Women of Asian ethnicity across the globe have made a mark for themselves in reputable fields, be it in the medical field, or entertainment. In 2017, Manushi Chillar made India proud by bringing the Miss World crown to India after a long hiatus. And now embarking to make a mark for herself, Aarti Rana has reached the semi-final heats of the Miss England pageant.
24-year-old Aarti Rana is a simple girl-next-door, born in Gujarat and raised in Leicester, UK, to a religious Hindu family. She was led to believe that being a business woman is all about success, and hence studied Accounting & Business Management at De Montfort University. However, right from her childhood, Aarti has always been passionate about acting. She decided to make her passion into her profession by becoming an Indian television actress. She was recently seen enacting the role of Bela on Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat on Colors TV.
Post the end of the show, she returned to the UK to spend ample time with her family and also took the decision of participating in Miss England.
Aarti has many ambitions, including creating and building her own school in India. About her philanthropic work, she said, “My profound passion for volunteering started throughout my journey of growing up. I am doing charities- like helping people with food and clothing. In the future, if I get the opportunity then I would like to help people from our community who suffer from diabetes and heart problems.”
Aarti would like to encourage and inspire girls to be confident in their own skin and strive to achieve their dreams, regardless of what people may think of them. She said, “The ultimate reason why I would like to become Miss England is because I would like to give all the girls who feel less confident and comfortable about their bodies – the push they need even if they don't have the 'right' height or size. They need to be able to try new things. We are not all the same and that's okay. I would like to see more girls feel confident in themselves.”
She added, “I think Miss England is an excellent platform to be able to encourage all the ladies out to try and gain confidence, as well as get out of their comfort zone. This pageant has no height or size requirements and that is the kind of self-acceptance I want to promote.”
If you'd like to vote for Aarti Rana in the Miss England competition. Text: MISS SEMI01 to 63333. Texts cost 50p plus the standard network rate. Voting closes at 12pm on Wednesday 31st January.
