Mangaluru: ‘I Want to Bring International Crown Back Home to India’ – Kudla Beauty Aafreen Vaz

Mangaluru: ‘I Want to Bring International Crown Back Home to India’ – Kudla Beauty Aafreen Vaz

Mangaluru: Mirror..Mirror on the Wall.. Aafreen Vaz is the prettiest among all! Fringe or no fringe, this gorgeous and stunning OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) girl from New Zealand currently doing her medicine studies in Mangaluru, and also a model and Brand ambassador of Fashion ABCD-Mangaluru was newly crowned as the second runner-up in fbb Femina Miss India 2015 pageant. Few days after her stunning success in the pageant, Aafreen Vaz still seemed a bit dazed as she flew into Mangaluru International Airport this morning. Her years of high-power modelling abroad and India have prepared her well for the glamour and the media hype of the world and India of Femina Miss India.

For Aafreen love is the purest emotion that can’t be expressed in words.Looking the youthful 25 that she is, Aafreen has been handling the media from all over while exploding the myth of beauty without brains. She added a bright spot of color to the dull surroundings during the interview. The ravishing Aafreen Vaz who is also the winner of Campus Princess 2015, the pageant that got her a direct entry into the top twenty-one at fbb Femina Miss India 2015. She is a damsel with a lot of gusto and a resplendent personality. Aafreen who outclassed the other 21 contestants to bag the title, spills the beans about her life post-Femina Miss India 2015, future Miss India/World preparation, future aspirations and much more through this exclusive interview for Mangalorean.com

A beauty pageant or beauty contest is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests also incorporate personality, intelligence, talent, and answers to judges’ questions as judged criteria. Beauty pageants remain one of the oldest and well-known symbols of sexism in society today. However, the fact remains that beauty pageants still celebrate and reward a narrow view of feminine beauty. Many women who participate in beauty pageants contribute more to society than many would have expected in the past. By their very nature, beauty pageants support the idea that, for women, any noteworthy success or accomplishment should ideally be presented in a pretty package – conventional feminine attractiveness being the package in question.

The fbb Femina Miss India 2015 Pageant has provided a fascinating glimpse into how Indian standards of femininity have been defined, projected, maintained, and challenged. The pageantry had given a chance for young women like Aafreen to unleash their talents and expose their beauty. But what one realizes beyond that is their warm and straight forward attitude towards life – beautiful, inspiring and infectious. Standing quite tall, anyone would envy Aafreen’s superb physique and flawless skin. A brief conversation with her revealed that she is a strong young lady with engaging thoughts.

She is incredibly sharp, intelligent, confident, and poised, and she was unbelievably good while interviewing. When asked who inspired and motivated her in modelling activities, she said it was her parents, especially her mother who motivated her to take part in every activity, whether cultural, social or spiritual and embedded in them the importance of family and human values. Being judged a Femina Miss India 2015 runner-up was Euphoric! Winning the pageant has been a dream of mine for so long that the reality of winning is yet to sink in. I am just trying to appreciate every single moment of this invaluable accomplishment” said Aafreen. She is more than just a beauty and socialite, Aafreen is a go-getter and an achiever – her recent success in the pageant is the proof.

Aafreen has always understood fashion and style to be an expression of the unique and beautiful inner self of each individual person. Her style prior to the Femina Miss India pageant was exactly that. Her simple and modest demeanor translated into the sense of fashion which she appreciates herself. Ever since she won the title she has found that her sense of style has become more expressive of who she is. Currently studying medicine in A J Institute of Sciences in Mangaluru, Aafreen is doing her modelling career with Fashion ABCD in City. She took part in the Prestigious Campus Princess 2015 Pageant and was crowned as the Campus princess of India -2015, and that’s how she got direct entry into Femina Miss India 2015.

Aafreen did her schooling at Hasanat High School- Mumbai and College at Lynfield College-New Zealand. While pursuing her studies in Medicine, she is also a Model and Brand Ambassador for Fashion ABCD. Her hobbies are Reading, Writing, Dancing, Modeling, and Public Speaking Speaking to me, the owners of Fashion ABCD in Mangaluru,Charan and his wife Anupama Suvarna praising Aafreen Vaz said, Ever since we met Aafreen, we were very confident that one day she is going to make it big in fashion industry… Her attitude, her confidence, made it clear, that she is extraordinary. Since one year, the pace and height she has grown, we are sure that she will be crowned Miss International…. Aafreen Vaz is our model and our Brand Ambassador. She had already participated in New Zealand next top model. Fashion abcd feels proud to handle Aafreen Vaz portfolio”.

Following are the excerpts from the exclusive interview with Aafreen Vaz :

Q: How does it feel to bag the runners-up place in the Femina Miss India 2015 contest?

As an OCI card holder, I could not win the pageant as per rules. So the best I could do was bag the 1st runner up position which I did and I feel like a winner. I feel extremely happy and an increased sense of responsibility owing to the fact that I am representing India at an International pageant.

Q: How do you measure success?

Success is measured by the level of inner happiness and contentment a person feels in doing what they are doing. I know that I’m on the path of success because I feel great when I wake up every morning and look at my crown which serves as a beautiful reminder that I’m working towards the international version of it

Q: What was the most important part of pageantry? Why do you want to win this pageant

The most important part of the pageant was the down times when we could mingle with our co-contestants and the members of the Miss India Organisation. I enjoy meeting new people and find it easy to strike and hold conversations. Getting to know people involved in the pageant is the most important part of the pageantry. I wanted to win this pageant because I knew I would earn myself platform where I could gain visibility and have my opinions heard. I plan to use this platform to launch the EDBF (Early Detection for a better future) movement for the rural population of India.

