MUMBAI, India -- Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen has decided to write an autobiography with the tentative title "The Butterfly."
A former Miss Universe, Sen said she has begun writing chapters, a newspaper reported Wednesday.
She said the inspiration for the title came from one of her favorite sayings -- "what the world calls the end of a caterpillar's life, God calls a butterfly."
"I have written some portions of it," The Times of India newspaper quoted Sen saying. "And yes, the working title is called 'The Butterfly.'"
A model-turned-actress, Sen was crowned Miss Universe in the Philippines in 1994 and has since acted in 30 Hindi-language movies.
Sen plays a widow in an updated version of a Bollywood classic "Sholay," or "Embers," to be released this week.
She played a rock star in her last film, "Zindagi Rocks," or "Life Rocks," and a prostitute in an earlier movie "Chingari," which also translates to "Embers" in Hindi.
Sources: Philippine Daily Inquirer and Associated Press
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
To Miss Universe —and beyond!
By Anna Theresa Licaros
MY most distinct memory of the Miss Universe pageant this year was of Miss France holding a cheeseburger served us at Hard Rock Café Mexico. Holding half a burger with her delicate fingers, she looked at me and said: “Ye know, Tu-ress, ze first thing I learn to zay in eve-ree langu-egh is ze word, hamburger.”
I looked at her, nodded and bit into my burger. I was so hungry after all that walking up and down the Basque de Chapultepec in four-inch heels. It’s not easy being a beauty queen. Try fitting a mirror, lipstick, lip gloss, face powder and extra eyelash glue into a tote and carrying it around with poise while negotiating palatial staircases in your heels and miniskirt. Every day was a marathon for us at Miss U.
Meanwhile, Miss France continued her train of thought: “Like here in Mexico… zey call it hamburguesa. What about you, Tu-ress? What do zey call it in ze Philippines?” I was taken aback. I’m a pretty articulate person with above average capacity for witty retorts, but in this pageant, all sorts of questions were hurled at me from nowhere!
It was like the question and answer portion, only worse: they were mostly everyday stuff about me and my country that I never really thought about before joining the pageant. I tried to buy some time by sipping my Coke light, sin hielo (without ice), lest I find myself running to the loo every five minutes. I struggled for the Filipino word for hamburger: Ham-barger?
Oops, too late. Someone mentioned another topic and the conversation shifted. Ham-barger, it was. I reeled at the thought of how this might affect how the Philippines is perceived by the next person Miss France meets if she repeats this conversation. That was my everyday reality as Miss Philippines in the Miss Universe pageant. I ceased to be just Theresa or Tu-ress to Rachel/Miss France. I became the Philippines.
Early on, I became aware of what representing my country really means. Having to wear the banner “Philippines” across my breast every single day kept me on my toes, careful of how I’ve been projecting myself and everything I say or do. To some extent it was scary, but also a source of pride. Every smile I flashed, each pose I struck was with the thought that it should be my best because this wasn’t just about me anymore.
For the most part, the other contestants were fantastic. Contrary to popular belief that women who join beauty pageants are airheads or bimbos, most are college graduates with full time jobs in their own countries. They are opinionated and know what they want.
When I came back from Mexico, I was always asked if acts of sabotage really took place during the pageant. (Reportedly the most controversial in years, the 2007 Miss Universe pageant saw Miss USA being booed by some Mexicans unhappy over a pending immigration bill in the US; Miss Sweden pulling out after complaints in her country described the contest as degrading to women; and Miss Mexico being asked to change costumes because the original was deemed in poor taste.—Ed.)
I’m happy to report that I didn’t experience any such incident firsthand. The closest thing to intrigue that I encountered was a remark from a fellow candidate, perhaps meant to psych me out. During one rehearsal, I was called onstage to do the evening gown pattern, after which I had to look at the camera and pose. Suddenly, everyone was clapping and cheering. I must have done something right, I thought.
