Bollywood blonde

Miss UK Brooke Johnston is on a roll with her multiple roles

OH well,here comes a peroxide blonde! When you’ve been fed on a fattening diet of dumb blonde jokes,along with others of course,you can’t help but bloat in prejudice. But when you’ve been introduced to Miss UK Brooke Johnston,you are forced to take your own hairpin and prick that same bigoted balloon and see through the blinkered existence – the gal’s quite a smart cookie. “Personally,I take offence to the very idea of beauty not having brains. It’s so misogynist in nature,” she sits pretty on a chair and chats about her entry into Bollywood,starting with Nishchey Kar Apni Jeet Karoon in which she has been paired opposite Gulzar Chahal. “I play a yoga teacher and human rights lawyer who helps him with all the legal hassles he is in,and then we fall in love,” Brooke’s enjoying all the bright colours and costumes,sing-song,dance-drama elements of the Indian cinema. “It was all so serendipous…one minute,I was working as a journalist in Washington DC,covering the Presidential elections,and now,in India doing this,” she laughs. With a history in pageants – she loves taking part in all – Brooke’s profile is one of the most interesting ones. Check this out – the girl’s a vegan and green crusader. She’s a PETA activist,holds a degree in archaeology and Masters in TV and radio journalism. She’s also presented shows and worked on films,including one with late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhal. “That was behind the camera,” she then took up journalism,mainly freelance work,whatever came her way. “Election campaings were fun for I got to talk to all the candidates,including Barack Obama,Hillary Clinton and John McCain.” Who was the better one,we nudge her…”It would have been quite a thing for Clinton to make to the Oval office,especially she being a woman and a potential candidate,but if we look at the big picture,Obama inspired the Americans and the world. Americans wanted a change,something different and there was a wave of positive energy this time round,” she tells us,here straight from her visit in Egypt. “Come to think of it,archaeology,as a subject,trains you for a lot of careers,journalism for instance. You get to dig out news for starters,get your facts right,understand humans,who we are…it helps,” she waves her spade.

A full-time activist,Brooke feels that the next big issue arrive in the US is that of animal rights movement. “It is needed,” she’s also working for the seals in Canada and planning to open an orphanage in Thailand,and work with the abused children and women in India. “Internationally,India is quite a player….in fact,in UK,the number one food is chicken tikka masala!”

One last thing – how does she manage all this? “I hate being bored!” The secret to happiness. .