Bengaluru | Eighteen-year-old Bengulurean and freshly crowned Miss Teen International Princess, Sweezal Maria Furtado has a simple strategy in life: when the sun shines, make hay. This teen beauty queen wants to make use of this year fully and participate in as many teen pageantries as possible before she bids goodbye to "teendom". "And when I am finally ready, I want to compete in the Miss India contest, of course," said Furtado.
Instant fame is one of the obvious motivations. But Furtado says she has a big motive. According to her, when the spotlight is on a beauty queen, the cause that she believes in also gets pushed into the limelight.
No, Furtado is not aiming for world peace.
"Mine is an achievable dream. I want to start conversations around two things that I believe in most. I want every child born in this world to have a childhood worth cherishing and I also want a world where parents are not cast aside in their old age, because the children are busy chasing money. It is not okay that one is too busy to spend some time with parents. Come on, by that logic, the parents were busy making a living or a career too when they were young, but they still found time to take care of children," she explained.
Family is key to her success, she says. A native of picturesque Barkur town in Udupi district, Furtado remembers how her summer holidays in her grandmother's house, with a horde of cousins and the delicious food, always recharged her and made her look forward to her new beginnings in a new class.
"I am blessed with a family that stands by me no matter what. I am the first in my family to venture into this line. Initially, people around me were telling me how tall and pretty I was and how I should contest in pageantries. And when I started to think that it may not be a bad idea, my mom immediately agreed to let me try, no questions asked. After a couple of local events, when I was in Class XI, I knew that I have it in me to win big titles, again my mother supported unflinchingly – funded my training to become a beauty queen," added Furtado.
Her efforts paid off. She was crowned the 'Fresh Face of Ignite India 2021' in the India Meraki Fashion Competition held in Bengaluru in February 2021. She went on to become the second runner-up in ‘Miss Supermodel India 2022' in New Delhi.
Furtado says she did not become a Cinderella overnight. "Winning a pageantry is not just about looking beautiful. It is about how one presents oneself. A winner is not decided just on the finale. For instance, in Peru, we were constantly watched for the five days that we were there to see how we behave in any given circumstance. I put in a lot of hard work. Not only did I spend all my free time perfecting my walk, my posture and my sense of fashion, but I also prepared myself mentally to face the questions that are thrown at us at all times when we are competing,” said Furtado.
So focussed she is in conquering the beauty world that Furtado is willing to let her studies – she is enrolled in a BBA programme in St Joseph's College of Commerce in Bengaluru – take a backseat for now.
"Of course, I want to complete my studies. I have always prioritised education. When in school, I took a break from entering beauty competitions during the board exams. The same way when I am preparing for pageantry, I focussed completely on preparing myself for the task," added Furtado.
How about Bollywood? Will her carefully crafted plans come crashing if someone is to offer her a movie? "I won't lie. If it's a meaningful and powerful story, I'll certainly go for it. But otherwise, I think I'll take the pageantry route to achieve my goals. It really brings me joy to walk the ramp, wear that crown," added Furtado.
