Hailing from Rajasthan, married to a Bengali with her residence in Mumbai — and recently shifting to Chennai — model Neha Banerjee is becoming a known personality throughout the country. To top it off, she has made herself popular across the globe too with her recent achievements at the Mrs Universe 2017.
“I’ve always wanted to do modeling since when I was young, but in vain. After marriage many women tend to erase their individual goals, but mine just began,” shares Neha, who bagged the 6th runner-up at the Mrs Universe Pageant 2017 held in South Africa recently. The beauty pageant in the African continent featured married women from all over the world in the age group of 21-45 years. She was also the winner of the Mrs Beautiful Eyes and Mrs Bravery titles.
Talking more about the titles in specificity, Neha begins, “Indian woman are very brave. We tolerate so many things like domestic violence, child abuse, dowry, acid attacks, honour killings and more. Such crimes can’t even be imagined by the women in other countries. We have put up with them for long and now we’re all revolting together. Bravery is an innate quality in all Indian women.”
Explaining that receiving the title made her feel ecstatic, she adds, “The ‘Beautiful Eyes’ title is not for the shape or size of the eyes. It is for all the good and optimism in the world that you are able to see through your eyes — and I’m happy to have won that because I’m always optimistic.”
Stating that the industry is getting competitive, Neha says, “We see 15-16 year-old girls in advertisements and films these days and to compete with them is a huge challenge. Apart from that, there are honestly lesser chances for married women.”
The model, who moved to Chennai recently, talks to DC about her freewheeling universe...
Talking about the necessity of being fit, the 35 year-old shares, “I practice my cross fit training and weight training everyday. Dieting is a must for all women, especially married ones. I am a mother of a nine year old daughter too. A woman needs to feel beautiful on the inside to exhibit her beauty and glam outside — and I think it is a must to work out and eat healthy.”
Thanking her family, Neha says, “When I went for the Mrs Universe Pageant, my daughter had her exams! My husband, daughter, parents and in laws supported me equally. I am really grateful.”
Talking about Chennai, the Mumbaikar says, “I was nervous about moving. But Chennai is a brilliant city. I have found lovely people, lesser traffic and a stunning new gym.”
When asked about her upcoming plans the model concludes, “Although ultimately what married models look for is a ‘mother role’ in cinema, I feel that I have loads more to achieve. I am endorsing and voicing social causes like domestic violence. I hope to support more such initiatives in the near future.”
