Have you heard about Miss India 2020 Runner-Up Manya Singh being the daughter of an auto rickshaw driver?
‘Shakal Acha Nahin Hai’ was what Manya Singh, the Miss India 2020 runner-up was once told. Yet, this daughter autorickshaw driver hailing from Uttar Pradesh has proved all her detractors wrong, and made all her loved ones and people around the country proud by becoming the runner-up of the 2020 Miss India pageant. In an emotionally charged Humans of Bombay social media post, Manya has described her journey thus far during which she has received unconditional support from her parents and also experience criticisms about her looks. Here is then presenting you a few facts from the Instagram post that will highlights things you need to know about Manya Singh.
Manya Singh leaving home to fulfill her ambitions in the ‘City of Dreams’ Mumbai:
In the post, Manya talked about how she left home at 14 to come to Mumbai and pursue her dreams. She also claimed to have worked at a Pizza Hut store to earn an income. She said, "At 14, I boarded the train from my village & left for Mumbai to pursue my dreams, all by myself. I didn't know where it would lead me, but I knew I was meant to achieve great things. When I walked out of the station, Pizza Hut was the first place I saw somehow got myself a part-time job there & temporary accommodation (sic)."
Constant parental guidance and support provided by parents of Manya Singh:
According to Manya, her parents were always supportive of her dreams. A few days after she arrived in Mumbai, they followed her there, took up a job and supported her. In fact, she states in the post that her father or ‘Papa’ as she calls him categorically said to her that 'We'll support you'; he drove an auto to make a living. Still, they put me in a good school. Alongside, I also worked part-timeI earned Rs.15, 000 a month,"
Manya Singh and her ultimate dream to participating and winning a Miss India pageant:
Talking about her dream of winning the Miss India pageant, she said, "I was 15 when I watched the Miss India Pageant for the first timeI thought, 'I'm going to win that crown someday & make Papa proud.' But coming from a patriarchal family, I was told that women are lesser than men. Tauji would say, 'Ladkiyon ko padhai karke bhi shaadi hi karni padti hai.' But when I told Papa, 'I want to compete for a beauty pageant', he said, 'Keep working hard & you'll get there!' (sic)."
Rejection faced and Dejection suffered by Manya Singh due to the way she looks and speaks:
Initially she revealed that in the beginning she had to face rejection because of her looks or her English. She was once told that she does not have a nice face. She candidly admits that "I auditioned for over 10 pageants, but they'd say, ‘You don't have a nice face or 'You don't even know English!”. She continues “Things weren't easy at home either Papa had mortgaged our jewellery to pay my fees. So if I'd need money to buy clothes, I'd mop the floor at the pizza place. There, I observed how people carried themselves & in college, I'd observe how my friends spoke English (sic),"
Now that she has become the runner-up of Miss India 2020 pageant Manya believes that this win will help her in fulfilling her dreams and provide for her family. She also planned to buy her parents a home. More importantly, she proudly states that it is because her father believed in her that today, a rickshaw driver's daughter is standing with a crown on her head.