Indeed, when I got off stage, Miss Tanzania approached me, saying “Girl, that was an amazing face!” Most everyone thought so, except for Miss Bolivia who told me flat out: “You look dead onstage. Your eyes are just blank. Maybe you should, like, move your eyebrows or something.” Just friendly advice, she said, because she wanted me to do well. That was odd, I told her; another candidate had just told me the exact opposite. Miss Bolivia simply rolled her eyes and said I should trust her instead. Well, I thought afterwards, when you do something significant, you’ll get both good and bad reactions.
As an insider, I also learned that the Miss Universe organizers and production team wanted to veer away from the traditional pageant look and feel. They discouraged stiff and exaggerated posturing and encouraged sexy, relaxed, fluid and model-like movements. A Miss Universe, said our catwalk teacher, Lu Sierra, must know how to smile. She hated it when the contestants sported sexy I’m-gonna-eat-you-alive looks. The pageant organizers had a “look” in mind and I was personally sold on the subtle but sexy model’s stance they advocated.
There were so many things to learn and it wasn’t always smooth sailing. There were really days when I just wanted to put a paper bag over my head and not wear any makeup. I had to keep telling myself that I was in Mexico to do a job and that the job requires me to put on makeup at five in the morning. So I’d just shake off whatever negative feelings I felt, play some dance music and sing along while putting on my pageant face. That was how I got through the doldrums.
Apparently, I did that so well that some contestants would ask me to close my eyes so they could check out my eye makeup. They said they liked the way I blended the colors. One photographer even took a photo of my right eye. Just my right eye! He said it looked so beautiful that he wanted a shot of it. My thanks go to Jay Lozada, Allen Rosales, Lia Ramos and Jenny Tan for selflessly sharing their makeup tips with me.
That kind of team work, of collaboration, also defined my Miss Universe experience. There were so many teachers who shared their knowledge with me, as well as family and friends who flew all the way to Mexico to become my cheering squad and support group. I got a lot of joshing when I gave my guest list: 25 people strong. Not bad for a Pacific islander who lives roughly 12 time zones away.
It was the kind of support that others could only envy. My roomie, Miss Thailand, wanted to “borrow” a brother because she didn’t have any family around during the pageant. I gladly obliged, telling the bunso (youngest) in our family to go wild when Thailand gets called. I think he did go wild —for all the girls—so that was substantial compliance.
The reality of representing one’s country can be daunting, but it also enhanced me as a person. While it might have been a source of insecurity to pose beside Barbie look-alikes, it boosted my confidence nonetheless. I looked at them and felt I deserved to be there. Cheesy, I know, but when I stood there in high heels beside the most beautiful women in the universe, something changed. I was no longer a passive participant to whom things happen; instead, I chose to embrace the experience and learn from it. That made all the difference for me.
More than just another beauty pageant, this year’s Miss U put things into perspective for me. In a nutshell, my 30 days in Mexico with 76 other women from all over the world was a crash course in culture, diplomacy, confidence, and worst of all, geography. I’ll always remember— with amusement tinged with shame—how I had managed to put so many countries in the wrong continent and historical era and unwittingly displayed such ignorance by asking the delegate about it.
So, I asked Miss Egypt, “You’re from Cairo. How are the pyramids?” She smiled and giggled: “They’re in Giza.” Getting my witty retort mode back, I countered: “Well, maybe if you’d take me around the Middle East one of these days, it won’t be so confusing.” As she wiped her fingers on a tissue, Miss France interjected: “Isn’t Egypt in Africa?”
Licaros is a junior at the UP College of Law. She plans to visit Egypt and see the pyramids next summer, and find out how they say “hamburger” in Arabic.
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer
MY most distinct memory of the Miss Universe pageant this year was of Miss France holding a cheeseburger served us at Hard Rock Café Mexico. Holding half a burger with her delicate fingers, she looked at me and said: “Ye know, Tu-ress, ze first thing I learn to zay in eve-ree langu-egh is ze word, hamburger.”I looked at her, nodded and bit into my burger. I was so hungry after all that walking up and down the Basque de Chapultepec in four-inch heels. It’s not easy being a beauty queen. Try fitting a mirror, lipstick, lip gloss, face powder and extra eyelash glue into a tote and carrying it around with poise while negotiating palatial staircases in your heels and miniskirt. Every day was a marathon for us at Miss U.