Q: Which phase of the competition was your favorite?

The finale. The stage at Yash Raj studios was grand with the added grandiosity of the celebrity judging panel and the star performances. It was all for us 21 finalists and it was our night to showcase all that we had learnt over a year of intensive training.

Q: How were you different from the other contestants? What made you unique?

I enjoy talking to all sorts of people and hearing their stories from different parts of life. I remember having interesting conversations with everyone in the organisation and my co-contestants. I learnt how to polish the way I carry myself in society and groomed everything about me, however, I did not let anything change the person I am and remained confident being just me throughout the pageant. I believe this is what made me unique.

Q: What do think would be the three qualities that every woman should have?

Confidence- In who she is and her choices. Compassion- For every living being around her. Charisma- Because every woman has it. It is just a matter of radiating it out.

Q: What’s your favorite childhood memory?

My favourite childhood memory was exploring the jungles around my ancestral house in Goa with my little brother. We used to come back to find our grandmother ready to feed us jack fruit that had been chilled in the fridge and coconut water, both from the trees in the orchard behind the house.

Q: How did you prepare for this pageant? Have you competed in pageants before this one?

I won Campus Princess 2015 which gave me an auto entry as a finalist in fbb Femina Miss India 2015. Campus Princess was a crash course in pageantry and it was a great taster of pageantry. Fashion ABCD also provided all the tips that I needed, my sincere thanks to Charan and Anupama Suvarna.

Q: Who is your latest celebrity guy crush and girl crush?

Girl crush: Emma Watson
Guy crush: Max Minghella

Q: What is your favorite social media platform to use and why?

Facebook because It is user-friendly and I have used it for the longest time so I have a lot of old photos and stories that are great to reminisce through old memories.

Q: What your parents have to say about your success in this beauty contest?

They are extremely proud and thrilled about the beginning of a new journey. As always they have extended immense support so I do well during my reign.

Q: I am sure that your family is such a huge support to you and your journey to becoming Femina Miss India. Was there any particular thing a family member has said that has inspired you to go this far?

My grandmother once told me to “be your own best friend” this was the most helpful quote for me because it helped me talk to myself through difficult times. It helped me be content with who I am and generate happiness from withing. It is only when your there for yourself that you can be there for others.

Q: Winning in this pageant, do you have any ideas for a change in your career for the future?

My study in Medicine and Surgery will continue. Miss India is a platform the that allows several opportunities to present themselves. It is all about accepting them in order of priority. During my reign, I want to focus on bringing the international crown back home to India.

Q: How would you define your personal style? What do you see when you look in the mirror?

I believe my personal style is looking chic in something comfortable. I love skinny jeans pastel tank tops with fun scarfs. Rings are my favourite accessories.

I see a confident woman looking back at me who wants to begin her day with the excitement of learning something new and the desire to do something new.

Q: What is your greatest strength and what is your biggest weakness?

My greatest strength and greatest weakness both lie in the fact that I am an extremely sensitive person. This is a strength because it helps me passionately fight against injustice to the less fortunate and cruelty to animals however on the flip side I am easily disturbed by acts of this nature and sometimes may find it difficult to bounce back.

Q: From where you stand right now how does life look ?

I view my life as a book and the crown just opened a new chapter. I feel elated and excited to make it the best chapter of my life so far.

Q: What would be your greatest achievement that will make you feel your life was a huge success ?

To educate the rural women of our country on the importance of health checkups and self-examinations. Once educated they can help with early detection of diseases like Breast Cancer and treatment becomes more effective. In a huge country like ours, I would consider this life-changing and life-saving education for many.

Q: Okay, later in the years in case if you were to choose from films and modeling, what would you choose?

I don’t like the idea of having to choose I would balance both in order of priority.

Q: What do you admire the most in a man ? When the right time comes to choose your life partner, what kind of man would you prefer?

I admire a man who values loyalty and the importance of trust in a relationship. When it is time to choose my life partner will choose someone who loves me for who I am and who is confident being himself too. I find a man with a generous and sensitive heart and a sense of humour very attractive.

Q: Being a beautiful young lady yourself, who would you consider as the most beautiful woman, and why?

I know this might sound cliche but like most girls, the most beautiful woman in the world to me is my mother. She is the kindest and warmest human being I know and to me, that makes her beauty eternal.

Q: What is that you would like to share with mangalorean.com readers? Also some words of advice to younger girls who may want to follow in your

I want to thank Mangaluru and Mangaloreans for playing their role in making who I am. I have learnt a lot living in Mangaluru as a medical student, not just from my teachers but also for the community. A big thank you also for all the support I received from Mangaluru during my pageant. I can’t wait for my homecoming to this beautiful Coastal city and convey my sincere thanks and gratitude in person.

To all girls who aspire to be beauty queens I would say watch pageantry to learn what they look for. Love yourself for who you are. Recognize and work on your talents be it singing dancing or something as different as rope walking. Get involved in a social cause and help out in the community. Remain focused on your career choice. Remember its all about being a beauty with a brain and a purpose!

Also read related article :

Mumbai: Mangalore Girl Aafreen Vaz wins FBB Femina Miss India International 2015