Sareena Thakur

Sareena Thakur (Hindi: सरीन ठकुर; born Tanya Bhattacharjee on 26 November 1986) is a British Asian model, Global Youth Ambassador for The World Assembly of Youth (WAY) and the 2008 Miss Asia World.

Biography

Early life

Born and raised in the United Kingdom, Sareena has fast become a recognised face in the Asian modelling industry. She was spotted at the age of 17 by the fashion editor of one of the leading Asian magazines in England, and has not looked back since. From a young age, Sareena was seen as a performer, particularly as a dancer. She studied Bollywood and RnB dance styles, and has performed in front of thousands of people. Sareena is often described by the media as a "stunning young woman who oozes charm and maturity.." She shares a close relationship with her family, and is the eldest of two.

Miss Asia World

While pursuing a degree at university, Sareena found herself gaining more and more attention within the modelling industry. In 2007 Sareena was selected as a finalist for Miss India UK, and was said to be a hot favourite to win. Later that year Sareena was announced as the winner of Miss India UK and was offered the crown.

Sareena went on to make history in 2008 by becoming the first to be crowned Miss Asia World. The event was held in Milton Keynes, and Sareena beat 80 other contestants and 12 finalists to win the prestigious contest at the Ramada Hotel. The competition was open to women who are originally from any Asian country, including Pakistan, China, and India, though some contestants had moved to other continents such as Australia and Europe. The contest was organised by Heritage Asia Ventures who state that the Concept of Miss Asia World is to find a woman who is "Articulate, Beautiful and Caring." The Miss Asia World pageant was conceived by women for women in a bid to create a higher and more respectable profile of the Asian woman. The concept draws women away from the conventional perception of beauty pageant and instead focuses on the Cross Cultural Experiences that they share with their peers and contestants in the region. Anchored in the spirit of sensuality, empowerment and the social dignity of women, the pageant seeks to identify, nurture and present to the world Asia’s most appealing assets – its people and heritage.

The contestants were judged in three core rounds - evening wear, sarong and heritage wear; Sareena scored exceptionally high in all three of these rounds. Additionally, all contestants were required to participate in a question and answer round, and were also required to write a timed essay prior to the live event; it was later confirmed that Sareenas essay had scored the highest out of all contestants.

As a result of her win, Sareena travelled to Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, where she attended the Royal Gala in the presence of the King and Queen of Malaysia. She has also visited various universities in Asia as part of her official engagement, in an attempt to educate the youth about serious issues such as mental health and environmental awareness, and other more taboo topics like HIV and AIDS. "I have always been passionate about helping people and as Miss Asia World I can do that in another way." During her reign, Sareena focused particularly on promoting unity and a healthier state of mind for todays youth. "The platform is set for me to act as a cross-cultural youth ambassador. This pageant also gives me the opportunity to break the stereotype on Asian women who are often portrayed as submissive, oppressed and uneducated. I hope to change these views." Sareena is currently the spokeswoman for London charity- REACT, as well as an ambassador for children's organisation- The World Assembly of Youth (WAY).

Modelling career

Sareena comes from a family of beautiful women. Her mother was a model in India and her grandmother was crowned Miss Shimla, the capital city of the Himachal Pradesh state, in her youth.

Sareena started modelling at the age of 17 for leading British Asian magazine, Asiana. She soon found herself being approached by numerous competing magazines. As a result, Sareena quickly became a popular face and name in the modelling industry, particularly for magazines such as Asian Woman Magazine, Asian Bride Magazine, and Asiana Wedding Magazine. She has graced the cover of Kosmo, Hillingdon People, The Observer, and Asian Leader."It was always obvious I would follow in the footsteps of my mother and go into modelling. I love the glamour involved in it."

Her face has attracted some of the best make-up artists and fashion designers in the UK. Sareena was chosen as the face of the first 'Henna Spirit' campaign. She was later chosen as the face of the 'Poze Accessories' campaign, which was promoted nationally. Aside from photoshoots, Sareena has walked the catwalk, representing some of the biggest fashion houses in Asia, such as Rivaaz, Bombay Boutique, Seasons, Temptations, and Nudrat Haute Couture, to name a few.

In 2009, Sareena was selected as one of the Top 20 most "Bold and Beautiful" Indian models, by Bindas Poll in India. She was also featured in the 2009 Indian Beauty Calendar.

Acting career

Sareena has always asserted her great desire to enter the field of acting. She made her debut on television at the age of 19 when she was cast as the lead female in the song 'Soniye' by Rehan Babar. On the back of this video she secured further projects. The next music video was for singer Navin Kundra titled 'Love Thing'. Sareena was casted for both the lead roles in the video, (Bollywood girl, and the main love interest). The 'Love Thing' music video, received a lot of interest and praise as it featured the contagious and un-mistakable sample of Lata Mangeshkar's classic 'Bindiya Chamkegi'.

Sareena has also featured as a lead female in several Television commercials, such as 'Maharani Diabetic Rice' and SKY channel, Wedding TV. After receiving interest from various directors and producers in India, Sareena plans to move to Mumbai to make her mark in Bollywood.

Education

Sareena attained 11 GCSE's and 3 A-levels by the age of 18. Passionate to break stereotypes often associated with models and beauty queens, Sareena was determined to enter higher education and gain a degree in Psychology Bsc. In 2009, Sareena successfully completed her 4 year course. "It is hard to get a balance.. and winning Miss Asia World changed my life, but I will still pursue my aim to become a clinical psychiatrist."