promotion of Mental Health Society.

The event is a collaboration between the society and the Ninth National Miss Malaysian Indian Global pageant.

The stunning Tanya is no stranger to beauty pageants. Her mother was a model and her grandmother was once crowned Miss Shimla, in her youth.

Tanya herself has been modelling for two years and is trained in Bollywood dancing. She performs all over England with her cousins during her free time.

The confident 21-year-old from Dedworth, in England’s west Windsor, feels she will be able to achieve more as a beauty queen than as an ordinary person.

“The platform is set for me to act as a cross-cultural youth ambassador. This pageant also gives me the opportunity to break the stereotype on Asian women who are often portrayed as submissive, oppressed and uneducated. I hope to change these views.

“The pageant made me realise that a lot of people want to make a difference if they are given the opportunity. So I am really honoured to be given this role and I hope to make a difference.”

Other than India Spunk!, Tanya is on a 10-day tour of Asia which includes Singapore and Thailand, to promote good mental health and environmental issues.

For Tanya, promoting positive mental health is something that is close to her heart.

As a final-year psychology student, she has always wanted to work with youth today who are constantly stressed due to lifestyle choices, peer pressures and relationships. Tanya says she intends to be a clinical psychiatrist, after her queenly stint.

India Spunk! will be held at Dewan Banquet, Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan, Ipoh Perak, 8pm. For details, call Vaishnavi Devi at 017-2960401.