Smita Kanungo: Winning Pageants And Hearts

Smita Kanungo: Winning Pageants And Hearts

Odisha’s Smita Ashok Kanungo brought laurels to the state by winning the Mrs. and Miss India Queen of Hearts contest held at New Delhi. It is never too late to turn dreams into reality and Smita has just proven that right by winning the pageant and bringing laurels to Odisha.

A resident of Bhubaneswar, Smita was among 50 contestants who participated in the fourth season of Mrs. and Miss India Queen of Hearts pageant that was held between December 26-28 at Hotel Crowne Plaza, Greater Noida. The contest consisted of three categories: Miss, Mrs and Classic and Smita won in the Classic (40+) category.

In a conversation with My City Links from the national capital, Smita shared her experience of stepping forward to participate and explore her talent at this pageant. Read on to know her journey from the auditions four months back to the online sessions which finally culminated with her win.

A soft skills trainer and a fashion designer from Bhubaneswar, she is the mother of two teenagers, a girl and a boy who have supported and helped her come through with flying colours. “My father was an army personnel and that has given me exposure to different cultures across India. I believe that has been my biggest strength. I got the opportunity to move across the country and even abroad which widened my horizon of thought and vision. That has always been my USP. Being an Odia and still fluent and confident in spoken English due to cross-cultural exposure has always given me an upper hand,” she shared.

An active participant of extra-curricular activities since school, Smita boasts of having a supportive environment that has always helped her to dream and achieve them. “I never let go of any competition, especially pageants that ever came to my notice. Winning was not my motto, but rather to participate and know and understand the nuances behind such pageants. Post marriage, unfortunately I did not get that exposure due to family responsibilities and duties. Once my children grew up, I realised that it isn’t late and I can still continue and realise my dreams. Being a part of such platforms gives a good scope for your personal as well as professional growth,” she further shared about her journey.

Smita got to know of the Mrs. India Queen Of Hearts pageant through social media and decided to give it a go. “We had to go through an online audition, post which all the selected participants were given a month of online training. This training session was important for me. Being a soft skills trainer, communication has never been an issue for me, but I needed to learn and train myself in how to walk, the posture and other minute physical nuances of a pageant. Entering into the glamour world after a long gap of 20 years was not quite easy. You lose the touch and you need to gain back the confidence to be the best in your field once again. We had good trainers so it all went on smoothly. The physical sessions started from 26th December which was again really enlightening,” she chuckled, as she narrated her entry into the pageant.

During this 3-day competition, the pageant consisted of different rounds like general knowledge, fitness, skills, grooming, discipline and knowledge of current affairs, among others. Sharing a glimpse from the journey, Smita said, “I have knee issues and walking on heels was challenging and I stumbled on some occasions but it was my children who boosted my confidence. You have to set a goal and push your limits to achieve those targets. I think I have proven this and hope to achieve more in the future.”

The win has boosted her confidence and plans to use experience to guide aspiring models. Throwing light on middle-aged women participating in pageants, Smita narrated, “Women go through different sets of struggles at different stages which give us an experience like none other. Many women have dreams but can’t achieve those due to some reason. These platforms have given us an opportunity to live that life. Nevertheless, in general, one has to strive and work hard to fulfill their dreams and reach the heights they intend to.”

“Participation in competitions like these builds up a person’s confidence. The advantages of interacting with people from different professional backgrounds and grooming sessions are an added experience,” said Smita.

The contestants were judged by a three-panel jury that included actress Pavitra Punia, celebrity nutritionist Varun Katyal and Miss India Asia, model and pageant coach Samiksha Singh among others. 

Sharing her exhilaration on winning at the pageant, Smita Kanungo said, “It definitely feels great. Being a fashion designer and soft skills trainer myself, I feel I can now help many other aspiring models and other women by grooming them well and help them achieve their dreams. My vision is to groom them to set out confidently into the world of competition. Women are pursuing their passion in almost all fields and they need the motivation and encouragement they deserve.” Earlier, in 2019, Punam Pathak, though not an Odia but off late residing in Bhubaneswar, had won the Classic winner title.

The show was organized by Saloni Agarwal and Ankur Agarwal aiming at empowering women globally. Miss India Queen of Hearts 2021 winner was Dr. Sushmita Bhanja from Odisha, first runner-up was Dr. Aishwarya Parsa from Maharashtra and second Runner-up was Amrita Srivastava of Kolkata.

Mrs. India Queen of Hearts 2021 winner was Shikha Gayatri from Odisha, first runner up Dr. Navjot Kaur was from Punjab and second runner-up, Manmeet Kaur Kohli was from Maharashtra. Mrs. Classic India Queen of Hearts 2021 first runner-up was Rajasthan’s Anita Maheshwari and the 2nd runner-up was Sangeeta Chhabra from Uttrakhand.

India is now coming up with great opportunities for women to come out of their cocoons and outshine themselves in different fields. And indeed it is a proud moment for Odisha when Odia women make their mark in the country and abroad.