Shamita Singha
Encyclopedia
Shamita Singha is a fashion model
, television anchor, animal rights activist, VJ, and beauty queen
from India
. She was crowned Femina Miss Earth India 2001 and later competed in the first edition of the international Miss Earth 2001
beauty pageant produced by Carousel Productions
, where she was one of the semifinalists.
Singha started to model professionally in 1999 and since then she worked for many ad campaigns and runway show
s. After becoming Miss Earth India in 2001
, she went on to win five subtitles at the same beauty pageant and from that moment on she shot to fame.
in India
. She walked for the best of designers during fashion weeks and tours, hosted shows, and participated in the associated ground events overseas through B4U television network
.
She modeled for Levis, Electrolux
, and Platinum Jewellery. She participated in fashion shows for designers like Manish Malhotra
and Ritu Kumar
. She was a star in Motorola
television commercial with Indian actor
and film producer
, Abhishek Bachchan
.
Besides dabbling in modelling
, Singha is also known as a good spokesperson and has landed many invitations to speak at industry-related events around the world. Additionally, she also does various of editorial work for magazine
s and is mostly involved with ramp shows for all the major designers throughout the country.
Singha has been associated with animal welfare organisations: as a trustee with the Animal Welfare Board of India
and funds an organisation called Nature and Animal Care Foundation. In a campaign against animal cruelty, Singha posed on a bed of red chillies wearing nothing for PETA Dishoom, the youth division of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
in India, with the tagline "Spice Up Your Life -- Go Vegetarian".
She was on the news in March 2003 when she sat as a judge at a fashion festival in Mumbai
. She intervened when she saw a bare-chested model swaggered on to the ramp with a pair of pythons entwined around his neck. She also posed standing next to a 40-foot killer whale in 2006 for the Kingfisher
's Swimsuit Special Calendar 2007.
In August 2004, B4U Music
and B4U Movies
announced Singha and Sajid Khan
as two new addition to its VJ bandwagon to build up the audience base.
She started to host a daily TV show in 2007 called, Maximum Style designed to connect with the upmarket home-audiences and dealt with ever-fickle fashions, haute lifestyles, fitness, stunning looks, innovative interiors and exotic night-spots to chill out in.
Singha is a wine enthusiast turned wine trainer.
She has been hosting wine-tasting sessions and wine etiquette workshops with the corporate groups. She took up introductory & intermediate wine tasting courses and obtained WSET
Level 2 certification in wine & spirits. She had her 1st level studies at the Saint Emilion wine tasting school in Bordeaux
, France
and an introductory course at the Beaune School of Wine in Burgundy. She also attended various wine tasting workshops in Spain
as well as in London
at the London Wine Academy and special workshops on new world wines in New York & California.
. She went to represent India in the first edition of Miss Earth
beauty pageant, where the final coronation night was held on October 28, 2001 at the University of the Philippines Theater
in Quezon City
, Philippines
.
The pageant, called "Beauty for a Cause
", consisted of swimsuit
, evening gown
, and talent competitions, but more weight was given to ecological and environmental intelligence in the interview portion since the Miss Earth winner serves as the spokesperson for the Miss Earth Foundation
, the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) and other environmental organizations.
The delegates were first trimmed down to 10 in the semi-final portion, which included Singha. The pageant, which promotes environmental awareness, was won by Catharina Svensson
of Denmark
and participated by 42 delegates representing various countries in the world.
, India. She is a literature
graduate and used to write poetry when in school and till recently on fashion and travel.
She has a sister named Mashoom Singha, who is also a model in India. She was a close friend of Viveka Babajee
, Miss Universe Mauritius 1994
who shot to fame with the KamaSutra condoms
advertisements in the 1990s, but committed suicide in 2010.
She used to date and had a relationship with Upen Patel
, a British Indian
model and Bollywood
film actor.
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
, television anchor, animal rights activist, VJ, and beauty queen
Beauty Queen
"Beauty Queen" is the second song from Roxy Music's second album, For Your Pleasure. The lyrics refer to Ferry's girlfriend, Valerie Leon, one-time UK beauty queen, B-movie actress and model working in the Newcastle area, circa 1973.-Musicians:...
from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. She was crowned Femina Miss Earth India 2001 and later competed in the first edition of the international Miss Earth 2001
Miss Earth 2001
Miss Earth 2001 is the first edition of Miss Earth beauty pageant, organized by Carousel Productions. The pageant coronation night was held on October 28, 2001 at the University of the Philippines Theater in Quezon City, Philippines. There were 42 delegates who competed in the pageant that focuses...
beauty pageant produced by Carousel Productions
Carousel Productions
Carousel Productions Inc. is the organization that currently owns and runs the Miss Earth and Miss Philippines Earth beauty contests. The annual events are produced in partnership with ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation. The organization is based in the Philippines.-History:Carousel Productions...
