Miss India Ekta Chowdhry says Gurgaon is lucky for her

Miss India Ekta Chowdhry says Gurgaon is lucky for her
The winner of Miss India 2009 pageant, Ekta Chowdhry is a Gurgaonite and feels that the city and her house in the city were lucky for her. Ekta was born in Baghdad and her family then shifted to Delhi for her studies. Later, the family moved to Gurgaon. "This house is lucky for us. Many things in our lives changed after shifting to Gurgaon," she says. A 'well-behaved' childEkta was a very sincere child and she was fascinated by the field of fashion when Sushmita Sen won the Miss Universe crown. "She was very passionate about music and dance since her childhood and learnt Bharatnatyam dance when she was just six years of age. She did her schooling from Modern School, Barakhamba Road and was a BBA student. She was quite a well-behaved child and not at all naughty," says Rita Chowdhry, her mother. Ekta says that, "I am a very spiritual person and love music. Also, I like to spend my time in reading books, travelling and meeting new people."A dream comes trueEkta is a fan of Sushmita Sen and takes her as a role model. "I was very overwhelmed when Sushmita won the crown and that was the time when I decided to enter the field of glamour and fashion. I was lucky enough to have Sushmita as one of the judges of the pageant and it was a great feeling to meet her". About her journey in the modelling world to reaching the crown, she says, "I started modelling and after three years of walking the ramp I reached the crown," she smiles."It was a long preparation and three years of modelling prepared me for winning the crown," she adds. The exception"All of the 20 participants were different but I think I was exceptional because no one expected that a girl with five tattoos and short hair could win the crown. Everyone has a mindset that the girl with Indian ethics and long hair can only represent the country. But now Miss India crown is more than just about representing India. A person just needs to be connected with Indian values and roots," says Ekta."The quality in me which makes me feel a class apart is that I am an honest person and not diplomatic. I am connected with my Indian roots and values. Also, I live life on my terms and tell people to live their life on their own terms." The Miss India experience "Asin asked me a question and I got nervous. I asked her again and then my reply was complimented. I was asked 'Besides hard work and luck what makes a man successful?' and my answer was that a person should have faith in himself and not lose heart. God also helps those who help themselves!"After winning the crown of Miss India, Ekta is now preparing for the Miss Universe pageant. "The universe-level competition is going to be tough and I am now preparing for it. I have my family supporting me and friends also. I hope I can make up to that. But I would continue with my modeling assignments because I love walking the ramp." In leisure time Ekta loves to spend time in reading books, listening to music, watching movies and believe it or not, she is also a great foodie. "I liked Dev D a lot and the industry needs to have directors like Anurag Kashyap. Fashion was also a good movie but I would like to say that the message the movie wanted to convey was wrong. The situations in the movie are not a true depiction of the entire industry". "I would also like to give this message to the upcoming generation that believe in yourself. Do not get consumed by your looks. There is more to life than glamour".