Shilpa reddy family
Crown of victory
But what''s new is the feeling that she''s finally fulfilled her most cherished dream – that of winning a nationwide pageant – when she was crowned Mrs India recently in Mumbai. And knowing Shilpa''s calibre and charm, no one''s surprised that the city girl, a popular fixture on the city''s social circuit, made it to the final cut.
She walks in for the interview in jeans and a top, still the same self-deprecating person she used to be and smiles, "It hasn''t sunk in as I saw myself in the paper, I was like, ''OK, it did happen!'' She''s the second girl from Hyderabad, after Tania, to bring the crown home.
This year, Shilpa''s the only girl from the south, apart from a Chennai contestant, to make it to the contest.
She says about the run-up to the event, "I prepared a bit by reading the papers and following the news. I''ve also been working out as usual." ''As usual'' for the fitness freak, means a brisk one-hour routine in her home gym, the secret to a body that even models would die for.
But ultimately, it was a mixture of confidence, punctuality, no-attitude and professionalism that won her the ultimate prize.
She says about her hush hush participation, "I didn''t want to be pressured by any expectations."
But being sister-inlaw to actress Keerti Reddy and being married into the illustrious Ganga Reddy family, Shilpa is not new to glamour. Her first brush with fame came at the age of 17, when she won the Miss Andhra title.
"I come from a very conservative family and after that my parents didn''t want me to take up any of the modelling assignments that came my way."
What followed was a stint in fashion design in Canada and a job as a merchandiser with a leading fashion house there, after which, she married Hyderabad businessman Preetham Reddy.
But Shilpa''s is a story of life beginning after marriage.
She smiles, "I always had this desire at the back of my mind and I got to follow my dream after marriage. Though my husband doesn''t understand pageants, he didn''t mind me doing it as he knew it would make me happy." Her in-laws were even present at the pageant, to give her moral support.
Shilpa has never wanted a career in tinsel-town, and is content to wait for offers that match her aesthetics.
She''s been approached for ads for A-list products and films.
Even noted director Shankar made an offer once. She wraps up, "I''m content now. I always knew I had the potential and I just wanted a chance to prove myself." And we congratulate the latest beauty queen in Hyderabad''s burgeoning list.