A medical student hopes to prove she has beauty and brains after reaching the finals of the 2017 Miss India UK pageant.
Indian-born Cherry Jain – who lives in Tower Hamlets but is moving to Stratford – wants to use the competition as an awareness-raising platform for mental health issues and women empowerment.
A medic at Queen Mary University in Whitechapel, Cherry has been whittled down to the final 12 contestants.
The 19-year-old will compete in London on September 3, with a chance of entering Miss India Worldwide if she wins.
“The organisers said I was a bubbly person and really stood out from the crowd,” said Cherry.
“I am confident. I just have to bring forward what I believe are the winning characteristics and what makes me different.”
The finalists will need to shine in four rounds of the competition: traditional wear, talent performance, a Q&A with the judges and evening wear.
Grade 7 guitarist Cherry will display her Indian roots and Western upbringing by singing Kabira from the Bollywood film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani to a pop beat from the group Chainsmokers.
“I used to think it [the competition] was superficial but it something that is more than that. It is about how your portray yourself,” she said.
“The judges want someone that is inspirational and is a role model as well.”
Cherry, who has experienced depression and anxiety, said she plans to run a mental health campaign and help existing charities.
“I want to support the message that we should talk about it,” she said.
“It is a shocking statistic that one in four people will develop mental health issues in their life.”
She is raising awareness for mental health charity the Umbrella Centre in Canterbury.
Cherry, whose father is a doctor, arrived in the UK aged six. She speaks Hindi and celebrates traditional festivals such as Diwali.
“I wanted to do something that was a celebration of my culture,” she said of her decision to enter Miss India UK.
“Even if I don’t win, I will still cherish the experience that I have been given.”
Visit justgiving.com and search ‘Cherry Jain’
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