Mangaluru: The English proverb “Beauty and kindness do not meet” is just how wrong it can be. You need to meet Mangaluru, Karnataka’s coastal capital’s Pratibha Salian, the doe-eyed beauty, to believe that they co-exist in some unique people.
Pratibha is a multifaceted woman with substance and drive who has won numerous beauty pageants throughout her life. Pratibha says with a charming smile, “Mrs. India’s finesse crown was the best yet. But that was just the beginning. As I became a member of the society of beautiful ladies, numerous awards — including those for Mrs. Dakshina Kannada, Mrs. Mangalore, Mrs. Karnataka, and Mrs. Beautiful eyes — were given out to me.”
“Although my modeling career was the reason for all of these accolades, my friends and family repeatedly attested to the fact that I had a unique appearance. I’ve begun judging fashion modelling competitions after gaining experience in the industry,” she said.
Further stating that she has worked with several brands as a model for advertisements and an actor in short films, she said, “Working as a brand and advertisement influencer, I initially enjoyed the name recognition and fame that all of this brought. But despite my winning streak, I couldn’t help but think back to one particular query. What about the women who are less fortunate than I am and who desire to look beautiful but are unable to do so because of certain health issues? Then, after thorough research, I discovered the solution,” she informs.
Pratibha’s unwavering and never-ending search had brought her face to face with the less fortunate women who were suffering from a terminal illness but had lost their crowning glory and were beginning to bald as a result of the medication and chemotherapy. “No woman wants to lose her hair, regardless of age. I met a few women who had to go through this trauma, and after hearing about their experience, I was unable to control my tears. Dejected but determined to find a way out of their predicament, I came up with a strategy to restore their crowing glory. I spent several weeks on this. This took me several weeks. My plan worked out well because I began gathering hair from women’s hairdressers and beauty salons and made wigs that almost looked natural. The women and girls who used it regained their former level of self-assurance. But I still grieve for them within me that I could not relieve them of their terminal illness,” she expresses.
Numerous female activists on the Karnataka coast and social service organisations have praised Pratibha’s work. People she assists at numerous social service organisations as well as social workers who advocate for women’s welfare commend her concern for social issues. “Beauty may be skin deep, but Pratibha is one individual where beauty goes deeper in her heart and mind. Her kind heart increases her beauty many folds,” say her friends in the Mahila Mandalis of Mangaluru City.
Awesome, keep it up please