Pune’s Marathi Mulgi Ashwini Sowmya Yashwant is Western Zone Semi Finalist for Ms Maharashtra International

MUMBAI: Pune-born Marathi Mulgi, 24-year-old aspiring model, actor and singer Ashwini Sowmya Yashwant was on Sunday nominated as a semi-finalist for the Ms Maharashtra International pageant.

A panel of judges who sifted through the hundreds of entries from all over Maharashtra (and Maharashtrians living in other places) have selected 25 other participants who will make it to the grand finale next month at a glittering mega event at a 5-star venue in suburban Mumbai.

While each city, town and zone got a semi-finalist each, Mumbai has 2 others. Pune, Navi Mumbai, Mira-Bhayandar, Nasik, Kolhapur and Solapur got two semi-finalists each.

Ashwini Sowmya Yashwant has been modelling for the last 3-4 years and is an active social media influencer. She has also tried her hand at acting in the past and hopes to make it big some day on the silver screen.

She has featured in several episodic serials and TV shows including Crime Patrol, CID, etc., and will soon be seen in a serial on a popular Marathi GEC.

The Pride of India – Ms Maharashtra International is organised by Trident Films International and Tantra Crystal Media & Events – an event and artiste management company based in Mumbai. The Ms Mumbai pageant was also from the same stable, along with Island Magazine from the Magna Group, till 1999, after which it was handled by another company.

Actors, artistes and former Bigg Boss contestants like Arshi Khan, Gehana Vasisth, Vindu Dara Singh, MC Stan, Shraddha Sharma and several others including mainline actors like Genelia D’souza and Rajpal Yadav are expected to regale the audience at the function in February in Mumbai.

Popular film director Maneesh F Singh is the show director for the finale in Mumbai next month. While Ashwini Sowmya Yashwant was born in Pune, she now resides in suburban Mumbai.