The 20 finalists of Godrej Sananda Tilottama 2005 and (below) Aparna Sen with actress Koneenica Banerjee and actor Rajatava Dutta who were part of the jury. Pictures by Pabitra Das

The similarity between Bipasha Basu, Koena Mitra and Celina Jaitley doesn?t end with the fact that all these gorgeous women have made Calcutta proud in tinsel town. It goes back a step further and starts from the very first platform that introduced these three Bollywood bombshells to the glamour world.

Sananda Tilottama ? the city?s only high-profile beauty pageant ? has been known as a stepping stone for supermodels, Miss Indias and actresses over the years.

Currently in its 10th year (including two years of Sharad Sundari), the prestigious beauty hunt kick started at the ITC Sonar Bangla on Saturday afternoon.

The preliminary round of Godrej Sananda Tilottama 2005 saw 20 finalists being shortlisted from around 50 aspirants. The participants, initially handpicked from thousands of entries, faced a jury comprising actress Koneenica Banerjee, Rajatava Dutta, singer Siddhartha Ray, designer Sunipa Samaddar, beautician Bridgette Jones and RJ Jimmy Tangree.

With dreams in their eyes, the beauty brigade tried its best foot forward, with the girls facing a volley of questions, ranging from the serious to the funky. The usual responses ? ?I want to be an actress? and ?I want a platform to do social service and hence I?m here? ? were heard in abundance. But some witty questions posed by the judges drew unusual answers, too.

?If you are given a chance to be a make-up item, which one will you be?? or ?Between Salman Khan and Brad Pitt, whom would you choose and why?? saw the participants racking their brains quite a bit.

While the answers had a big role in deciding the fate of the contestants, appearance, personality and presentation were among the other factors taken into consideration.

?Sananda Tilottama is not so much about beauty as it is about women?s empowerment. We give a lot of importance to inner beauty of the contestants and that?s what we try to chisel out through the grooming session for the finalists,? said editor of Sananda, Aparna Sen.

The 20 finalists will be groomed in various necessary aspects for the ?complete woman? by an expert panel before they face the jury at the grand finale on April 29. From dressing, make-up and body-toning to diet and etiquette, the regime will concentrate on matters far beyond the physical.

?Though we will be able to crown only three winners, all 20 finalists undergoing the grooming session will emerge a Tilottama in their own right,? added Sen.

Sonali Saigal ? the reigning Tilottama who was present on the occasion along with other crown holders Cheena Vyas, Grace Gomes and Priyanka Nandi ? couldn?t agree more.

?All the girls who participate in Sananda Tilottama are like uncut diamonds. The grooming and exposure provided by this pageant bring out their true sparkle,? she smiled.

The grooming sessions will be followed by sub-contests that will select winners in various categories like Miss Beautiful Smile, Miss Beautiful Skin and Miss Congeniality.