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Journey to the title of Mrs. India 2024 – An exclusive interview with Shruti Raj
Shruti Raj from Bihar has been selected as one of the finalists for the 2024 Mrs. India beauty pageant organized by the Glamanand Group. Born in Gaya, Shruti is currently based in Ranchi. She holds a master’s degree in business administration in HR and Marketing and is currently working as an HR professional. Her hobbies and areas of interest include cooking and listening to music. She mentions that these two activities help her relax and acts as a stress buster. Shruiti can speak 2 languages including Hindi and English. In this exclusive interview with the Beauty High magazine, she talks about her preparations for the Mrs. India 2024 beauty pageant and her journey so far.
Q. Many congratulations to you for getting selected for the national finals of Mrs. India 2024 competition. How does it feel? What were the first thoughts that crossed your mind when you got the news that you have gotten selected to compete at the 2024 Mrs. India contest?
Answer: Thank you very much. I’m beyond grateful and excited about being selected for the finals of Mrs. India 2024. No words can suffice for how I felt when I heard about my selection. I felt like finally it’s not just a day dream, I am actually a finalist now and have finally gotten the opportunity to spread the sort of vibe/message I want to spread through this prestigious pageant. And in that moment I knew that it was a chance to shape mine future as well as of many young girls and other women.
Q. Tell us more about the place you belong to.
Answer: . Litti Chokha, that’s right, I belong to Bihar. But, I would like to tell everyone through this pageant, that people in Bihar don’t eat only Litti-Chokha. There are multiple languages like Hindi, English, Maithili etc. spoken in this single state but none of the language is called “Bihari” which is a demonym. Bihar is the place where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment and is the origin of Buddhism and Jainism religion. We have the best and the oldest university in the history, that is, Nalanda University and a student from the same university invented zero (shunya) whom we know as “Aryabhatta”. This place has given us one of the finest leaders and bureaucrats of all time.
Q. Please take us through the significant milestones in your life and how they have shaped you as the person you are today.
Answer: If I look back today, I wouldn’t be able to recognize myself. I have changed as a person for the good and that’s what we as humans should be doing, evolve. I was this shy, under confident kid, who would hide her tears when hurt so that people didn’t think of me as a weak person. But with time I realised crying does not make anyone weak, it just makes us human. I was looked down by my own teachers at school and relatives at home for my skin tone and appearance but with time I realised I wasn’t ugly, their thoughts were. Ironically, those same people call me beautiful today and that just tells me how flawed their definition of “beauty” is. A 10 year old me was shamed in front of the entire classroom for wearing a nose pin by my own English teacher at school saying she knew that girls like me end up marrying and cooking. I wish I could tell her that, yes, I ended up marrying and cooking but I’m doing equally well professionally and that even if I weren’t working, I wouldn’t be ashamed of being this woman that I am today and I wish that little girl knew better and didn’t try to sabotage her nose piercing for a lady who wasn’t smart enough for her age and experience. After a lot of self-hate, self-blaming, I started working on myself and that marked my personal achievement as I gained self-confidence and was motivated to do better with each passing day and started to care less about what others thought about me. Eventually, I got better at studies, got better at interacting with others and even better in looks as puberty hit. I am a woman and my life has not been a bed of roses but I try to lift up other women wherever and whenever I can, specially, little girls because these little girls if given the right surrounding, they will bloom beautifully and help create a beautiful world to live in.
Q. What are your hobbies and areas of interests, and how do you manage them with the responsibilities that you shoulder?
Answer: I love listening to music and to do this I don’t really need ample time, I just plug in my earphones and it relaxes me within a few minutes. Additionally, I love cooking for my family & friends and I keep trying new things. It gets tough in a 9 to 6 job but it’s okay, I try and take some time out for that.
Q. Please tell us about your family and the role they play in your life
Answer: My father and my father-in-law, they are both retired government officials. And both my mothers are homemakers. My husband works at an MNC as Senior Software Engineer. My parents and in-laws are extremely kind and jolly and they still treat me like a child and I am just grateful to have them; I wouldn’t want it otherwise. And my husband, he is my pride, my peace and my home. They all play an equally important role in my life, they’re all my powerhouses and without them this life would have meant nothing, nothing at all. I am truly blessed with a wonderful family and a great life partner.
Q. Balancing personal, professional, and family responsibilities can be challenging. How do you manage this delicate balance in your life?
Answer: Yes, undoubtedly, it is challenging. But is there even fun without challenges? I try to allocate my time towards all the facets of life as and when possible and I wouldn’t have been able to do it myself if it hadn’t been for the support of my in laws and my husband.
Q. What the most crucial piece of advice that you would like to share with the women of this era?
Answer: I would like to say this to all the women out there that it is never too late to start anything and that it does take time, but in the end, everything will make sense, just don’t be discouraged to try anything again. Women should support other women and they will notice the positive change in their surroundings by doing so. Women of this era should know that working is a choice, so is being a housewife; do what you like and what you and your family is comfortable with.
Q. Lastly, any message for the readers.
Answer: Thank you for your time. I would just request all the readers to help me spread this message that “body positivity does not mean praising one body type and demeaning another”. I am a skinny woman and I never had the acceptance of strangers saying that it is okay to be this skinny but yes, due to “awareness” these days, I have heard them talk about how a body type can be chubby and acceptable. Why is it okay to be called chubby and not “moti/mota” but it is okay to call someone “haddi/lakdi”? These are the things that people need to talk about more often and follow the mantra of “live and let live”.
Soon, she will be seen walking down the runway at the upcoming edition of Mrs. India beauty pageant. As she prepares for this prestigious event, we wish her all the very best for her journey.
