Lekshmi Atul is an independent and smart working woman. She epitomises the ‘modern day woman’. But that doesn’t mean she is detached from her roots or unaware of her culture and tradition. In fact, she represented Kerala at the prestigious Mrs India — Queen of Substance 2017 pageant held at Delhi and won the titles - Face of South and Mrs Intelligent. Lekshmi is on a quest to achieve more for her country and this time she will represent South India at the Mrs. Universal-2017, an international beauty pageant to be held at London from September 3 to 9. She is pretty confident yet grounded when talking about her achievements and preparations. “As it is an international pageant, I am representing the whole of south India, unlike the one in Delhi where I was representing Kerala,”says Lekshmi.
“The responsibilities are much higher this time. I need to give the judges and audience a glimpse of South India, in the most elaborate yet understandable way. There are lot of things that can be incorporated in order to highlight our tradition and culture, but if it doesn’t get conveyed to the people sitting miles away from India, then it’s not worth doing,” says Lekshmi, who is being groomed by a trainer who trains international beauty pageant participants,”she adds.
Lekshmi, despite her busy schedule as the vice-president at Aries Group of Companies, a multinational conglomerate headquartered in UAE, is concentrating on every possible detail that needs attention for the contest. “We have decided to go with Kanchipuram silk for the clothes as it is something familiar to everyone. We also think it will look classy when made into a costume. I have also planned to take up Kalari for the fitness round, unlike the usual yoga or usual fitness methods that others might try,” says Lekshmi, who is also learning basic Kalari steps to showcase at the fitness round. She will also wear the traditional Kalari costume during this round.
When asked if she is undergoing any physical transformation, Lekshmi bluntly says she will never go on crash diet to look skinny just for a pageant. “For me, it’s all about looking healthy and staying fit. I am a person who was bulky and eventually made changes in my lifestyle. That in turn helped me lose the extra kilos as well. But apart from looking good, feeling comfortable is what matters. If a woman is not slim, then it does not indicate that she is not beautiful. It’s fine as far as she is healthy. Because a healthy woman can only keep her family happy and prove to be competent at work,” she adds.
