Nadeepa modelling and at Mrs. Universe Beauty Pageant in Sri Lanka
Beauty, brains and brawn are a rare combination, but in case of Nadeepa Ranasinghe the mix gels spontaneously with positive results.
Her impressive resume says it all. She is a dubbing artiste, professional model, lawyer, former captain of Sri Lankan Army, TV news anchor, writer and the Kalutara native added quite a rare achievement to her long list of accomplishments by emerging as Mrs Sri Lanka, and winning title for the Most Perfect Woman when, along with other beautiful married women from 88 nations, vied to be the Mrs. Universe 2018.
“It is a topsy-turvy run all the way,” says Nadeepa, a mother to a two-year-old daughter, looking back at the events changing her life during the few weeks beginning mid-November.
“The Sri Lankan pageant concluded only on November 15 and I had only a few weeks to prepare for the global event which was held in the Philliphines on December 10,” Nadeepa told SBS radio. “I had no support or no sponsors for the event and had to depend on my family and friends for everything and till the last moment I was not even sure whether I could get the visa to go to the Phillippines.” She also says she felt some local opposition building against her attempts to compete at the prestigious world event.
“Things also began to go out of control as I am a mother of two-year old toddler who requires constant attention. I was little overweight and had to go to my gym which is in Ganemulla, more than one hour’s drive from my home daily. My mother who persuaded me to apply for the competition, though I had no interest at all at the beginning, encouraged me all the way and now, looking back, I am happy about how everything went on well and ecstatic for being elected as the Most Perfect Woman at the pageant” says Nadeepa who has taken a two-year leave period from her legal profession to look after her daughter.
“I had no idea when contestants began to hug me congratulating after I was selected to the final round of 12 title hopefuls,” said Nadeepa who studied at Panadura Sri Sumangala Girls School and Sri Lankan Law College. “Then someone told me that I have been selected as the Most Perfect Woman of the competition.”
She thinks that rare honour was largely due to her three-minute presentation as part of the pageant. “Only when I went to Cebu, the site of the pageant this year, I knew that every contestant had to make a presentation. Many had prepared short films, video, songs and dances in advance, to accompany their presentations but I had nothing. I contacted the Sri Lankan directorate of Mrs Universe they too had no idea about that. I emailed my husband to send me a Power Point cover page for my presentation and I spoke about Domestic Violence and Sex Abuse.”
The subject is close to her heart as she has represented many sex abuse victims in Sri Lankan courts and she based her speech drawing from her personal experiences. Nadeepa says she has fought for sex abuse victims in Sri Lanka for ten years without charging fees.
She says Sri Lanka has not produced a world class beauty queen after Rosie Senanayake won Mrs. World crown way back in 1985. That momentous event was the turning point of Rosie’s career. She achieved lot of success and fame after that and she had been a model, actress, ambassador, parliamentarian and now functions as the Colombo Mayor, the first woman to hold the post.
Nadeepa attributes the lack of training facilities in Sri Lanka as a major handicap for aspiring models and beauty queens though the field is well-developed even in the Third World countries. “Thanks to Youtube I pick up lot of tips from videos made by world famous models and beauty queens.”
Asked whether a profession like modelling is still a taboo for young girls in a deeply conservative society like Sri Lanka, she says times are changing. “A woman should have self-confidence and courage as modelling is an area where lot of bad things can happen in a country like ours. A model usually works as a brand ambassador for a product and she has to behave in a dignified manner to represent what she stands for with dignity. Beauty alone cannot make you a model. She has to be intelligent and educated. Now there are several modelling schools in Sri Lanka helping the girls and boys to master the craft but those facilities are limited,” she adds.
While basking in her glory Nadeepa hopes to resume her legal profession once her daughter starts school.
A career in show business is almost a natural progression for a beauty queen in countries like Sri Lanka and India, and when she was asked whether she will explore the possibilities in this area, she said several film and tele-drama producers have contacted her, but she is at the moment weighing her options. “The main concern at this moment is my daughter”. – newstrails.com