, where she was one of the semifinalists.
Singha started to model professionally in 1999 and since then she worked for many ad campaigns and runway show
Runway (fashion)
Runway or catwalk describes a narrow, usually flat platform that runs into an auditorium, used by models to demonstrate clothing and accessories during a fashion show In fashion jargon, "what's on the catwalk" or similar phrasing can refer to whatever is new and popular in fashion.- Exclusive...
s. After becoming Miss Earth India in 2001
Miss Earth 2001
Miss Earth 2001 is the first edition of Miss Earth beauty pageant, organized by Carousel Productions. The pageant coronation night was held on October 28, 2001 at the University of the Philippines Theater in Quezon City, Philippines. There were 42 delegates who competed in the pageant that focuses...
, she went on to win five subtitles at the same beauty pageant and from that moment on she shot to fame.
Career and activism
Singha is a supermodelSupermodel
The term supermodel refers to a highly-paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in haute couture and commercial modeling. The term became prominent in the popular culture of the 1980s. Supermodels usually work for top fashion designers and labels...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. She walked for the best of designers during fashion weeks and tours, hosted shows, and participated in the associated ground events overseas through B4U television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
.
She modeled for Levis, Electrolux
Electrolux
The Electrolux Group is a Swedish appliance maker.As of 2010 the 2nd largest home appliance manufacturer in the world after Whirlpool, its products sell under a variety of brand names including its own and are primarily major appliances and vacuum cleaners...
, and Platinum Jewellery. She participated in fashion shows for designers like Manish Malhotra
Manish Malhotra
Manish Malhotra is considered to be India's leading and most successful fashion designer.Manish Malhotra has designed for many leading actresses in Bollywood. He is known for his different style and his ability to envision a 'look' for the character. He is known for designing the costumes for...
and Ritu Kumar
Ritu Kumar
Ritu Kumar is an Indian fashion designer, based in Delhi.-Early life and education:A native of Amritsar, Ritu attended Lady Irwin College, in New Delhi, graduating in 1964, and Briarcliff College, New York, USA in 1966.-Career:Kumar has been designing the wardrobes comprising swimwear,...
. She was a star in Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
television commercial with Indian actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan is an Indian actor and producer. He is the son of Indian actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and is married to actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai....
.
Besides dabbling in modelling
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
, Singha is also known as a good spokesperson and has landed many invitations to speak at industry-related events around the world. Additionally, she also does various of editorial work for magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s and is mostly involved with ramp shows for all the major designers throughout the country.
Singha has been associated with animal welfare organisations: as a trustee with the Animal Welfare Board of India
Animal Welfare Board of India
The Animal Welfare Board of India, the first of its kind Animal welfare organization to be established by any Government in the world, was set up in 1962, in accordance with Section 4 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Acts 1960 .Smt...
and funds an organisation called Nature and Animal Care Foundation. In a campaign against animal cruelty, Singha posed on a bed of red chillies wearing nothing for PETA Dishoom, the youth division of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...
in India, with the tagline "Spice Up Your Life -- Go Vegetarian".
She was on the news in March 2003 when she sat as a judge at a fashion festival in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. She intervened when she saw a bare-chested model swaggered on to the ramp with a pair of pythons entwined around his neck. She also posed standing next to a 40-foot killer whale in 2006 for the Kingfisher
Kingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
's Swimsuit Special Calendar 2007.
In August 2004, B4U Music
B4U Music
B4U Music is a music-themed digital TV channel available on more than 8 different satellites, in more than 100 countries including the USA, UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Mauritius, Canada and India...
and B4U Movies
B4U Movies
B4U Movies is a Bollywood movie digital TV channel based in Mumbai available on more than 8 different satellites, in more than 100 countries including the USA, UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Mauritius, Canada and India...
announced Singha and Sajid Khan
Sajid Khan
Sajid Khan is a former Indian actor. He is the adopted son of Indian film producer Mehboob Khan, founder of Mehboob Studios, in India.-Career:...
as two new addition to its VJ bandwagon to build up the audience base.
She started to host a daily TV show in 2007 called, Maximum Style designed to connect with the upmarket home-audiences and dealt with ever-fickle fashions, haute lifestyles, fitness, stunning looks, innovative interiors and exotic night-spots to chill out in.
Singha is a wine enthusiast turned wine trainer.
