Femina Miss India-Universe 2003 Nikita Anand dreamt and then, made sure that she deserved the title, says Purabi Shridhar

Nikita Anand goes against the norm.

Technically, she can be qualified as a nerd, having netted a whopping 91 per cent in her board exams. But the only thing studious about her is the unwavering focus on her goal and her rapier-sharp response.

Factually, she’s like any other teenager who likes swimming and badminton, besides singing and reading fiction. Nineteen-year-old Nikita is also the newest Femina Miss India Universe.

Nikita is used to being the winner. Daughter of an army officer, the science stream alumna from Cathedral & John Connon School, Mumbai, and currently student of fashion designing and information technology, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Delhi, is not new to wearing the crown. At just 13, she was Miss Ranchi.

Four years later, Mumbai gave her the May Queen title and in Delhi, two years later, she missed the May Queen title by a whisker, emerging first runner-up. As if to compensate, she won the Facehunt, Mirage-Delhi title.

Nikita always knew what exactly she wanted to be. “Why did I get into the Femina Miss India contest? I grew up seeing the contest and was so much in awe of it. It was my dream to be part of it.”

There was another dream too - her mother’s. “My mother wanted to be a model, but she was not able to in her time,” says the proud daughter who has lived her mother’s dream. However, there were no influences or pressures whatsoever, even unconsciously, to steer Nikita towards it. “It is my decision and I knew I always wanted to do it,” she declares.

Once she took the decision, Nikita, who started modelling about six months back, began preparations for the title in her own organised manner. “I worked a lot on current affairs; modelling and the earlier contests had prepared me to be on stage and I’ve always loved working out,” says Nikita.

There is that unshakeable conviction too: “I wanted the title, I worked for it and I deserve it.”
Maybe it’s her defence background — “it has taught me discipline, confidence, self control, time management and being absolutely focused, all ingredients necessary for success” — Nikita does not hem and haw.

She aims for the target straightaway. “Right now, it’s the international pageant. I’ll give it all I have. After my one year of responsibility as the title-holder, I plan to finish my studies, set up my label and boutique and model my creations,” explains Nikita.

If there is an unexplored area, if it can be called so, it is music. “I’m passionate about music. As a child, I used to sing along with the band at the US Club, Mumbai.” Once she has more time, Nikita intends to get involved with music.

Bollywood has happened with unerring regularity to former title-holders; would she succumb to its lure too? Nikita does not dodge the question. “When you win the crown, a lot of opportunities come your way, and Bollywood is one of them. As of now, it’s not on my mind, but later, who knows?”