A Delhi-based girl and a Mumbai-based boy hope to bring glory to India.
To be in the spotlight is still a new feeling for Ayushree Malik and Shubham Sharma, who will represent India at the Mister and Miss Supranational 2025 competition later this month in Poland.
You can feel their passion, drive and excitement as they speak about how they are prepping for their 'big day'.
From polishing their oratory skills with Sabira Merchant to rigorous fitness routines with celebrity coach Namrata Purohit, both are undergoing intensive grooming and training sessions.
Before Ayushree and Shubham jet off to Małopolska where the Supranational 2025 pageant will take place, they get chatty with Mayur Sanap/Rediff and talk about their dreams, ambitions, the competition and their personal journey.
And they make confessions -- some candid, some heartwarming -- in the videos below.
What's your state of mind right now? Excited? Nervous? Anxious?
Ayushree: (Smiles) I'm really electrified because:
A. It's once in a lifetime opportunity and
B. Everybody is showering us with love and support. We are making our families proud.
We have done a lot of training and I believe all the hard work is going to pay off. We are going to represent our country and I hope we do it in the best way possible.
Shubham: Representing India means representing 1.4 billion people so it's a huge responsibility. I'm a little nervous but, yeah, also very excited.
As part of this competition, you've been trained and groomed. What are the new things you learned about yourself?
Ayushree: This entire journey has been about transformation and self-discovery. When I see myself in the mirror, I see how a girl has evolved into a woman of purpose.
A team of people -- fitness trainers, a nutritionist, a hair and makeup team and diction coach among others -- have supported us so that, when the spotlight is on us, we are our best selves.
Shubham: It's been a rollercoaster ride. I was an introvert but, after winning Mister India, I learnt how to talk with people and present myself.
I was never into hair and makeup but I've learnt that too. Besides this, there’s walk training, diction training... all these things are very important in our journey.
Ayushree: Before this journey, my mother looked after me. I did not take responsibility for my career.
This journey has actually taken me out of my comfort zone and I have taken charge of my life.
I know that winning is only valid when you prove yourself every single day.
Shubham, you have been a national level footballer. Ayushree, you are a basketball player. How has your background in sports helped you in this competition?
Shubham: Football is very important for me.
It has taught me a lot of discipline and how to play as a team.
Ayushree: Sports teach you lessons for life.
I like this line that I once read somewhere, 'Setbacks in life are actually the set ups to come back'.
Every setback that I faced in sports, every missed goal in basketball, has motivated me to try again until I succeed.
You headline a social campaign Brave Hearts. Tell us about it.
Ayushree: I lost my father very early in life in an accident and that tragedy fuelled a fire inside me.
I feel that, in our country, post-accident care needs an urgent revamp.
We have to, among other things, focus on counselling for those who are grieving.
As a seven year old, I did not know how to process the loss of my father. Nobody came and talked to me; nobody said it was going to be fine. I was shattered and those emotions remained within me as I was growing up.
Through this project, the first thing I did was to heal myself emotionally.
It's very important that we create a space where emotional healing is as important as physical recovery.
Secondly, I always wondered how many lives could be saved in cases of accidents by people who are just watching the victim suffer.
We all don't have to be doctors but, if we know enough about first aid, maybe we can just help until the ambulance arrives.
I've been trained in first aid. I'm associated with an NGO and Dr Shilpa Goel who taught me CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
If someone needs help in an emergency, I know what to do until the doctor arrives.
I believe everyone in the country should be able to do so.
Shubham, your social initiative, Kickstart Dreams, aims to ignite a passion for football in underprivileged children. Why is this cause so important to you?
Shubham: This initiative is very close to my heart.
Football has made me who I am today. I want to help underprivileged children who don't have access to sports.
And as I said earlier, sports can really help you learn discipline in life.
What do you tell yourself when you have to deliver excellence under pressure?
Ayushree: I always remind myself that this pressure is actually a privilege. Among all the girls, I got this opportunity.
People say that diamonds are made under pressure so I really try to take all of this positively and push myself.
What are the personal sacrifices one has to make during this competition?
Shubham: We both are far from our family. She's from Delhi, I'm from Mumbai. We don't get to meet our families as much.
The key is to tell yourself, 'If I want to achieve something, I will make it happen.'
Ayushree, many people believe that beauty pageants objectify women and create unrealistic beauty standards. How would you respond?
Ayushree: Pageantry is not just relevant in today's era, it's revolutionary.
There's no other platform louder than pageantry where you will see girls from different backgrounds coming and talking about their stories.
Pageantry is such a healthy environment where everybody is appreciated for who they are. More importantly, I think it's a platform of empowerment.
I'm a girl from Delhi University and, today, I can tell all of India that I'll hold our banner in Poland.
My career has gone to another level because of pageantry.
I can tell the world my mumma's story (do watch the video below). I can tell the story of all the mothers to the world because of pageantry.
It is a platform where your voice is heard, careers are amplified and you're able to achieve your passion and purpose.
A lot of youngsters are dealing body image issues, especially on social media.
Shubham: Right now the influencers who are there in the sports and fitness industry put out their pictures and content just to gain followers or some attention. While some of them are serious about what they do, others are not.
Fitness should be a way of life. It is all about who you are so that you feel confident in your own skin.
Ayushree: On social media, we are trying to get validation from other people though likes, comments, etc. We need to change our mindset and find this validation within ourselves. You don't need to have likes on social media, you need to like what you see in the mirror.
I see social media as a motivational tool; when I see my best friends hitting the gym, it pushes me towards the gym too.
Ayushree, Shubham get candid on video!
The accident that changed Ayushree's life and the failure that changed Shubham's...
The people they are inspired by... (no, no conventional answers here)
Even pageant winners doubt themselves!
Ayushree shares her favourite travel memories
And Shubham, Ayushree share food secrets. Did you know Shubham loves to...
Ayushree reveals the most 'Delhi thing' about herself
And after the pageant? Is Bollywood on the cards?
Videos edited by Afsar Dayatar/Rediff
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