Taapsee Pannu recalls Miss India humiliation, was told she should have “never been in top 28”

Prior to becoming an actress, Taapsee Pannu attempted modelling for several years. During her time as a student, she participated in the Miss India pageant and placed in the top 28. She reported that there was a great deal of partiality at the competition, and during the trial phase, she was humiliated by a designer who told her she had no business being there.

The actor said that she was one of three girls picked from Delhi, and that she had to compete against professional models. She was an amateur in comparison to them because she had just done photoshoots and had never been in television advertisements or walked the runway before.

Taapsee discussed her experiences during the beauty competition in an interview with The Lallantop. She stated: “During the “grooming stage,” I realised that I was unable to do this. They forced us to walk and taught us to smile. At the time, [Designer] Hemant Trivedi was the experienced instructor, and he humiliated me.

Later, at the wrap-up party, she realised she was “on thin ice.” She went on, “There was some favouritism present. Contestants were required to contribute the pageant 30 percent of their profits for a period of three years, as indicated in the contracts they were required to sign. At the conclusion of the event, we proceeded to an afterparty where the national director wished me good luck for the future. I don’t know what possessed me, but I told him, “Sir, take it in writing: you will not receive the crown back.”

Taapsee won two titles during her tenure at the pageant: Miss Fresh Face and Miss Lovely Skin. She made her acting debut in 2010 with Jhummandi Naadam, a Telugu film. In 2013, she made her debut in Hindi with Chashme Baddoor, David Dhawan’s version of the 1981 comedy of the same name.

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