Pak's first Miss Bikini breaks all barriers

Bharti Dubey
[ 8 Sep, 2006 0200hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

Mariyah Moten, a 22-year-old US-based Pakistani, is being billed as "Pakistan’s first Miss Bikini". This after she won the title of Best in Media Category at the Miss Bikini Universe 2006 pageant in China on August 26.

In an email interview with TOI , Mariyah talks about the ‘amusing’ hardliners who make 'some noise', but can't really do anything to prevent people from projecting Pakistan as a "moderate place".

Talking about actress Meera, she says that while her kiss in a Bollywood movie may have kicked up a fuss, it has actually made the Pakistani star quite popular in her home country, which has also taken part in other beauty pageants. Yet, the fiesty woman says she wants to return to Pakistan and try her luck in Lollywood.

Q. How do you react to being called Pakistan's first Miss Bikini?

A. I have broken all barriers, and in the coming years there will be other Pakistani contestants, who will carry this title. My intention was to project Pakistan is a very modern way.

Q. Pakistan has never had a beauty pageant. How do you think people back home have reacted to you parading in a bikini?

A. Actually, Pakistan has participated in several beauty pageants. All the information on Pakistan's participation is on www.misspakistanworld.com . Hardliners are basically people who try to impose their thoughts on others. We are not affected by people like them. We believe Pakistan is a country that is made up of moderate Muslims like myself. And yes, some people may not like the idea of a Pakistani girl in a bikini, but alas, we have done it and there is no way they can change anything about it.

Q. Pakistani actress Meera had to face the wrath of conservatives in Pakistan after she wore skimpy clothes and did a kissing scene in a Hindi film.

A. See, fundamentalists are everywhere. Even when the Miss World pageant took place in India, there were fundamentalists as well as feminists stalling it. Meera is doing very well, she is now more in demand, and has more people lining up to see her in Pakistan. She is very happy where she is, and conservatives could do nothing to her. This is simply noise made by people who have nothing better to do... it's actually amusing how they are always so ready to react.

Q. Would you be interested in acting in movies, especially Hindi films?

A. Well, I would like to complete my education first (she is a management student). I am getting a lot of offers from Lollywood, and I may go to Pakistan this year to check these out. I am not sure how well it will go, but at the moment acting interests me.

Q. What do you intend to do now?

A. As I said before, my main aim is to project Pakistan to the world as a moderate place. I have succeeded in educating many girls who compete in these pageants about Pakistan, and cleared a lot of doubts people have about the country. I will do this in the coming year as well.

Photographs from the web