Not everyone dreams of making it big in the fashion world and Baleswar-based Kalpasa Ankita Shaw is one of them. Kalpasa has won many beauty pageants like, Miss Balasore, Miss Odisha Perfect and Miss Photogenic India crown. Rather than taking a step forward and carving out a niche for hers in the world of glamour, the beauty pageant begs to differ and chose an unconventional way. At present, she is involved in making the lives of underprivileged children better through her foundation named 'Ankita Shaw Foundation'. She has also joined as a brand ambassador for a beauty brand to motivate and inspire womanhood.
Kalpasa shot to fame after her portrait imposed at Australia Art Gallery in March, 2017. Besides, her portrait also was installed at Bhubaneswar Art Gallery.
In a freewheeling chat with Shabiha Nur Khatoon, Kalpasa talks about her stint in the glamour industry and her motivation to get involved in social service.
Why didn't you choose to pursue modelingIJ
I am emotionally attached to orphans and needy children. What I feel is that slum children and orphans happen to be the most deprived. Children growing up in slums and orphanages experience a childhood that often defies the imagination of both the 'innocent childhood' proponents and the 'universal childhood' advocates. When earning a livelihood becomes a primary matter of concern for children, education inevitably takes the backseat. Keeping this in mind, I launched a voluntary organization, named, Ankita Shaw Foundation, to work at providing education to deprived children.
After bagging many beauty titles, you were offered several movie offers, but you refused. WhyIJ
I am from a conservative family. But that was not the real reason. I was never interested to make a career in films. My aim was, and still is, to bring a smile on the faces. I feel very sad when I witness children toiling at factories and shops when they could have played and danced without a care in the world. Besides, there are some children deprived of formal education due to financial problems or lack of study material. I wanted to help them achieve their dreams.
You are tilted towards orphanages since childhood. How did you develop this fascination for the deprived kids and who were your inspirationIJ
I developed a close rapport with the children and, in the process, came to feel their pain. From childhood, I had made up my mind to work for the welfare of children. My mother has inspired me a lot. Without the help of my mother, I could not have achieved success in my endeavours. I am just an average girl with average concerns. life will take its toll on all of us. We get injured and we get old. It is really sad to try to run away from these harsh realities of life. looks are not everything and I don't look beautiful all the time. God has given me plenty of reasons to smile and I want to spread it through social service.