An engineer by profession, Poonam Jha Chugh has brought laurels to the city by winning the Mrs Delhi NCR title in the regional round of Gladrags Mrs India contest held in New Delhi.
Poonam, a former student of Sacred Heart Convent, Jamshedpur, is now all geared up for the grand finale of Mrs India contest scheduled in Mumbai this year.
This starry-eyed girl, who feels that her smile is her ‘X’ factor did her 10th from the city and went to Nagpur for higher studies, is now based in New Delhi.
“I owe my success to the values and education I received from my hometown. I think there is something in the soil of our city that talent is nurtured to achieve greater height. Though I am based in New Delhi now but I still look forward to visit my birthplace,” says Poonam, confident of taking on the best at the grand finale contest to be held in September at Mumbai.
She says: “life has been a roller-coaster ride for me. From Jamshedpur,IJ I completed my ICSE 2003IJ I went to Nagpur and Pune for higher studies and now working as an engineer with British Telecom at Gurgaon”.
Poonam, a mother of two kids, life hasn't exactly been a fairytale. "I come from a very humble background. My father was with Tata Steel and there we were taught the lessons of life that we need to be grounded and yet aim for the peak”.
Striking a balance between professional and personal life is difficult, especially when both require a hundred per cent attention. "Yes it is difficult. But my family has been very supportive. It took some deep soul-searching for me to understand the importance of both and the balance I needed to create."
Her quest with fame and glamour started in 2005, when she was crowned Miss Nagpur. At that time she was just a college girl and novice in the glam world. However, over the years she did several ramp shows and gained confidence. And now she is all ready to take up the arduous task of fighting it out at the famed Mrs India contest.
Not averse to Bollywood, she says that she would take up if offers come her way. But there is time for it. “ Dreams are unlimited. Right now I am all focussed for the grand finale. The Gladrags show is the entry point. So right now it is only Mrs India that’s in my mind,” she says.