She has been hosting wine-tasting sessions and wine etiquette workshops with the corporate groups. She took up introductory & intermediate wine tasting courses and obtained WSET
Wine & Spirit Education Trust
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust, often referred to as WSET, is a British organisation which arranges courses and exams in the field of wine and spirits. WSET was founded in 1969, is headquartered in London and is generally regarded as the world's leading provider of wine education. The courses...
Level 2 certification in wine & spirits. She had her 1st level studies at the Saint Emilion wine tasting school in Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and an introductory course at the Beaune School of Wine in Burgundy. She also attended various wine tasting workshops in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
as well as in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the London Wine Academy and special workshops on new world wines in New York & California.
Miss Earth 2001
Singha was selected and crowned Miss Earth India 2001Miss Earth 2001
Miss Earth 2001 is the first edition of Miss Earth beauty pageant, organized by Carousel Productions. The pageant coronation night was held on October 28, 2001 at the University of the Philippines Theater in Quezon City, Philippines. There were 42 delegates who competed in the pageant that focuses...
. She went to represent India in the first edition of Miss Earth
Miss Earth
Miss Earth is an annual international beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness. Miss Earth is also one of the most publicized beauty contests in the world....
beauty pageant, where the final coronation night was held on October 28, 2001 at the University of the Philippines Theater
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
in Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
The pageant, called "Beauty for a Cause
Beauty for a Cause
Beauty for a Cause is a special award initially given in Miss Earth 2003 competition to the candidate who made the most significant social contribution...
", consisted of swimsuit
Swimsuit
A swimsuit, bathing suit, or swimming costume is an item of clothing designed to be worn by men, women or children while they are engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, water polo, diving, surfing, water skiing, or during activities in the sun, such as sun bathing.A...
, evening gown
Evening gown
An evening gown is a long flowing women's dress usually worn to a formal affair. It ranges from tea and ballerina to full-length. Evening gowns are often made of a luxury fabric such as chiffon, velvet, satin, or silk...
, and talent competitions, but more weight was given to ecological and environmental intelligence in the interview portion since the Miss Earth winner serves as the spokesperson for the Miss Earth Foundation
Miss Earth Foundation
Miss Earth Foundation is a non-stock, non-profit organization, which serves as the environmental-social-humanitarian outreach arm of Miss Earth beauty pageant. It was established to institutionalize the environmental mission of Miss Earth...
, the United Nations Environment Programme
United Nations Environment Programme
The United Nations Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its...
(UNEP) and other environmental organizations.
The delegates were first trimmed down to 10 in the semi-final portion, which included Singha. The pageant, which promotes environmental awareness, was won by Catharina Svensson
Catharina Svensson
Catharina Brink is an international beauty queen from Copenhagen, Denmark who won the Miss Earth 2001. Catharina is a model and lawyer by profession...
of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and participated by 42 delegates representing various countries in the world.
Personal life
Singha lives in MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, India. She is a literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
graduate and used to write poetry when in school and till recently on fashion and travel.
She has a sister named Mashoom Singha, who is also a model in India. She was a close friend of Viveka Babajee
Viveka Babajee
Viveka Babajee was a Mauritian-born Indian model and actress. She held the titles of Miss Mauritius World 1993 and Miss Mauritius Universe 1994. She was best known for her KamaSutra condom advertisements of the 1990s, and for her involvement in the so-called Metro Manila Film Festival scam of...
, Miss Universe Mauritius 1994
Miss Universe 1994
Miss Universe 1994, the 43rd Miss Universe pageant, was held at the Plenary Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center, in Manila, Philippines on May 20, 1994...
who shot to fame with the KamaSutra condoms
KamaSutra condoms
KamaSutra Condoms is India’s second largest condom brand. It is manufactured by J.K. Ansell , which is a 50:50 joint venture between Raymond Group India’s largest worsted fabric and branded apparel company, and Ansell Limited, a world leader in barrier healthcare protection...
advertisements in the 1990s, but committed suicide in 2010.
She used to date and had a relationship with Upen Patel
Upen Patel
Upen Patel is a British Indian Super model and Bollywood film actor.- Early work :After winning Zee TV's supermodel hunt in 2002, Patel began modeled for Hugo Boss, Paul Smith and Zegna. He started his acting career with singer/song writer Romey Gill's "Sadeyan paran to sikhi udna."He received the...
, a British Indian
British Indian
The term British Indian refers to citizens of the United Kingdom whose ancestral roots lie in India. This includes people born in the UK who are of Indian descent, and Indian-born people who have migrated to the UK...
model and Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film actor.