‘Announcing I’m Married May Be Professional Suicide’

‘There’s
been
a
dramatic
shift
in
the
kinds
of
roles
available
to
women.’
‘It’s
no
longer
limited
to
being
the
heroine,
the
heroine’s
mother,
aunty
or
vamp.’

From
the
glittering
runways
to
the
silver
screen,

Aditi
Govitrikar
has
defied
convention
and
shattered
barriers
throughout
her
career.

As
the
first
Indian
woman
to
win
the
Mrs
World
title,
her
journey
is
nothing
short
of
inspiring.

She
will
be
seen
next
in
the
third
season
of
the
Netflix
Web
series

Mismatched.

Aditi
tells



Rediff.com
Contributor

Mohnish
Singh,
“Why
should
a
woman’s
career
in
the
glamour
field
end
because
she’s
married?”

You
made
history
by
becoming
India’s
first
Mrs
World.
Can
you
tell
us
about
how
that
journey
began
and
what
inspired
you
to
pursue
the
pageant?

At
that
time
in
India,
we
were
not
aware
of
Mrs
World.
Also,
back
then,
the
glamour
industry
was
considered
off-limits
for
married
women.

I
had
already
started
my
modeling
career
after
winning
the
Gladrags
Megamodel
contest,
and
Mrs
(Maureen)
Wadia
approached
me
with
the
opportunity
to
represent
India
at
Mrs
World.

By
then,
I
had
been
married
for
a
year
and
saw
this
as
an
incredible
platform
for
married
women.

I’ve
always
questioned
the
societal
boxes
we
impose
on
ourselves.
Why
should
a
woman’s
career
in
the
glamour
field
end
because
she’s
married?

I
wanted
to
challenge
that
mindset.

What
were
the
biggest
challenges
you
faced
in
competing
internationally
as
a
married
woman?

I
wouldn’t
say
I
faced
major
challenges,
but
there
were
certainly
questions
about
my
decision
to
participate
in
a
beauty
pageant
after
becoming
a
mother.

My
baby
was
just
a
year
old
at
the
time,
so
eyebrows
were
raised.

Some
warned
me
that
I
will
be
openly
announcing
that
I
am
married
and
this
might
mean
professional
suicide.

But
my
family
was
incredibly
supportive,
and
that
gave
me
the
confidence
to
move
forward.

How
was
your
entry
in
Bollywood
received,
especially
in
an
era
when
the
industry
had
a
different
approach
to
married
actresses?

Actually,
I
didn’t
enter
Bollywood
after
marriage.

I
was
already
part
of
the
industry
when
I
got
married.

I
had
worked
on

Thammudu
with
Pawan
Kalyan,
which
was
a
huge
success,
as
well
as
films
like

Soch
and

16th
December.

So
it
wasn’t
a
new
entry;
it
was
simply
a
continuation
of
my
career.

Was
there
ever
a
sense
of
being
judged
or
facing
discrimination
in
an
industry
where
youth
and
glamour
often
take
precedence
over
experience
or
marital
status?

Yes,
there
was
definitely
a
bias.

Being
married
led
to
some
reservations
among
directors
and
producers
about
casting
me
as
a
female
lead.

It
wasn’t
about
youth
or
glamour;
I
was
both
young
and
glamorous.
But
marriage
created
certain
prejudices
that
I
had
to
navigate.

Bollywood
has
evolved
significantly
over
the
past
two
decades.
What
major
changes
have
you
observed,
particularly
in
the
representation
of
women?

I’m
thrilled
with
how
much
the
industry
has
evolved.

Today,
even
actresses
who
are
mothers
play
leading
roles.
There’s
also
been
a
dramatic
shift
in
the
kinds
of
roles
available
to
women.

It’s
no
longer
limited
to
being
the
heroine,
the
heroine’s
mother,
aunty
or
vamp.

Women
are
now
portraying
layered,
challenging,
and
diverse
characters,
especially
on
OTT
platforms.
It’s
heartening
to
see
these
changes.

Let’s
talk
about

Mismatched
3,
your
much-anticipated
show
on
Netflix.
What
made
you
sign
on?

When
the
casting
director
Panchami
reached
out,
they
shared
the
story,
the
role,
and
the
amazing
cast
involved.
They
wanted
me
to
play
Rohit
Saraf’s
mother,
and
I
was
immediately
excited.

I
had
seen
Rohit’s
talent
in

The
Sky
Is
Pink
where
Priyanka
Chopra
had
played
his
mother,
and
I
thought
this
was
a
great
opportunity.

The
story
itself
was
engaging,
and
I
knew
it
would
be
a
fulfilling
experience,
so
I
said
yes.

In
Season
1,
my
character
is
introduced
as
a
woman
who
leaves
her
husband
because
he
refuses
to
change
his
philandering
ways.
She
builds
a
successful
career
as
a
hotelier.

In
Season
2,
the
story
takes
an
interesting
turn
as
she
remarries.

The
marriage
is
portrayed
in
a
vibrant,
modern
way,
complete
with
celebrations
and
even
a
song
and
dance
sequence
where
Rohit’s
character
gives
her
away.

It
was
a
refreshing
take
on
the
character.

In
Season
3,
the
storyline
is
a
bit
more
stable,
without
dramatic
twists,
but
my
role
remains
meaningful.

What
was
the
most
memorable
moment
during
your
time
as
a
contestant
on

Bigg
Boss?

My
most
memorable
moment
on

Bigg
Boss
was
just
after
my
eviction.

The
production
team
came
to
my
vanity
van
to
meet
me,
and
shared
how
much
they
admired
the
grace
and
dignity
I
displayed
throughout
the
show.

They
even
wanted
to
taste
the
Dal
I
cooked
inside
the
house!

Knowing
that
people
were
rooting
for
me
was
incredibly
touching
and
left
a
lasting
impression.

What
next
after

Mismatched?

I’m
passionate
about

Marvelous
Mrs
India,
a
pageant
I’ve
launched
for
married,
divorced,
separated
and
widowed
women
of
Indian
origin.

We’ve
removed
traditional
criteria
like
height,
weight,
and
skin
colour
to
make
it
inclusive.

The
pageant
is
a
transformational
journey.
Participants
leave
with
better
stress
management,
time
management
skills,
along
with
ramp
walking,
posing,
makeup,
and
hair
styling
training.

This
is
a
long-term
project
I’m
dedicated
to
growing
season
after
season.
This
year,
we
had
Neelam
Kothari
as
our
judge.

I’m
excited
to
make
the
third
season
an
even
bigger
success.

 

Looking
back
at
your
career,
is
there
anything
you
would
have
done
differently?

In
hindsight,
we
are
always
wiser,
isn’t
it?

With
the
knowledge
I
have
today,
I
would
have
definitely
made
different
choices.

But
at
the
time,
I
made
the
best
decisions
I
could
with
the
understanding
I
had.

So
yes,
I
would
have
led
my
life
very
differently
but
I
don’t
have
any
regrets.
I
believe
every
experience
has
shaped
me
into
who
I
am
today.

Winning
Mrs
World
will
always
be
a
milestone
I
cherish.

It
took
immense
courage
to
represent
India
at
a
global
platform
for
married
women.