Meanwhile, Miss France continued her train of thought: “Like here in Mexico… zey call it hamburguesa. What about you, Tu-ress? What do zey call it in ze Philippines?” I was taken aback. I’m a pretty articulate person with above average capacity for witty retorts, but in this pageant, all sorts of questions were hurled at me from nowhere!
It was like the question and answer portion, only worse: they were mostly everyday stuff about me and my country that I never really thought about before joining the pageant. I tried to buy some time by sipping my Coke light, sin hielo (without ice), lest I find myself running to the loo every five minutes. I struggled for the Filipino word for hamburger: Ham-barger?
Oops, too late. Someone mentioned another topic and the conversation shifted. Ham-barger, it was. I reeled at the thought of how this might affect how the Philippines is perceived by the next person Miss France meets if she repeats this conversation. That was my everyday reality as Miss Philippines in the Miss Universe pageant. I ceased to be just Theresa or Tu-ress to Rachel/Miss France. I became the Philippines.
Early on, I became aware of what representing my country really means. Having to wear the banner “Philippines” across my breast every single day kept me on my toes, careful of how I’ve been projecting myself and everything I say or do. To some extent it was scary, but also a source of pride. Every smile I flashed, each pose I struck was with the thought that it should be my best because this wasn’t just about me anymore.
For the most part, the other contestants were fantastic. Contrary to popular belief that women who join beauty pageants are airheads or bimbos, most are college graduates with full time jobs in their own countries. They are opinionated and know what they want.
When I came back from Mexico, I was always asked if acts of sabotage really took place during the pageant. (Reportedly the most controversial in years, the 2007 Miss Universe pageant saw Miss USA being booed by some Mexicans unhappy over a pending immigration bill in the US; Miss Sweden pulling out after complaints in her country described the contest as degrading to women; and Miss Mexico being asked to change costumes because the original was deemed in poor taste.—Ed.)
I’m happy to report that I didn’t experience any such incident firsthand. The closest thing to intrigue that I encountered was a remark from a fellow candidate, perhaps meant to psych me out. During one rehearsal, I was called onstage to do the evening gown pattern, after which I had to look at the camera and pose. Suddenly, everyone was clapping and cheering. I must have done something right, I thought.
Indeed, when I got off stage, Miss Tanzania approached me, saying “Girl, that was an amazing face!” Most everyone thought so, except for Miss Bolivia who told me flat out: “You look dead onstage. Your eyes are just blank. Maybe you should, like, move your eyebrows or something.” Just friendly advice, she said, because she wanted me to do well. That was odd, I told her; another candidate had just told me the exact opposite. Miss Bolivia simply rolled her eyes and said I should trust her instead. Well, I thought afterwards, when you do something significant, you’ll get both good and bad reactions.
As an insider, I also learned that the Miss Universe organizers and production team wanted to veer away from the traditional pageant look and feel. They discouraged stiff and exaggerated posturing and encouraged sexy, relaxed, fluid and model-like movements. A Miss Universe, said our catwalk teacher, Lu Sierra, must know how to smile. She hated it when the contestants sported sexy I’m-gonna-eat-you-alive looks. The pageant organizers had a “look” in mind and I was personally sold on the subtle but sexy model’s stance they advocated.
There were so many things to learn and it wasn’t always smooth sailing. There were really days when I just wanted to put a paper bag over my head and not wear any makeup. I had to keep telling myself that I was in Mexico to do a job and that the job requires me to put on makeup at five in the morning. So I’d just shake off whatever negative feelings I felt, play some dance music and sing along while putting on my pageant face. That was how I got through the doldrums.
Apparently, I did that so well that some contestants would ask me to close my eyes so they could check out my eye makeup. They said they liked the way I blended the colors. One photographer even took a photo of my right eye. Just my right eye! He said it looked so beautiful that he wanted a shot of it. My thanks go to Jay Lozada, Allen Rosales, Lia Ramos and Jenny Tan for selflessly sharing their makeup tips with me.
That kind of team work, of collaboration, also defined my Miss Universe experience. There were so many teachers who shared their knowledge with me, as well as family and friends who flew all the way to Mexico to become my cheering squad and support group. I got a lot of joshing when I gave my guest list: 25 people strong. Not bad for a Pacific islander who lives roughly 12 time zones away.
