It is time for a foursome from Pune to take out that nail paint, lip colour and blush-on and, of course, a deposit of Rs. 20,000, to get ready for a grooming session that promises to lead them to the proverbial pot of gold. Priya Gupta, Renu Desai, Archita Mishra and Arpita Choudhary are all Pune gals, whose time to shine under the bright arclights has probably come. All three are busy gearing up for the Femina Miss India Contest, 1999, to be held for the first time in amche Pune.And as everyone knows, the contest is nothing short of a tussle for the most prestigious crown in the country. It is no wonder then that the quartet is preparing itself mentally to give it their best shot. At the same time, these girls are busy balancing time between their studies and style.The reason why these four young ladies made it to the final round? They have the right ingredients, obviously! Height, figure, a pleasant personality and oodles of confidence.Gupta is a student of architecture at the Maratha Mitramandal College for Architecture and stands 5'8'' inches in her stockings. The camera-friendly Gupta recently won the Encore Miss Pune title, and is therefore brimming over with confidence.Mishra is another city girl who's on her way to the preliminaries. At the moment, she is in bustling Mumbai, putting her best pedicured foot forward along with the other contestants.Height takes precedence over other assets in beauty contests, and for the 5'8.5'' tall Choudhary, it was a cakewalk. The dusky 19-year-old Bengali studies at Fergusson College, and is majoring in Psychology. ``I'm so excited that I've been selected for the one-month training starting on November 25. It's too early to say how I'm going to prepare for it, '' she says. But her nine-year training in classical music and Bharatnatyam will stand her in good stead throughout.Desai is a seasoned model who has already featured in top-notch campaigns like Pond's, Nyle Shampoo, Dabur Hair Oil, Jai Lime, Brooke Bond Tea and the Breathless video. Pune-grown Desai shifted to the glamour capital two years ago and enjoys her job tremendously, even as she continues her graduation. An avid reader, she is currently reading Richard Bach's Illusions. ``I'm a great believer in positive power - winning or losing is in its hands. I'm not really preparing as such, I'll take things as they come. But one thing I'm sure of - I won't give cliched answers to the questions,'' says this confident 18-year-old.All four are prepared to fulfill the conditions laid down by the organisers, which are rather daunting. A deposit of Rs. 20,000 is compulsory. Apart from this, the stay in Mumbai for the one-month training and portfolio is at the candidate's cost. The candidate has to assemble a wardrobe including cocktail dresses, evening gowns, a swimsuit and casuals, all at individual cost. A heavy deal? But then, nobody's complaining!
