Paintal Memorial Golden Jubilee Auditorium at Vallabhai Patel Chest Institute usually hosts corporate conferences,conventions,exhibitions and academic workshops. On Wednesday afternoon,it has been booked for a unique event: auditions of the first transgender beauty contest,Indian Super Queen. We are kicking off the first round of auditions in Delhi before heading to nine other cities, says Laxmi Narayan Tripathi,CEO of Twelve Noon Entertainment. Tripathi,30,popularly known as Laxmi,is a founder-member of the Asia Pacific Transgender Network,and conceived the idea of the beauty contest. I wanted to organise an event that would provide a platform for the transgender community to take pride in their identity. A beauty pageant is not the only way to celebrate it but its a beginning, says Tripathi. The contest will travel to Mumbai,Bangalore,Chennai,Bhopal,Bhubaneswar,Hyderabad,Ahmedabad,Jaipur and Kolkata. The auditions will ascertain that the three contestants chosen from Delhi for the next round have what it takes: poise,grace,intellect and self-confidence. Three contestants from each city will travel to Mumbai for the semi-finals. The final short-list will choose 12 contestants who will undergo rigorous grooming and training sessions by experts. Celina Jaitley,ambassador of the contest,says: It is time the kinnar community comes up on stage and shows the world that beauty exists in all human beings. Gender has nothing to do with it. Tripathi,a known personality on TV after her recent appearance in Sach Ka Saamna,says the rounds will be the same as any beauty pageant. But is not about who is the best and most aesthetically beautiful, she says. Its about who all are willing to proudly display their personality,take pride in who they are,and to prove they are just as human as anyone else. The pageant has been organised in association with VCare group of companies and has Bollywood backing. The final will be held at the Ashoka Hotel here on February 21.
