Meet Sujata Shelar, Bhiwandi town's head constable and pageant queen

Head Constable Sujata Shelar overcame self-doubt and stereotypes, and left everybody impressed at her first-ever beauty pageant

Thane City Police, Miss Maharashtra Glamourous 2023," says her Instagram bio. The 39-year-old is very clear about her day job and her personal achievements being complementary sides to her personality.

Sujata Shelar, Head Constable with the Bhiwandi Town police station, Thane district, received a vote of support from her colleagues and superiors, after she won the title in December. "My interest in modelling was piqued when I signed up for a diploma in fashion design after graduating in economics," she tells us. "I like exploring new interests. Sports was a passion while I was in college," says Shelar, who earned a brown belt in karate and is a boxer too. Right now, she's pursuing a degree in law.

Shelar was born in Kongaon, Bhiwandi, to a driver father and homemaker mother. It was her mother Jaya's wish that one of her two daughters joins the police. Shelar rose to the challenge - an attitude that has held her in good stead. "My mother often voiced this wish, and I took it upon myself to fulfill it," she says simply.

Participating in Miss Maharashtra came with its own challenges. Before she could compete with co-participants, she had social prejudices to surmount."I have been criticised all through childhood for my skin, and it led to a lot of self-doubt. Besides, policing comes with its own stereotypes. Policewomen are perceived as ‘manly'. The pageant was my chance to challenge these notions."

Shelar sailed through the audition, interview, and ramp walk rounds. What she had anticipated would prove a hurdle was her shaky English. Having gone to a Marathi school, English, she says, isn't her strong suit. To the organisers' surprise, she told them bluntly, she was more comfortable conversing in Hindi. And to her delight, she was told that language was not a criterion.

"I think they recognised my ability to have made it to the top seven spot. I was ridden with self-doubt, I must admit, but I persisted, deciding that I'd focus on my strengths." When the judges asked her what advice she'd give her own self, she said: No matter what life throws at you, don't give up. "It's what I believe; I wouldn't have made it this far if I didn't." Shelar went on to win the Miss Maharashtra Glamourous title at the pageant.

How has life changed? Her superiors are more than supportive, she has been felicitated at community events and her Instagram following is rising. The captions for her videos have a singular theme-positive thinking and self-confidence, something she wishes for everyone to follow. "My belief system rests on two adages: Nothing is impossible, and age is just a number. I am aware that at my age, there are limited options before me in the beauty industry." And yet, Shelar is preparing for her next pageant.

Which one? Wait and watch.