“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible”.
Shruti Iyer who ideally fits in the role of a BOSS-LADY will inspire you to chase your dreams with an open mind and fierce heart and not stop till you make them a reality . Her journey so far reminds me of all the varied circumstances every young girl like you and me face in today’s fast-paced world. She never needed a Hero to save her cause she is the Hero of her own story. To add a little drama to this , she was a fat kid but she rose to Stardom is the real catch here .
So what are you waiting for , let’s unfold the alluring journey of this Miss Diva 2014 top contestant who will rekindle that lost fire within your heart and urge you to Step -Up your game a notch .
Q) Shruti, was modeling always your forte? Tell us something about your background?
A) No, modelling was never my forte. I grew up as a fat kid and it was eventually when I lost the weight and started dancing that people around me suggested I should try out modelling. Friends and family really though that I could stand out in the modelling career so I started on my journey and this is when I participated in the Miss Diva 2014 pageant. I come from a very humble and traditional South Indian family and I did schooling from Smt. Sulochana Devi Singhania school (Thane) and then Bachelors in Mass media for Ruia College (Matunga).
Q) You were one of the top 10 contestants in Miss Diva 2014, what it takes to get there?
A) It takes seriously a lot of dedication and hard-work ,when I say a lot I mean you have to really go that extra-mile. I had trained really hard to loose the weight and was very disciplined regarding my workouts and diet. Dancing has really helped me to become fit and have a flexible body, so I strongly recommend incorporating dancing in your workout routine. Beauty pageants have now become a very different platform and they demand a well-groomed personality,so I really had to work hard to groom myself to that standard. As a result, the whole experience of Miss Diva really taught me a lot of valuable life lessons that I would love to keep by my side. It was an enriching journey for me and I am looking forward to be a part of such platforms in future too.
Q) You have been part of some short-films, do you feel they can open doors to greater opportunities ?
A) I believe that with the boom of digital media, a lot of talent has got opportunity to show the world what they’ve got. Short films give you that platform to stand out if done with the right people. I really like the idea behind making a short film and how there are such different characters which will be so exciting to be portrayed. It can definitely open doors to greater opportunities depends what sort of work you choose keeping in mind the Big picture .
Q) Being a model do you think that beauty pageants are just used as a ticket to film industry, and do models actually aspire to become models or they just use this platform to get into Bollywood ?
A) In my own opinion, beauty pageants are one of the biggest platforms to showcase our talent in front of a wide audience. You can really shine through and use these golden opportunities wisely to make a different mark for yourself. What you choose to do with that exposure and attention is really our own personal choice. It really is in one’s own hands the way they want to shape their career , so going into Bollywood or not is a debatable question.
Q) One of the contestant of Miss Diva who was there with you (Nidhi Agarwal) is making her debut with Tiger Shroff, keeping this in mind, would you say that girls from beauty pageants are hand picked for movies ?
A) Beauty pageants and Bollywood have very different criteria. Both of these platforms are very different from one another but yet they are always linked together because of the similar work industry or culture. Bollywood is always the next big step for almost everybody who is a model or an upcoming artist. You will find it funny that Nidhi was my roommate during the Miss Diva contest and I knew all she ever wanted was to be a Hindi film actress. I am very glad to know that she is doing what she always wanted to do. I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to her and wish her all the very best for her upcoming movie with Tiger Shroff.
Q) What are your future plans regarding your modelling career ?
A) I would like to retire at the top of my game like lot of successful models have done in the past. I take inspiration from them and I believe very few people have the guts to do that. Modelling is my passion and it makes me feel alive. I feel so blessed about the opportunities I have got so far and I have interesting projects coming up, looking forward to work with a lot of talented people in the industry. Doing work which speaks for itself is my only goal right now, as I really want to set an amazing example for many out there .
Q) Shruti, you have such an amazing personality,what would you like to say to the young girls out there who want to make it big like you?
A) Well this is the best part and the most important one as here is many fail to achieve their goals , while many even surpass their own expectations. I strongly suggest all the model aspirants to work their ass off and be patient with results. Real success takes time, so don’t let rejection define you and success determine your self worth. There is no overnight shortcut when it comes to becoming famous the authentic way so you will always have to be on your toes. Whether it was my journey with weight-loss or my head-start with Miss Diva, I have learnt to never give up on my dreams and tackle any challenge that comes my way with a bold spirit .
