- “Beauty with brains” may seem very clichéd, but after our encounter with this beauty, we could not help but conclude that she had just the right combination of the two. Tall, smart, sassy, 23-year-old newly crowned Miss Nepal Sitashma Chand is the face of today’s confident Nepali woman.
In an exclusive interview with Nepal’s number one news website, eKantipur, Sitashma talks to Sudha Regmi and Anshu Karki. Excerpts:
Q. How did you feel on winning the crown? What did you think your chances were?
Sitashma Chand: Of course I feel very happy and proud. As for the chances, everyone was there to win. Although in the beginning I thought I had a strong chance, but as the grooming sessions began everyone was a threat to everyone else.
Q. There were 19 other equally beautiful and talented young women around you, what do you think made you stand out?
Sitashma: I was confident but not overly so. I am a very hard-working person and also a fast learner. I think these traits helped me get an edge over the others.
Q. Why did you choose to participate? In Nepal, the former Miss Nepal’s have not really made a mark, so were you inspired by any of them?
Sitashma: I did not dream of becoming a Miss Nepal since my childhood or anything like that. It’s just that as I grew up I saw this as an opportunity to explore my inner abilities. I was inspired by other Miss Nepals like Ruby Rana, Shweta Singh and Malvika Subba.
Q. What are your future plans? You must already be getting endorsement offers.
Sitashma: No, not yet it’s just been a few days since I won the title. As for my future plans, I have to prepare for Miss World but its venue and date have not been fixed yet. Alongside that I plan to fulfill whatever responsibilities that come my way as Miss Nepal. I also want to work with organizations related to social causes. I am inclined towards women and children’s causes but I have not chosen any particular organization as I have yet to do my research.
Q. Do you think one can make a career out of this?
Sitashma: No. Winning this title is an achievement but maintaining it is even tougher. I think I will need to plan my future and decide on a career. How can Miss Nepal just be a career. This is simply a new beginning.
Q. Do you feel sad to see that Nepal does not have much scope for beauty queens whereas in India, Bollywood and the glamour industry open their doors for their beauty queens and enable them to have a career?
Sitashma: There is no question of me being sad. You can’t live in Nepal and have dreams of India and America. I am a Miss Nepal and will have opportunities that Nepal can present to me. I knew very well what I was getting into. Q. If you get offers from Kollywood, will you say yes?
Sitashma: No. I don’t intend to join movies.
Q. Critics have slammed Miss Nepal as “Miss Urban Nepal” because of the lack of participation of girls from areas other than the Kathmandu valley, Biratnagar and Dharan. Do you think you represent the whole of Nepal and what do you think you personally can do to encourage participation from all over?Sitashma: Obviously I don’t think that I am the prettiest and the smartest girl in Nepal. There are equally talented and deserving girls in the rural areas too. There are girls who have completed their graduation and still remain in obscurity. As for encouraging others to participate, I would like to start by sending a message through eKantipur to all the girls to believe in yourself and please come forward and participate.
Q. Miss Nepal’s have never achieved anything of great significance in our country, what do you think you can do to enhance the prestige of this title?
Sitashma: I believe that to help others you have to first help yourself. I need to stand on my own feet. I haven’t laid out a roadmap or a plan as yet but I do plan to utilize this opportunity to the fullest. I cannot guarantee anything but I will try to leave a mark.
Q. Beauty pageants are just taken as a platform to showcase beauty only, the other aspects take a backseat. Do you think other features are really given that much importance in this competition?
Sitashma: Yes, it is. Because if it were not so I assure you I would not have won the title. I believe there were other participants more beautiful than me so it could not have been on the basis of my appearance only that I won.
In an exclusive interview with Nepal’s number one news website, eKantipur, Sitashma talks to Sudha Regmi and Anshu Karki. Excerpts:
Q. How did you feel on winning the crown? What did you think your chances were?
Sitashma Chand: Of course I feel very happy and proud. As for the chances, everyone was there to win. Although in the beginning I thought I had a strong chance, but as the grooming sessions began everyone was a threat to everyone else.
Q. There were 19 other equally beautiful and talented young women around you, what do you think made you stand out?
Sitashma: I was confident but not overly so. I am a very hard-working person and also a fast learner. I think these traits helped me get an edge over the others.
Q. Why did you choose to participate? In Nepal, the former Miss Nepal’s have not really made a mark, so were you inspired by any of them?
Sitashma: I did not dream of becoming a Miss Nepal since my childhood or anything like that. It’s just that as I grew up I saw this as an opportunity to explore my inner abilities. I was inspired by other Miss Nepals like Ruby Rana, Shweta Singh and Malvika Subba.
Q. What are your future plans? You must already be getting endorsement offers.
Sitashma: No, not yet it’s just been a few days since I won the title. As for my future plans, I have to prepare for Miss World but its venue and date have not been fixed yet. Alongside that I plan to fulfill whatever responsibilities that come my way as Miss Nepal. I also want to work with organizations related to social causes. I am inclined towards women and children’s causes but I have not chosen any particular organization as I have yet to do my research.
Q. Do you think one can make a career out of this?
Sitashma: No. Winning this title is an achievement but maintaining it is even tougher. I think I will need to plan my future and decide on a career. How can Miss Nepal just be a career. This is simply a new beginning.
Q. Do you feel sad to see that Nepal does not have much scope for beauty queens whereas in India, Bollywood and the glamour industry open their doors for their beauty queens and enable them to have a career?
Sitashma: There is no question of me being sad. You can’t live in Nepal and have dreams of India and America. I am a Miss Nepal and will have opportunities that Nepal can present to me. I knew very well what I was getting into. Q. If you get offers from Kollywood, will you say yes?
Sitashma: No. I don’t intend to join movies.
Q. Critics have slammed Miss Nepal as “Miss Urban Nepal” because of the lack of participation of girls from areas other than the Kathmandu valley, Biratnagar and Dharan. Do you think you represent the whole of Nepal and what do you think you personally can do to encourage participation from all over?Sitashma: Obviously I don’t think that I am the prettiest and the smartest girl in Nepal. There are equally talented and deserving girls in the rural areas too. There are girls who have completed their graduation and still remain in obscurity. As for encouraging others to participate, I would like to start by sending a message through eKantipur to all the girls to believe in yourself and please come forward and participate.
Q. Miss Nepal’s have never achieved anything of great significance in our country, what do you think you can do to enhance the prestige of this title?
Sitashma: I believe that to help others you have to first help yourself. I need to stand on my own feet. I haven’t laid out a roadmap or a plan as yet but I do plan to utilize this opportunity to the fullest. I cannot guarantee anything but I will try to leave a mark.
Q. Beauty pageants are just taken as a platform to showcase beauty only, the other aspects take a backseat. Do you think other features are really given that much importance in this competition?
Sitashma: Yes, it is. Because if it were not so I assure you I would not have won the title. I believe there were other participants more beautiful than me so it could not have been on the basis of my appearance only that I won.
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