It was the kind of support that others could only envy. My roomie, Miss Thailand, wanted to “borrow” a brother because she didn’t have any family around during the pageant. I gladly obliged, telling the bunso (youngest) in our family to go wild when Thailand gets called. I think he did go wild —for all the girls—so that was substantial compliance.
The reality of representing one’s country can be daunting, but it also enhanced me as a person. While it might have been a source of insecurity to pose beside Barbie look-alikes, it boosted my confidence nonetheless. I looked at them and felt I deserved to be there. Cheesy, I know, but when I stood there in high heels beside the most beautiful women in the universe, something changed. I was no longer a passive participant to whom things happen; instead, I chose to embrace the experience and learn from it. That made all the difference for me.
More than just another beauty pageant, this year’s Miss U put things into perspective for me. In a nutshell, my 30 days in Mexico with 76 other women from all over the world was a crash course in culture, diplomacy, confidence, and worst of all, geography. I’ll always remember— with amusement tinged with shame—how I had managed to put so many countries in the wrong continent and historical era and unwittingly displayed such ignorance by asking the delegate about it.
So, I asked Miss Egypt, “You’re from Cairo. How are the pyramids?” She smiled and giggled: “They’re in Giza.” Getting my witty retort mode back, I countered: “Well, maybe if you’d take me around the Middle East one of these days, it won’t be so confusing.” As she wiped her fingers on a tissue, Miss France interjected: “Isn’t Egypt in Africa?”
Licaros is a junior at the UP College of Law. She plans to visit Egypt and see the pyramids next summer, and find out how they say “hamburger” in Arabic.
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Pageant organisers appeal for support
FRANCISTOWN - Although there were a lot of doubting Thomases, when 19-year-old Mpule Kwelagobe emerged Miss Universe 1999, her achievement brought pride to the nation sending shockwaves through the whole world.
Batswana were so proud of her achievement that even composed songs, slogans as well as naming their newly born babies Mpule, and for a short while beauty pageants were held in high esteem.
However all that was short lived. The popularity of beauty pageants has waned. As the search for a new Miss Botswana begin, the organisers, despite their commitment and need to improve the pageant, they still decry lack of support from the nation at large.
We are trying very hard to make something of the Miss Botswana pageant but without the nations support it is hopeless. Miss Botswana is a national event, but people think that it is a Botswana Council of Women event.
We need Batswana to rally behind us as well and not only associate themselves with beauty queens after they had won, said one of the organisers, Daisy Botsoba in an interview during an audition in Francistown, recently.
Ms Botsoba said Batswana are the ones who can brand the Miss Botswana pageant adding that if we could encourage those girls who have the qualities of a beauty queen to enter that would help, she said.
She said most people still feel that beauty pageants are a waste of time especially in Botswana, where many still believe that winners of such pageants are cheated and do not get the promised prizes.
Ever since I got involved with the pageant there has never been a time when winners did not get their prices, its just that people do not understand procedures followed in the pageants, she said.
She appealed to girls between the ages of 18 and 23 to come for auditions, adding that they should enter the pageant for a good cause not greed.
The girls should understand that being Miss Botswana is a huge responsibility in that you become the countrys ambassador. They should enter the pageant with the aim of flying the Botswana flag high as well as showing the spirit of volunteerism, she said.
However there are those who still view the pageant as a waste of time and not appealing. I dont see any point in having the pageant because no one benefits from it, we only benefited when Mpule won but really there was and still there is nothing to consider when you think of Miss Botswana, said Naledi Moatswi.
Ms Moatswi also said culture has a major role to play when it comes to beauty pageants as such events were never in Setswana culture taken in high regard.
Concurring with Ms Moatswi, Lucy Dibeela said Miss Botswana does not work out as those who compete are unsuitable.
Wrong people audition for the pageant, and I think the organizers should put more effort in looking for girls. They should look at the Nokia face of Africa arrangement and try doing something of that sort to look for contestants, she said.
