Watching the Miss World/Miss Universe competitions live on television in the mid-1990s was an exercise in entertainment — hours of visual spectacle with multiple elimination rounds, fashion parades, a Q&A and the final crowning of a Cinderella amidst tears of joy. Sushmita Sen, Lara Dutta, Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra, Yukta Mookhey et al “represented” India. We were all in our 20s, them, me and my friends. We were happy for the winners as we thumbed the glossy pages of Femina a fortnight after, but thought nothing of the representation bit. It was merely girling the girl, with pageants being sponsored by cosmetic brands looking for a foothold in India. Many of us who were not even 5 feet tall, were not eligible to participate in such pageants in the first place.

Thankfully, it was just once a year. The scarcity added value by following a simple economic law. Over the past fortnight, Met Gala happened. Before anyone could recover, Cannes was underway. It was high fashion, drama, movies, paparazzi, parades, poses, and photography for magazines and digital platforms that left........

© Indian Express