NEW YORK—New Yok held its annual pageant for state Miss India USA pageant and other titles and crowned Shivangi Maini as Miss India New York, Vinika Shikapuri as Miss Teen India New York and Talath Quadri as Mrs. India USA New York. The Event was hosted by Nishi Bahl of Panache Entertainment, and coordinated by Shilpa Jhurani.
The state winners will participate in the national Miss India USA pageant on Dec. 17 at New Jersey’s Royal Alberts Palace in Edison. Organized by Neelam and Dharmatma Saran of IFC, national Miss India USA pageant is the largest and oldest Indian pageant in the United States.
Panache Entertainment hosted the 36th Miss, 10th Teen and the 4th Mrs. India New York Pageant, which has provided a platform and had past winners to many well achieved women, such as Bollywood actresses Richa Sharma Dutt and Aarti Chhabria.
Panache Entertainment said in a statement that the event consisted of judged segments including ethnic wear, evening wear, talent, and question and answer with the contestants.
Here is the list of winners and runner ups:
Miss India New York 2017: Shivangi Maini of Queens, New York, 1st Runner Up: Renuka Joseph from Long Island, 2nd Runner up: Inpreet Rattu of suffolk county, New York. 3rd Runner Up: Nishigandha from Queens, Long Island.
In the Teen category, Miss Teen India New York 2017 is Vinika Shikapuri from Melville, Long Island. 1st Runner up: Simran Kohli from Hicksville, Long Island, 2nd Runner Up: Priya Aguilar Bhanot of New Hyde Park, and 3rd Runner up: Geetika Kochar from Bethpage, Long Island.
In the Mrs Category, Mrs. India New York 2017 Talath Quadri from Long Island, 1st Runner Up: Devinder “Devin”, 2nd Runner up: Gurpreet Kaur from Upstate, NY and 3rd Runner up: Anjali Jain from Hicksville, Long Island.
The Best Talent was awarded to Miss Vinika Shikapuri of Melville, NY. Vinika, played the violin to the Indian National Anthem, along with performing a dual genre dance performance to the bollywood chartbuster Aisa Jadoo dala re, where she displayed her modern Bollywood dance skills inclusive of props from jumping off the chair. Additionally, Vinika concluded her performance with a medley performing traditional Indian classical kathak choreography to a main stream song Don Omar – Danza Kuduro ft. Lucenzo.
For the Finale, each contestant was asked a question by our judges panel, and reciprocated with an answer, and judged based on how best they advocate and justify their answer to the question.
The judges panel included Mr. Adnan Khwaja, Director of Supermodel pageant Runway Princess, expert photographer and event planner of AA Film Studios and Dream moulders respectively. Box Office and South Asian Insider founder Mr. Sharanjit Singh Thind, social worker and community leader Mrs. Nilima Madan, Travel specialst and founder of The Ticket Guru, Mr. Abhinav Madan, and Director of social services in Nassau County, Sunita Manjrekar.
The event was emceed by the 2016 outgoing queens, Miss India New York Riya Kaur, Miss Teen India New York Rhea Manjrekar and Mrs. India New York Nishtha Chadda.
In addition to these titles, there were multiple subtitle winners in all 3 categories including Best talent: Vinika Shikapuri, Beautiful smile: Anjali Jain, Most Photogenic: Nidhi Tomar, Best Model: Sofia Win Aung.
