Supreet Bedi, Communication and Diction Expert at a popular beauty pageant organisation, has been a guide, mentor and family to most of the winners, including Miss Universe 2021 winner Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu. In an exclusive conversation with Free Press Journal, the boss lady spills the beans on the behind the scenes process.
About training Harnaaz, Supreet says, “She always had determination. She believed she was winner material but was practical enough to know that she needed polishing. Her accent and pronunciation had to be toned down. Removing mother tongue influence is a task, and it took dedicated sessions to get her to rise above her regional influences and sound more international without being fake. Our environment makes us, so I encouraged her to create a suitable environment by watching English content, following the right channels and covering role plays and mock interactions.”
Elaborating further, she adds, “I often had philosophical chats with her that helped deepen her emotional quotient while cross-referencing her personal experiences. It took a dedicated team of panellists to get her there. Over time, her answers showcased depth, compassion, empathy and substance. I was all teary when watching the finale live and jumped with joy when her name was announced. She did prove to be that ideal student.”
Supreet is very impressed with Harnaaz’s commitment. “Her dedication during our training sessions was commendable. She would do as told without questioning my intention. If I asked her to repeat something 99 times, she would happily do so, promising that she will stand me proud soon, and so she did,” she gushes.
In the 2005 pageant, Supreet Bedi won the title of Miss Talented, and from then on, it was no looking back for her. She has also trained Rohit Khandelwal, “I remember doing vigorous sessions with Rohit before his departure for Mister World 2016. He became the first Indian (and Asian) to bag the title of Mister World,” she shares.
Supreet is proud of what she does. “It’s hard work preparing the delegates for that prim and proper delivery, but all that effort is worth the victorious return. Such was the case with Harnaaz, who surprised everyone with her humongous victory as the new Miss Universe that too after 21 years,” she concludes.
Supreet is also a jury member at a much celebratory beauty pageant organisation. Currently, she is writing her first book on communication strategies and hosts a YouTube Channel called ‘SUPAbility by Supreet Bedi’, highlighting tips and tricks for successful voice representation.
