Pantaloons Femina Miss India, India's most sought after beauty contest, announced a strategic collaboration with two ace directors Madhur Bhandarkar and Vipul Shah, here.

These directors will identify, mentor and launch two Miss India finale contestants in their respective upcoming film projects. Besides, industry stalwarts Anupam Kher and Shiamak Davar will also be supporting the association by way of training and mentoring the contestants in acting and dance respectively.

According to an official release, this is the first time in the history of Femina Miss India, that an association of such scale is being worked on. Femina Miss India will work as a platform for aspiring young girls to showcase and get acknowledged for their talents, not only in the global fashion arena but also in Bollywood.

Speaking on the occasion, Sameer Soni, National Director, Femina Miss India said, "This year we have introduced a fresh concept of cinema to the entire property since most of our past contestants have received a red carpet entry in the film industry. With this new chapter added to the pageant, it would now provide a bigger opportunity and open up newer avenues for the participating contestants.

"We are happy to associate with filmmakers Vipul Shah and Madhur Bhandarkar in launching this initiative and express our gratitude to industry stalwarts Anupam Kher and Shiamak Davar who support us in this venture by imparting training to the contestants in acting and dance."

Madhur Bhandarkar and Vipul Shah will interact with the contestants of Femina Miss India during the training period (Mid March 2010 – End April 2010). From amongst these, they would audition and select one contestant each and launch the selected talent in one of their upcoming projects.

Filmmaker Vipul Shah said, "Today Indian cinema is becoming the dream that millions want to achieve. Young individuals from across the country come to Mumbai to achieve this dream but they don't know how!

Without proper preparation many talented candidates lose out on possible glory. Femina Miss India is a great platform for talented individuals to get noticed.

By providing specialized and focused guidance to the potential Miss Indias, they will become a complete package not just for Indian cinema but also to represent the country more confidently on the global platform at a later stage."

Commenting on the association, filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar said, "This association will bring about a novel, focused yet entertaining element to the Miss India training process.

We will ensure we create superb actresses in tandem with the Femina Miss India team. It is known fact that I love working with newcomers, new subjects for my films and I think that this innovative tie-up will give the film industry talented actresses to reckon with.

I am looking for the right mix of talent and individuality and Femina Miss India is the perfect place to find such a person. "

Anupam Kher, who spearheads ‘Actor Prepares', one of India's finest acting schools, shall be designing a specialized training module for contestants in nuances of acting. In fact, ‘Actor Prepares' shall also award a scholarship for their Full Time Diploma Course in Acting – 3 months to any one of the deserving contestants.

Anupam Kher said, "I am very happy that my school Actor Prepares will be a part of this initiative. Femina Miss India is a great platform for scouting talent especially since we have had great actresses from that background. Actor Prepares and I look forward to training the contestants in nuances of acting. Bollywood is an aspiration for many and it is fulfilling to be a part of making someone's dream come true."

Shiamak Davar, India's guru of modern contemporary dance, along with his team at SDIPA will be conducting exclusive workshops where he will train the contestants in Bollywood dancing.

Shiamak Davar said, "Since I have been present at the South and East Pageants respectively this season, I have observed great potential in the contestants who have been carefully handpicked.

Dance is an essential part of basic co- ordination and it is essential that the mind, body and soul are in perfect sync. The film industry today is a competitive place and it is a privilege for these contestants to be trained in dance and acting and be prepared to take the challenge head on."

The credibility of this pageant lies in its experienced and noteworthy panel of experts, who this year will include the likes of Marc Robinson, the official Contestant Director and Fashion Director, Mickey Mehta, Dr. Jamuna Pai, Dr Purnima Mhatre, Alisya Raut, Seema Hingrany, Sabina Merchant, Dr. Sandesh Mayekar and Prasad Bidappa.

Marc Robinson, Contestant Director & Fashion Director PFMI 2010, stated, "This association with Bollywood has opened up an exciting avenue & we are excited about tapping talent & honing them to take the film industry by storm. We will endeavor to focus on potential talent who showcase an innate the aptitude and strive to create a niche for themselves, not only by their outstanding looks & a perfect body, but also their aspirations, talent & intellect."

Sanjeev Agarwal, CEO of Pantaloons, said, "A step into Bollywood now signals success for the new talent in the fashion industry. Pantaloons is proud of the new association which Pantaloons Femina Miss India is creating with established production houses in Bollywood, thus creating a definitive culmination to the journey of the contestant which starts with the entry to the pageant."

The Femina Miss India pageant has recognized and nurtured the hidden talent in Sushmita Sen, Aishwarya Rai, Lara Dutta, Priyanka Chopra, Dia Mirza and many others to perfection, and they have brought international fame and recognition to our country by proving their mettle on the global platform.