Pune finds it8217;s man at last

PUNE, May 29: Last but certainly not the least, we have contestant number 21...'' declared the vivacious compere Rakshanda Khan at the Mr ...

PUNE, May 29: 8220;Last but certainly not the least, we have contestant number 218230;8221; declared the vivacious compere Rakshanda Khan at the Mr Pune Personality 8217;98 contest, little knowing how true her words would actually ring. For though Prashant Dua was the last contestant to take the ramp, the suave 25-year-old executive outwalked all his earlier colleagues to bag Mr Pune Personality 8217;98 title held at the Police grounds on Thursday.

Amidst much fanfare, fireworks and fashion sequences the highly-publicised contest finally took place with 21 aspirants vying with each other for the coveted title. Huge floodlights, psychedelic light effects and a simple but elegant stage set greeted the predominantly young crowd who had trooped to the venue to watch this pageant with a difference.

The evening began fashionably late at 9 pm rather than the appointed time of 7.30 pm but once it took off the entire show sailed through smoothly right from the first item that had the nine celebrity judges walking down the ramp before they gave way to the Mr Pune contestants.

A little nervous, a trifle unsure, a wad too pompous or then almost insecure, the 21 males then took centrestage and introduced themselves to the audience and judges with well-rehearsed lines delivered either with complete confidence or then utter awkwardness.

As they retreated to the wings to await the result of the first round, the stage was taken over by the models from Mumbai and Pune who proceeded to give the crowds some scintillating fashion sequences. Then, the band 8211; Silk route belted out two of their popular numbers including Dooba Dooba. The scene stealers were undoubtedly Jas Arora with his impish charm and tall and stately Madhu Sapre as they catwalked down the ramp. Other well-known names included Tejaswini Kolhapure, Rajat Bedi, Aditi Govitrikar, Tora Khasgir and Gauri Pradhan.

Remix wizard from Mumbai Sanjay Raina accompanied by a nascent local dance group, Living Colours, also performed to some of the popular remix numbers such as Roop tera mastana and Ae meri Zohra Jabeen. The maximum applause was bagged by the little children from Career Forum who did the catwalk with much aplomb and heart warming confidence.

And interspersing all these was the second round of the Mr Pune contest with the 21 contestants shortlisting to nine to enable each of the nine judges to put a question to one of the participants. This was followed by a further shortlisting of the contestants to five to finally arrive at the much-awaited magical number of three.

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By this time Prashant Dua8217;s win surprised few as the calm and down to earth manager with TASMAC had been a hot favourite from round one. Vivek Rachh and Rakesh Bapat were adjudged the first and second runners up respectively. Sashes were also presented to Anand Khadolkar who had been adjudged Mr Talent at a talent round held some days back even as Tushar Raman and Sunil Mirchandani shared the title of Mr Physique.

The panel of judges for the show comprised Vivek Mushran, Naved Jafferey, Ravi Behl, Rocky S and Meher Castellino from Mumbai while Vinod Kambli, Farida Master, Dilip Puri and Ratna Khemani made up the Pune side.

Despite the fact that the show turned out to be a surprisingly well organised one, what was obviously disappointing was the rather sparse audience at the sprawling venue, a far cry from the 4,000-odd number expected by the organisers. Nevertheless little touches like female escorts for the five final male contestants and compere Rakshanda8217;s exuberance on stage did go a long way in keeping the audience in good humour till the show wound up just short of midnight.

The curtains came down with the victorious threesome of the Mr Pune Personality contest taking a final walk down the ramp arm-in-arm flashing pearly smiles all around and probably saying a silent prayer to the Almighty for their good fortune. Ah-men!

Sunanda Mehta

Sunanda Mehta is the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Pune. She is a distinguished journalist, columnist, and author with over three decades of experience in the media industry. Educational background: A merit-lister in her 12 th in CBSE (5th rank in Humanities) Sunanda stood first in History in the Board for which she was awarded the Dr Tarachand Gold Medal. She is a triple-graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (History Honours) from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, Bachelor of Education, Delhi University (on scholarship) and Bachelor of Communication and Journalism, University of Pune. Professional Background Role: As Resident Editor, she oversees the Pune edition of The Indian Express, managing local news coverage, investigative features, and editorial direction for the city. Author: She is an accomplished author, known for her biographies. Her notable books include: The Extraordinary Life and Death of Sunanda Pushkar published by Pan Macmillan (2019). The book was long-listed for the Atta Galatta award for nonfiction and Auther award for best debut author. Majestic Musings - Translation of poems from 100 year old Badshaian from Punjabi to English (2023) Behind the Big Screen- the untold stories of child actors published by Bloomsbury India (2024) Focus Areas: While Sunanda has reported on various subjects from civic to political to investigative and crime, her forte remains long-form human-interest stories, heritage and gender issues. Core Column: "Against All Odds" Sunanda curates and writes a signature series titled "Against All Odds," which profiles individuals who have overcome significant personal, medical, or professional challenges. Recent notable articles (2025) The Story of Dr. Harinder Dhaliwal (July 2025): A Pune AFMC topper who became a neurologist in Canada despite becoming paraplegic. Jayoo Patwardhan’s Cancer Journey (Jan 2025): How the National Film Award-winning designer defeated cancer. Partha Iyengar’s Emergency mid-air (Aug 2025): The story of how Gartner’s India head survived a massive heart attack during a long-haul flight. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage continues to explore deep personal narratives and Pune’s socio-environmental landscape: 1. Personal Narratives & Closure "'I grieved for him 10 years after his murder, found closure to unsolved case'" (Dec 14, 2025): A poignant feature on Vineet Alurkar, son of the late Pune music legend Suresh Alurkar, and how digitizing his father’s collection helped him heal. "A 40-day journey home: how Christopher Benninger's partner gave him the gift of memories" (Nov 23, 2025): A moving tribute to the late acclaimed architect Christopher Benninger and his final trip to the US. "'After 38 years I finally met my biological mother'" (Sept 28, 2025): Chronicling the journey of an adopted daughter from Zurich searching for her roots in Pune. 2. Civic & Heritage "'Vetal Tekdi belongs to common citizens'" (Oct 20, 2025): An interview with environmental activist Dr. Sushma Date on the community-led protection of Pune’s vital green lungs. "'Military village' Apshinge recalls living through war days" (Aug 12, 2025): A report from a village in Maharashtra where nearly every household has a member in the armed forces, focusing on their legacy and current anxieties. 3. High-Profile Commentary & Investigations "Malegaon blast acquittals: 'I was expecting this verdict'" (July 31, 2025): An interview with former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian following the controversial acquittals. "Grounded, license cancelled... she decided to soar higher" (March 30, 2025): The story of Dr. Harpreet A De Singh, Air India’s first woman pilot from 1988, and her transition to leadership and meditation. Signature Style Sunanda Mehta is known for her empathetic storytelling. Unlike standard news reporting, her features often read like narrative non-fiction, focusing on the psychological and emotional resilience of her subjects. One of her articles in The Indian Express titled 'The Quality of Mercy' was converted into a film Rubaru Roshini produced by actor Aamir Khan. She is a strong advocate for Pune's heritage and environment, frequently using her platform to amplify citizen-led movements. X (Twitter): @sunandamehta and @ExpressPune ... Read More