Satya Prasad, Moumita Sen and Sona Chatterjee after winning the prelims on Tuesday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, July 13: Beauty and brain clinched victory for three Jharkhand belles in the preliminary round of Dabur Gulabari Sananda Tilottama 2010 held in the city today.

Sona Chatterjee and Moumita Sen of Jamshedpur and Satya Prasad of Ranchi beat 22 other contestants to emerge as the favourites of esteemed judges, fashion photographer Indranil Mukherjee and actress Aparajita Ghosh Das. The trio will take on winners from Bhubaneswar, Guwahati and Calcutta in the mega prelims scheduled in the city of joy. Today’s prelims were held at Hotel Ginger in Bistupur.

“It is a dream come true,” beamed Sona, a Class XII student of Kerala Samajam Model School. The 18-year-old said she was confident of a win, but needed to work harder now. “I will have to groom myself better for the Calcutta mega prelims. That competition will be tougher,” she added.

Like Sona, Moumita, a second-year student of Jamshedpur Women’s College, also had her priorities clear. “I am seriously considering modelling as a career and there can be no better platform than Tilottama, which boasts big names in the fashion and film industries. I want to be one of them. Winning the prelims is just a baby step towards that goal. I will have to do my level best to clinch the title,” she said.

Satya Prasad, the starry-eyed 21-year-old from Ranchi, couldn’t agree more. “I have had modelling assignments in my kitty, but getting selected for Sananda Tilottama is the best thing to happen to me. I will get the exposure I need to build a career in the fashion industry. Thanks for bringing Tilottama to Jharkhand,” she said.

The three girls were judged on the basis of various parameters such as appearance, personality, poise and presence of mind.

The judges offered a few tips to the aspirants before winding up the prelims. “The candidates were good. We judged them keeping in mind the fact fact that they had not received any professional training. However, I think the girls from Jamshedpur need to work on the communication bit. If they are clear on what they want, it will be easier for them in the long run,” said Aparajita.

Prelims will also be held in Guwahati on July 11, Bhubaneswar on July 16 and Calcutta on July 20. For the first time this year, there will also be a mega preliminary round in Calcutta on July 22. Shortlisted contestants from Calcutta, Bhubaneswar, Jamshedpur and Guwahati will vie for 10 top slots.

The lucky finalists will undergo a month-long training under supermodel and choreographer Nayanika Chatterjee. The best names in the beauty business, such as grooming and fitness partner VLCC, will be part of this intensive training, which will include workouts, choreography, etiquette, et al.