Marchie M Sangma became the second runner-up of Miss India Glamour International 2018 in July and will represent the country in the US in August. She also became the first from Garo Hills to achieve such feat in the fashion world. But sitting in a small restaurant in the city, Marchie was the next-door girl, far from the glamour and flashlights and talks without any air of the newly found fame.
The 28-year-old model from Dadenggre in West Garo Hills says before this she had never walked the ramp. “I started a boutique in Tura when I was 20. It was my mother and sister who encouraged me to take up modelling,” she adds.
Marchie, who is the youngest of eight siblings, joined the aviation industry last year. She says the grooming sessions there helped her a lot.
“Also, a well-known Guwahati-based model called Tanushree Barua is helping me prepare for the finale without any remuneration.”
She is following a strict regime before the US tour and yoga, gym and dancing are part of the daily routine. “I also have to be careful about what I eat to beat extra calories,” Marchie smiles as she looks indecisive about placing the order for food.
Talking about the Miss India Glamour pageant, Marchie says it was a great experience staying in Guwahati and meeting so many professionals from the industry.
“However, I have grown up amid nature and I am used to the silence around. I would miss that in the city and would often run away to the Brahmaputra forest resort to be closer to nature,” she says and adds that even if she gets the opportunity to stay in a big city she would prefer to come back to her family in West Garo Hills.
The audition for the Miss India Glamour pageant was held in Shillong on April 28 and the final was in Guwahati on July 2. The US finale will be from August 11 to 17.
Marchie laughs when she is told that her quiet nature is unlike someone from the glamour world. “I am still learning the ways of the world,” is what she has to say.
Asked about her plans after the US sojourn, Marchie says she wants to start a grooming school for budding models in West Garo Hills as there is no option there and aspiring models have to travel to Shillong or Guwahati for training.
Besides modelling, Marchie loves singing and dancing. She also believes in charity and practises too.
Her family, especially her mother Sorojine M Sangma, and a few good friends are her strength. They encourage her to remain focused. “If you dream to achieve something, pursue it. Dreams do come true. That is what I have learned in these few months,” she says before leaving for home.
~ NM