Their winning ways

After a few snags, a 20-minute traffic jam and a two-hour delay, the much-awaited Mr. Pune '99 finally took off at the Garden of Eden, Mu...

After a few snags, a 20-minute traffic jam and a two-hour delay, the much-awaited Mr. Pune ’99 finally took off at the Garden of Eden, Mundhwa, on May 2. The warm summer night welcomed the audience, accompanied by the melodious strains of Milind Date’s flute and Uday Deshpande’s tabla.

After the classical renditions, Ravi Behl opted for something more zingy, performing some real peppy numbers. And then it was time for the 23 contestants to introduce themselves. One contestant – Gerald Silvera – tried for something a little different, introducing himself as the Suzuki Samurai, the man with no problems. Cool, huh?

Introductions over, it was time for the fashion show choreographed by Shekhar Sable, the organiser of the contest. This was followed by dances choreographed by Shefali Lahoti. Fillers done with, the contestants were narrowed down to 10. The panel of judges comprised eminent personalities like Gita Vir, Usha Bambavale, Ewa Maria Cherukuru, Anand Mahendroo and others.

Story continues below this ad

It was soon time for the Q&A session. If you were to be reborn, whom would you like to be reborn as?; what is the mark of a real man?; name one person whose shoes you would like to be in… it was testing time for the 10 young men. But everyone will remember Rakesh Bapat’s question, who asked, without being naughty, “Which is the most important part of your body?” Ahem!

Six finalists were chosen and it was time for that all-important common poser – when do you know you have really fallen in love with a woman? The men had to write down the answer on slips of paper and read it loud to the judges. Rajneesh Jaiswal’s answer, “When time flies, when the heart cries no matter what you do, wherever you are, you will know you have fallen in love,” clinched the crown for him – the Jaihind Mr. Pune, Man of the New Millennium. Vaibhav Daga was the first runner-up and Abhijit Khurana, the second.

Cyclone Montha: Schools closed, fishing activities suspended in Andhra, Odisha

India3 hr ago

A severe cyclonic storm, named Montha, is expected to make landfall along India's east coast between Odisha and Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. The Indian Meteorological Department has issued warnings for heavy rain and rough seas, with the potential for extremely heavy rain in certain areas.

View all shorts

Live Blog

PHOTOS