She made headlines in Oman when she made it to the finals of the Femina Miss India 2008 finals in Mumbai earlier this year. Shruti Dilip, the 22-year-old bio-technology engineer from Muscat, has not looked back since. Last week, she was crowned Miss Oman at the Miss India Worldwide-Middle East beauty pageant held in Dubai, and there by qualified for the Miss India Worldwide pageant to be held in South Africa later this year.

In a freewheeling email interview to kishorcariappa.blogspot.com, Shruti talks about modelling scene in Oman and her life as a model. Excerpts from the interview:

First of all, many congratulations to you on winning the Miss India Middle East competition in Dubai recently. How do you feel to represent Oman in the Miss India Worldwide contest?

Thank you very much. It feels great to represent Oman. Being an Indian and being able to represent two countries is absolutely fabulous. I am looking forward to the Miss India Worldwide competition that is to be held later this year, and I’m sure I will make my country proud.

Do you have grooming facilities in Oman to prepare for the big event?

Well, honestly, no. There is a shortage of grooming facilities in Oman as of now. Having been a model for the past six years, I know what are my strengths and weaknesses. Any model can work on these once they identify it. Since I won the Dubai pageant, our sponsors have taken care of grooming for me, here as well as in Dubai. I have experts flown in to deal with that. Also, my experience in the Femina Miss India finals has taught me many things. Grooming basically consists of catwalk, figure, diction and attitude. Figure and catwalk can easily be worked upon with the right diet, exercise and training. To speak, you need to be spontaneous and witty, while attitude is totally inbuilt. So in a way you can say that somethings can be groomed and somethings cannot be.

Are you approaching corporates in Oman for sponsorships deals, etc to meet your expenses or are you shelling out from your own pocket?

I don’t have to approach any corporates for sponsorships. Since I won the Miss India Middle East title, the complete trip, grooming, expenses, etc are completely sponsored.

How supportive are your family and employers in your pursuit?

My family has always been by my side. They have been very supportive and at the same time they are also my biggest critics. They honestly tell me where I can improve myself and where I excel. Hailing from a family of high virtues and strict tradition, my parents are very protective of me. Whenever I travel for shows or ad shoots, one of them accompanies me.

My colleagues, especially my boss, have been absolutely fantastic. They support all my endeavors. I am really privileged to be working for such understanding people.

Have you got any modelling assignments in Oman or elsewhere?

As I mentioned before, I have been modeling for the past six years. I have walked the ramp for many renowned designers and have done ad shoots (editorial, commercial, etc) for many major brands. My shows, shoots have taken me to a lot of countries like Dubai, Paris, etc. I have also done a lot of assignments here in Oman. As you know, Oman is slowly booming as far as the fashion industry is concerned. As a matter of fact three major fashion designers from India were in Oman earlier this year and I had walked the ramp for all three of them.

Do you think anorexic models should be banned from doing catwalks?

Now the concept has entirely changed. People no longer want anorexic models. Now all agencies specify that models should be above a certain dress size to be able to model. Now the trend is for slight curves, brunettes, and whitish to tan skin. Blonde hair, white skin, and anorexic models are all out. More and more designers are looking for women with Hispanic looks. Moreover if the model is anorexic, the clothes don’t fall well on her. So now I guess the trend is slowly changing from anorexic to more curvy ones.

Do you have plans to pursue a full time career in modeling?

In my opinion modelling can never be a full time profession. It is never a permanent career. Once you grow older, you have to make way for the younger generation. I am quite happy with my job right now and I am having modelling only on the side as a hobby. I am planning to continue doing so.

Any plans to enter movies?

Right now, I have nothing to say. We can never predict what the future holds for us. What if I get into movies and find out that I am not a very talented actress? If I do get any offers, I only want to do meaningful roles, something that will captivate the audience. So I guess for now all I can say is that I will cross that bridge when I get there.

Do you think Oman badly needs a modelling agency to promote local models?

As of now, I don’t think that is necessary. I don’t think the fashion industry has taken off to that extent. It is hard to find models with good height, figure etc. I guess a lot of ladies still need to step up and showcase their talents on the ramp or in print. Once we see that there is considerable talent in Oman, an agency won’t be such a bad idea. Now I get a lot of calls from young ladies looking to make it big for tips on various things. I try to help as I can but at the end of the day you need the right frame of mind and a positive attitude. Back to Femina Miss India 2008 contest now.

Do you think judges were partial to certain contestants in the finals?

Hmm…should I be diplomatically correct or just plain blunt? I think over the years people know what kind of credibility this pageant has and what type of winners it has been producing. Hence I guess it is best that I maintain my silence over this.

Any plans to move to Dubai where a lot of action is happening in the modeling circuit?

I am not going to move permanently to Dubai. As I mentioned before, a lot of modelling shows, shoots happen in Dubai all the year round, so I travel quite often there. It is not necessary to completely make a shift to Dubai. Once people get to know you and your caliber, no matter where you live, they always seek out to get you for their shows.

Beauty or attitude? What is your choice?

Beauty is something that you can always work on, whereas an attitude is inborn. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. If I go to a blind man and describe the beauty of a woman, can any amount of description make him realize how beautiful she is? He needs eyes to see and understand himself.

“When the candles are off, all women are fair!”

Attitude leaves an everlasting impression in your mind. Beauty is temporary, but attitude is forever.