Abhishikta Shetty: Miss South India 2014

Abhishikta Shetty, the winner of the Miss. South India 2014 title is more than just a beauty queen. She is software engineer at Accenture as well as a part time model. She studied at Little Rock Indian School in Brahmavar, later on went onto do her pre university from Vidyodaya Pre University College in Udupi and then did her Engineering in Computer Science from SDM Institute of Technology in Ujire. She had previously won the Miss. Mangalore 2012 first runner up after which she entered into the world of modeling.As a person she is a bit reserved and shy, but she is an independent woman who is very adjustable who adores traveling and has a love for tattoos.

How did you hear come to hear about Miss. South India pageant and what were some obstacles which you faced in winning the title?

I came to know about the Miss. South India pageant through my groomer Sameer Khan who had asked me to audition for it. I was working in Hyderabad at the time and so I came down to Bangalore for the audition. As luck would have it, I was selected out of 20 girls. The tough part in winning the title was competing up against all the girls in the Miss. South India competition who were beautiful and extremely talented. There were girls who had many years of previous experience in professional modeling. Everybody was dedicated to winning the title. It still seems like a dream that I have the crown now as all my fellow competitors deserved the crown equally. Every time I see the crown it just brings a big smile onto my face.

What was the turning point when you decided to take up modeling?

The turning point was when I started meeting new people from various backgrounds, and socializing more often due to the modeling assignments which I received. This helped me to become more mature and gave a different outlook of society.

What are your hobbies and interests? What is your ambition?

My hobbies are basically belly dancing, travelling, and listening to music. I also like experimenting with different hairstyles, and I love shopping. I usually like to spend time alone by going shopping through the busiest streets. Sometimes I like to go to the cafe all by myself and have a warm cup of tea while listening to music. My ambition is to be involved in civil services.

Tell us about your journey through the Miss. South India pageant?

I have to give my heart full of thanks to Pegasus Event Makers for presenting this wonderful opportunity where they have made me feel like the Queen of South India. I was very confused at the beginning of the pageant, but thanks to my family and best friends for supporting me and giving me the push that I needed to continue on with confidence. Having won this title will be a memory which will remain etched in my heart and soul. I made new friends, discovered myself, and was able to discover my potential.

Now that you have won this pageant, how do you think life’s changing for you?

I still am like any other girl! It feels really strange though when people start calling me as a celebrity because at heart I’m still the same girl as I was before having won the pageant. Now that I have won the pageant I am flooded with interviews from various newspapers and channels, I have got movie offers, commercials, and have also been invited to judge beauty pageants, have a little felicitation program back at my hometown.

Can you recall any humours incidents which occurred during the pageant?

Yes, there were many fun incidents. One was, we girls would gather up in a room in late night and prank call random people and tell them funny stories while they wondered who we were!

Is there anything which you can feel you have learnt and will always carry with you through life?

I learnt a lot! I learnt to be more confident, how to present myself, and also punctuality. We were thoroughly groomed for a week on diet, personality development, and fitness. I am very thankful to Pegasus Event Makers, Mr. Ajit Ravi, Ms. Jebitha Ravi and the Pageant sponsor Manappuram Finance Limited as well as my groomer Sameer Khan, Arun Ratna, and Miss. Valentine Mishra for all their efforts in helping me win the Miss. South India title. I also learnt that as long as you are dedicated, your hard work truly pays off. I believe that prayers from family, luck and dedicating myself to this pageant helped me win this title

What are your plans for your future? Are you signing any endorsements/ travels/ assignments at the present time?
My plans ahead are to work as a full time model. When the endorsements and assignments are out, you will know it! *Smiles.*