WITH CROWNING GLORY, LUCKNOW’S SHAIFALI IS ON CLOUD NINE

Winning the Mrs India International ‘Queen of Substance’ title has been a dream come true for Lucknow's Shaifali Dixit Mishra (above).

“It was very tough. There were 43 other contestants and all were pitching hard for the crown. The moment my name was announced, I was shocked for a second,” says Shaifali. The finale was held recently in New Delhi .

“I always wanted to win a pageant where brain and talent are also considered along with physical beauty,” she says.

Shaifali, a banker, did her schooling from Lucknow and went to New Delhi in 2011 to pursue MBA. She later went to France for overseas internship (scholarship). Presently, she stays in USA.

The Mrs India pageant, a contest for married women, had eight rounds where top 20 contestants vied for the crown. The fight narrowed down to five contestants in the final round. The contest was open to all women having an Indian passport.

“I owe my entry to the contest to my husband who knew I have an interest in a pageant like this. My in-laws not only supported me but were more excited than me,” she says.

“Being shortlisted among the top five finalists was unbelievable. Though I had been preparing for it for months still it meant a lot to me,” Shaifali adds.

“The rounds comprised of introduction, current affairs, talent, ramp walk, one-on-one and Q&A. My heart pounded as the contestants got eliminated after every round. What will be my position, I asked myself,” she recalls.

Shaifali is now preparing for Mrs USA pageants that will be held later this year. “I want to bring Mrs USA crown to Lucknow as I have my roots here,” she says, adding, “The pageants will be very tough as contestants from different countries participate in it.”

She got married on March 10, 2016 after which the couple got settled in Denver, United States. Her husband is from Nasik, Maharashtra.