This week for Hyderabond, we bring to you, K. Abhimanika Yadav, who is not just a socialite and an absolute fitness freak, but a title holder of several pageants to her credit too.
SHIKHA DUGGAL
Fitness trainer to the stars — we have K. Abhimanika Yadav for our special weekly column o’clock. Quite popular for her show by the name of Get Set Fit on ETV Life, the coach is an absolute fitness freak and a socialite in our city. Mrs India Runner-up, Mrs India South, Mrs India Fitness, Mrs India Talented, Mrs Asia Pacific Universe, and Mrs Universe Intelligence — so many beauty pageants to her credit? How can we miss interviewing her for hyderabond?
We begin the confabulation with, “I am a pakka Hyderabadi — I never gave it a second thought about moving out of the city. We share the best of both worlds in our home: the cultural roots coming from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. No matter what: it boils down to that “Telugu” feeling. Our way of worship of power was quite famous when we used to be a joint family. I have memories from the old city to the new cosmopolitan hub. My grandparents are coming from the old city so we are used to all the Band, Bajaa during the festivals. We used to feel like an important part of festivals even if it was Muharram. We have been a part of Durga Mata pooja over there, especially in Koti. The celebrations are pompous over there. Just near our home, there was a gurudwara, we could hear Ardas.”
But all her life she’ll be the old city girl! There’s never any discussion ending on any notes just food in her home, another aspect that makes them fall in love with this city once again. But hey, she is a pure vegetarian so she is not used to the hype of biryanis here. So, she loves her sambar rice.
Sharing some more extending far down experiences, “During my childhood something that I noticed about the charm of this city was how united was the old city — any issue and the whole neighbourhood will come to your rescue. Over the years, I realised our neighbours were our extended family if we speak of the old city. They have built a solid community! Now, we are losing out on connections which is so sad. My grandparents always wanted us to express our love to all the communities of this country. There was a time I lived in Mumbai for a couple of months, no doubt it’s another world altogether but that adeptness is missing there. I have seen foreigners coming to our city and having the feeling of absolute comfort here. They can communicate easily! And, I have seen them bonding over food.”
Now something about the pageant culture here since she’s a motivating force to many — “I started my journey with beauty pageants in the year 2016, and I must say Hyderabadis were not aware of such beauty contests at all! It was so difficult for Telugu girls to be a part of modelling industry if we go back to few years ago. It was looked down upon! Thank God for it, my experience was different and I wasn’t in the same pothole. I learnt so many new revelations about this industry with my participation. It’s not a humiliating industry at all, and so safe in Hyderabad. Just do your research well on the organisation you are being a part of! We are still progressing. Because back then there were no pageants for married women. Today, there is! Now, I am a pageant groomer but it’s still difficult for me to convince Telugu girls to be a fashionista.”
Sharing one of her most fondest memory from her birthplace, also a motivational speaker expressed, “I was the first Telangana girl to represent at Mrs Universe and I won the title. When I returned to Hyderabad, the kind of love I was showered with made me feel like somewhere close to Sushmita Sen. I broke down. I had some sheepish behaviour and I go on to represent myself at a global platform is what made me so emotional. I was being treated as a queen everywhere in Hyderabad in the year of 2017. I was actually a professor, my son was a toddler. I started with Zumba fitness that got me my initial recognition in this city. What else I was known for is when I added my son’s name as my surname! We started this career together (she laughed). He’s always present at all my events! We inspired a lot of mother-son duo in the city. Where we lacked as a city was that there were no grooming studios for girls so that they can participate in international pageants. If I really had funds, I would have opened one of my own! I had to travel to a different city to groom myself for that international pageant, with the help of YouTube. Taking inspiration from this I give grooming workshops to Telugu girls now so that nobody murders their dreams anymore.”
