A budding actress, Shah will contest in the Miss USA pageant.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: On the heels of Nina Davuluri’s historic victory at the annual Miss America pageant last month, an Indian American has now been crowned as the 2013 Miss New Jersey USA.
Emily Shah, the 18 year-old winner of the crown, is the daughter of Prashant Shah, a Los Angeles-based film producer who has been involved with several high-profiles Bollywood productions over the past 14 years. Films that Prashant Shah has been involved with include Ra.One (2011), My Name is Khan (2010), Kurbaan (2009), and Dostana (2008).
Emily has also dabbled in Bollywood herself, making brief appearances in films such as Ta Ra Rum Pum (2007) and Jaan-e-Mann (2006). She was also in the 2005 Hollywood film The Great New Wonderful, and is working as a stunt assistant on the film Run All Night, a new action film starring Academy Award-nominees Liam Neeson and Ed Harris, which is currently being filmed.
She resides in Edison, New Jersey, and beat out over 130 other contenders to win the Miss New Jersey US title. Winning the crown will give her multiple prize packages, talent representation, scholarship money, as well as various articles of clothing, cosmetics, and jewelry.
But perhaps most exciting of all is the fact that now that she is Miss New Jersey USA, Emily Shah will be representing her state at next year’s Miss USA pageant, the winner of which goes on to represent the country at the Miss Universe pageant (Miss America and Miss USA are two different but easily confusable pageants). Winning Miss USA would also make Shah the first representative from New Jersey to win, as well.
Previous Miss Universe winners include Bollywood stars Lara Dutta (2000) and Sushmita Sen (1994).
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com