‘In unity is strength’

29 Dec 2008, 0002 hrs IST, NIMISHA TIWARI On 26/11, Parvathy Omanakuttan, Pantaloons Femina Miss India World 2008, was in Durban preparing for the Miss World Parvathy Omanakuttan. (TOI Photo)More Pics pageant. She had a premonition that something “really dreadful” may occur back home. Maybe it was because her father, CN Omanakuttan, was restaurant manager at the Taj’s Shamiana, which came under immediate attack. “I prayed for the safety of my people,” she said. But Mumbai has its own charm. And Parvathy is touched by the city’s magical healing ability. “It’s been a month and Mumbaiites have this lovely ‘never-give-up’ spirit. We, the youth, must have a sense of duty towards our country. This is a calling and we must rise to it together. If we put our heads together and chalk out the future course of our country, we can bring about a change with deserving people at the fore,” said the beauty queen. Parvathy’s currently chilling at home in Mumbai. “I want to spend time with my family who are happy about my victory but are still so shaken by the terror attacks. Today, I can truly feel the responsibility of being a title holder. And now is the time I want to usher in a change.” Over to Johannesburg, where this beautiful Malayali girl missed the Miss World crown by a whisker. A winner still for every Indian, Parvathy said, “I am grateful to all the experts who trained and moulded me into a beauty queen with brains.” All set to roll... what next? “There are many opportunities ahead and I want to be wise and selective,” she said. Bollywood dreams are high on this beauty queen’s agenda. “I have already auditioned for Karan Johar and JP Dutta’s production houses,” she says. But as 2009 dawns, Parvathy said, “We, the youth, have a duty towards our country to be patriotic and be responsible for our actions. We must pledge to usher in a positive beginning.”