She disagreed with the statement that Batswana were not doing enough to support the pageant, attributing the problem to the organizers of the pageant.
The public should feel the Miss Botswana vibe, people should want to get involved with it but the organizers are cold and the pageant is cold too, she said.
However there were those who felt the pageant was a good thing and with time it will improve. BOPA
Source: BOPA Daily News Archive
Batswana were so proud of her achievement that even composed songs, slogans as well as naming their newly born babies Mpule, and for a short while beauty pageants were held in high esteem.
However all that was short lived. The popularity of beauty pageants has waned. As the search for a new Miss Botswana begin, the organisers, despite their commitment and need to improve the pageant, they still decry lack of support from the nation at large.
We are trying very hard to make something of the Miss Botswana pageant but without the nations support it is hopeless. Miss Botswana is a national event, but people think that it is a Botswana Council of Women event.
We need Batswana to rally behind us as well and not only associate themselves with beauty queens after they had won, said one of the organisers, Daisy Botsoba in an interview during an audition in Francistown, recently.
Ms Botsoba said Batswana are the ones who can brand the Miss Botswana pageant adding that if we could encourage those girls who have the qualities of a beauty queen to enter that would help, she said.
She said most people still feel that beauty pageants are a waste of time especially in Botswana, where many still believe that winners of such pageants are cheated and do not get the promised prizes.
Ever since I got involved with the pageant there has never been a time when winners did not get their prices, its just that people do not understand procedures followed in the pageants, she said.
She appealed to girls between the ages of 18 and 23 to come for auditions, adding that they should enter the pageant for a good cause not greed.
The girls should understand that being Miss Botswana is a huge responsibility in that you become the countrys ambassador. They should enter the pageant with the aim of flying the Botswana flag high as well as showing the spirit of volunteerism, she said.
However there are those who still view the pageant as a waste of time and not appealing. I dont see any point in having the pageant because no one benefits from it, we only benefited when Mpule won but really there was and still there is nothing to consider when you think of Miss Botswana, said Naledi Moatswi.
Ms Moatswi also said culture has a major role to play when it comes to beauty pageants as such events were never in Setswana culture taken in high regard.
Concurring with Ms Moatswi, Lucy Dibeela said Miss Botswana does not work out as those who compete are unsuitable.
Wrong people audition for the pageant, and I think the organizers should put more effort in looking for girls. They should look at the Nokia face of Africa arrangement and try doing something of that sort to look for contestants, she said.
She disagreed with the statement that Batswana were not doing enough to support the pageant, attributing the problem to the organizers of the pageant.
The public should feel the Miss Botswana vibe, people should want to get involved with it but the organizers are cold and the pageant is cold too, she said.
However there were those who felt the pageant was a good thing and with time it will improve. BOPA
Source: BOPA Daily News Archive
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Warrant against Priyanka's dad
BHOPAL: An Indore court on Monday issued an arrest warrant against actor Priyanka Chopra's father, Ashok Chopra, after he failed to appear before it in connection with a criminal case on August 18.
Judge U S Mogal had asked Ashok to appear before it for intimidating Prakash Jaju, Priyanka's former secretary. The case was registered in May last year after Jaju alleged that he was receiving life threats from the underworld after he asked Priyanka for Rs 1.36 crore due to him.
Jaju had alleged he was getting threat calls from Karachi-based ganglord Chhota Shakeel at the behest of the actor and her father.
Defence lawyer Chandrasekhar Raekwair had appealed to the court saying Ashok Chopra was suffering from liver cancer and hence and should be excused from appearing before the district sessions court.
Source: The Times of India
Judge U S Mogal had asked Ashok to appear before it for intimidating Prakash Jaju, Priyanka's former secretary. The case was registered in May last year after Jaju alleged that he was receiving life threats from the underworld after he asked Priyanka for Rs 1.36 crore due to him.
Jaju had alleged he was getting threat calls from Karachi-based ganglord Chhota Shakeel at the behest of the actor and her father.
Defence lawyer Chandrasekhar Raekwair had appealed to the court saying Ashok Chopra was suffering from liver cancer and hence and should be excused from appearing before the district sessions court.
Source: The Times of India
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