Dawn of the Opal Suchata era
It has been a gruelling journey for a non-descript Thai girl to become a global household name as a 21-year-old (born on September 20, 2003). The rise has been meteoric given that Opal Suchata Chuangsri debuted at the Miss Universe Thailand in 2022, as an 18-year-old. Today she walks tall, quite literally (five ft 11 inches) and rules over the fashion firmament having been crowned with the Miss World title on a momentous day (May 31) in Hyderabad. It is a good augury that lately winners of coveted beauty pageants (Miss Universe and Miss World) are coming from relatively less known cities and towns. Gone are the days when the hot favourites were models and beauty queens from big countries. Suchata Chuangsri scripted history by becoming the first Thai woman to clinch the Miss World crown. All through the month-long extravaganza, she was all of poise and a synonym for beauty with brains, the traits that helped her clinch the crown while putting to shade the others waiting to bag the crown that was up for grabs. The elegant Thai walked away with Rs 8.5 crore in prize money.
When one looks at her career graph and the dexterity with which she performed during the questioning sessions, she comes across as a person, who, unlike her predecessors, is determined to do her bit for the society, including exposing the misconceptions surrounding breast cancer, which is taking a heavy toll of women all over the world. The days when the contestants would win the title with a 'I wish to be like Mother Teresa' mantra are gone. Today, the winner must show a high level of consistency and intelligence across segments like 'Head-to-head challenge', 'Top model', 'Beauty with a purpose', sports and multimedia exposure. Meanwhile, even as the entire event was a fabulous success, its sparkle was dimmed slightly when Miss England Milla Magee withdrew during the competition citing 'ethical concerns'. In fact, she raised a stink while accusing the organising committee of harassment and victimisation. It was good that as the host city, the state government machinery, which displayed organisational acumen with aplomb, showed political maturity by refraining from commenting on allegations, which became dirtier after she reached London. Credit should go to Julia Morley, Chairperson and CEO of Miss World Organisation, for not only giving a clean chit to the Telangana government but stating that it was a case of sour grapes by a contestant who had realised that she was out of the running for the crown.
The state government took advantage of this global event in the backyard by showcasing the best of regional ingenuity, royal heritage and the remarkable workmanship and creative dexterity that is unique to the state. Also making it to the global spotlight was Telugu bidda Sudha Reddy, who made history after being appointed as the first-ever Global Ambassador for the Miss World Organization. While hailing Opal Suchata's coming of age, one must salute the other contestants in the fray, including Nandini Gupta, for doing their respective nations proud by making it to the event. Meanwhile, the last word should go to Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar, who said, 'Isn't it better to light one candle in the dark than not to see at all? These women are not here just to be admired; they are here to bring change.' Indeed!
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