Contestants for Mrs Wold Punjaban UK 2019, literally stopped traffic as they crossed the road to preform their first task of the Boot Camp, which is part of the process to crown the winners at the Grand Finale, being held at The Willows events venue on the 29th September 2019.
Its hardly surprising when at ten in the morning on a Saturday you see fifteen glamorous ladies, let alone Punjabi ladies with their colourful attire crossing the road. Anyone would stop, not necessarily to allow them to cross the road but to witness their grace and beauty.
The first task took place at the Cake Shop in Birmingham, they specialise in egg free cakes, boasting over fifteen shops in the region. Each contestant had to professionally decorate two cup-cakes.
“Most of the contestants did really well, other were very slow” said owner Bill Aulock, for the past eight years.
The contestants then went on to their next challenge a ‘cat walk’ under the skilful choreograph of Jaimal Mistry, who runs his own Bollywood Academy and works with stars across Bollywood and Hollywood. “Its never easy to coordinate fifteen contestants who firstly don’t know the industry and secondly never worked together, but somehow I will make it work” this passionate young man is convinced he can deliver a professional ‘cat walk’ The outfits will be sponsored by Shimmers, Asiana and Payals fashion houses.
All this hard work made the contestants very hungry so lunch was served The New Royal Punjabi Dhaba, Birmingham, a very luxurious restaurant run by Gurjeet Singh, who took over a year ago. Their speciality dish is Sagg and Maki De Roti, absolutely a way into any Punjabi heart.
Dinner was also sponsored by The New Royal Punjabi Dhaba, on Sunday evening. “I am proud to be sponsoring Mrs World Punjaban UK 2019, I can see the passion the contestant have put into this competition” said Gurjeet.
All the ladies were then driver by Prithi Singh (Peter) to Highfield Community Centre. “We are very please Channel Punjab is using the varied facilities at the community centre, sponsoring such events is something to be proud of” said Mazar Iqbal Chief Executive
Highfield Community Centre provides a whole pleather of services for a very diverse community, gender and age. From breakfast to anti natal clinic classes.
Four of the six Judges attended the two day Boot Camp, they held a round table question answer sessions with the contestants in the ambiance of the many gardens of Highfield Community Centre.
Here the ladies practiced many performances for the Grand Finale. But one activity on the Sunday they could never be prepared for was making ‘pathia’ from cow dung, this is a process still used in India for fire wood, used to cook food and of course keep warm in the winter months.
“I totally wanted to test the dexterity of the contestants, the winners will be representing the Punjabi community world wide, the two winners have to be able to adjust and embrace any situation life throws them” said Jabir Singh Derewal M.D and founder of this initiative which stated last year in Patiala and then in Dubai. “This is one task which I genuinely thought many of the contestants would not want to preform, its no easy task to put your hand in dung, but I have to say each and every contestant embraced the situation”
To conclude the event the Army and the Air Force, Judges Captain Makand Singh M.B.E & Balbir Singh Flora M.B.E put the ladies threw their paces by performing a drill, “Mrs World Punjaban UK 2019 has gone really well and it has been a privilege to have been a part of it. We challenged these ladies and were thrilled to acknowledge their skills, this drill aims to make them the best” said Captain Makand Singh M.B.E.
