What does it take to achieve your dreams? Passion, dedication, focus and a lot of hard work. While many dream big, some actually take those tedious small steps to get there. Ritika Khatnani, a Pune-based 16-year-old student who was recently crowned Miss Teen International India, tells us about her journey so far and what, according to her, is true beauty.
Right from childhood Khatnani knew exactly what she wanted to be when she grew up — an actress. “Just back then I was not sure how to carve my path to get a break,” she says. But she knew that many of the women who won beauty pageants got their ticket to Bollywood. “This was when I decided that I wanted to choose this path to achieve my dream,” says the youngster.
So she started participating in local pageants not only to be noticed but also to discover herself and understand her strengths. “Though I did not win I was amused that I bagged the runner-up position at one of the pageants,” she says adding that this was the push she needed to go ahead.
Khatnani’s biggest advantage is that she has always been supported by her parents. “It was in fact my mother who pushed me to audition for the Miss International Teen India pageant,” says the teenager further mentioning that she even helped her prepare for it.
That said, her journey so far hasn’t been all smooth and nice. “When you have to compete with the best of best girls from all over India, it does get difficult because each one of them is unique,” says Khatnani adding that the reason she likes being part of beauty pageants is that she has learnt how to face an audience and be confident on stage.
Khatnani, who is a student of VIBGYOR High, NIBM Road, says that even though a lot has been said about the beauty industry, mostly in the negative light, it all depends on what your intentions are and how pure your heart is.
Talking about the beauty standards that are projected in the minds of people she says that she does not believe in outer beauty alone. “It is perceived as to how a person looks but it is also about what a person has in their heart and how they think and conceive things around them,” says Khatnani adding that she believes beautiful souls are the prettiest.
When asked if she believes that beauty pageants should be considered as a medium of women empowerment, Khatnani says, “Given the fact that these are platforms not only where women come to compete with each other wearing fancy clothes but also to push forward a cause that they believe in, it is definitely empowering.” She adds that it is not only about looking pretty but also sharing ideas, opinions and coming across a lot of women of substance so one can definitely learn a few things from them.
Khatnani now has big plans, she wants to represent India in leading pageants and then pursue acting.
“Many small steps in this direction, along with dedication, passion and hard work, will help me find my dream job. I am going to work hard every single day of my life and be an inspiration to others as well,” she concludes.
