Three women realised their dreams at ITC Sonar Calcutta on Friday, as they got to don the crowns of Nihar Naturals Sananda Srimati 2011 powered by Parachute Advansed Body Lotion. Pritha Das Mahapatra Ghosh walked away with the crown that counts and flanking her were Chaitali Duttachowdhury, first runner-up (left), and Tamalika Dey, second runner-up. The common factor: doting husbands with cameras capturing every move! “I think I am very hard-working and that is why I have won today,” smiled Pritha. “When I took the first walk today, I felt I could win it,” said Chaitali. And Tamalika dedicated her win to her husband. “He was the one who posted my pictures and attended the first selection call,” she smiled. All three were dressed by Earthy Myths for the final round.

The lady with that sensuous, husky tone who made waves with Namak ishq ka, Rekha Bhardwaj, was the performer for the night. And a hush descended over Pala as she sang Tere ishq mein, Genda phool and, of course, Namak ishq ka.

The lights came on with Vama. Choreographed by Ronnie Shambik Ghose and Mitul Sengupta, the 10 Srimatis performed a fusion piece, moving to the beats of Kathak and Flamenco! “The Indian woman is a blend of tradition and modernity. So we thought of this concept,” explained Ronnie. Stylist Sandy gave them dresses and Anarkalis in white, black and red complemented by jhaptas, Kajra re-style, and dainty little fans. Make-up artist Nabin Das did their hair in ponies and gave them a fresh look.

They sat in judgement. And they liked what they saw!

Cocktail sexy it was for this round that saw the 10 women slip into Swapan and Seema lehngas. Glossy mouth and extended eyes added to the look.

Raghavendra Rathore

“What struck me is their confidence. It has taken a lot of hard work for them. Nayanika (Chatterjee, the grooming expert for the pageant), will get a 10 on 10 from me!”

Sonalika Sahay

“10 out of 10 for taking on the challenge and an 8 on 10 for the confidence level. More than winning or losing, all of them looked happy just being here and that is the way it should be.”

Soumitra Mondal’s summery batik dresses in cotton paired with stacks of colourful bangles and bandanas was the look the women donned going into the AV round. Playing on the console were evergreen hits like Such A Feeling Coming Over Me and Something Stupid.

Kusum Bhandari

“I had a nice time. I was not really looking for a glam doll. For me, it was more about finding the total woman. Hats off to their spirit.”

Priti Patel

“They were all really wonderful and it was good to see the level of confidence. I know what it is like when you are on such a platform with people asking you questions. The answers were so good and prompt.”

Srimati Sucharita (Mrs Photogenic): Pritha Das Mahapatra Ghosh

Srimati Dasabhuja (Mrs Multitasker): Pritha Das Mahapatra Ghosh

Srimati Kalabati (Mrs Talented): Mailee Chakraborty

Srimati Kuntala (Best Hair): Tamalika Dey

Srimati Sreemoyee (Mrs Personality): Sreemayee Sarcar

Srimati Gharani (Mrs Homemaker): Pritha Das Mahapatra Ghosh

Srimati Sumedha (Smart Thinker): Pritha Das Mahapatra Ghosh

Srimati Bidipta (Best Skin): Nabina Bhattacharyya

Srimati Protyoyee (Most Confident): Debanjana Batra

Mrs Fit and Active: Chaitali Duttachowdhury

Srimati Ujjwala (Mrs Gorgeous): Molly Paul

On the sidelines was a fashion show by Sriniketan where city models, draped in Benarasis, took the ramp, complemented by Senco Gold jewellery. Actress Rimjhim Mitra (below) stopped the show.

Srimati Swarnamoyee (Mrs Bejewelled): Koushiki Ghosh

Srimati Nandini (Mrs Elegant): Arpita Basu

Mir was there with his Mirisms. Here are a few of them from the host’s repertoire...

• Please observe 30 seconds of silence for some men who are no longer with us…(everyone stood up, wondering what this was about)… the Australians!

• MC sponsor: self-sponsored.

• Why was Waheeda Rehman wearing only one sari throughout Guide? It was a request from Dev Anand. Badle duniya sari tum na badalna!

• He introduced Rekha Bhardwaj by referring to a bowl of salt (namak) and marigold (genda phool).

Text by Saionee Chakraborty
Pictures by Pabitra Das