It’s not often that one comes across a single person breaking all boundaries of a stereotypical society, but Sikkim’s Eksha Hangma Subba did just that. This 21-year-old police officer by profession is also a supermodel and a boxer.
Born in Rumbuk village to Aitaraj and Sukrani Subba, Eksha grew up with no reigns to her dreams and interests. She always aspired to enter the reality television show ‘MTV Supermodel of the Year’, and at a young age, she also discovered the world of combat sport at a local boxing class.
Behind her ‘dare to dream’ attitude was her father who believed in and motivated her to stop at nothing. According to Brut, it was he who introduced her to boxing as a good way to maintain fitness. With his support, she capitalised on every opportunity and worked hard to excel in whatever she did. Soon, Eksha was representing her state in boxing at the national level.
While chasing her passions through life, this gritty go-getter was also the eldest sibling and sole breadwinner of her family. She decided to get a job while pursuing her graduation at the age of 19. She then joined Sikkim’s police force, which required undergoing a 14-month training process under tough conditions.
Working as a police officer, she decided to audition for the MTV show and got selected. The show, currently in its second season, is airing on the theme ‘Unapologetically You’, and for its audition video, Eksha donned her very decorated uniform.
Soon, she was flying to Mumbai, a city that posed a strong language barrier for someone who could not speak Hindi. Being from a defence background also meant that she was competing solely on attributive strengths with no industry experience. But whatever external factors this contestant struggled with, she made up for with other inner strengths like self-confidence and a will to make the most of the opportunity.
Eksha’s journey stands as testimony to the diverse strengths of a woman. In an interview with Sikkim Express, she revealed that she was able to use her police training to her advantage in the beauty contest. She excelled at challenges involving heights or a display of core strength, and the experience had also lent her the sheer mental strength to quickly learn any other skills on the go.
She quickly won the hearts of so many in the entertainment industry and is currently one of the top four contestants in the show. She also received a standing ovation from one of the judges (Malaika Arora Khan) for being a woman of many talents that commanded the respect of the country.
In a recent Twitter post, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra also applauded Eksha’s efforts. “Eksha puts Wonder Woman in the shade!” he said. And rightly so.
The North East is brimming with extraordinary people. I tweeted about Prem from Manipur, India’s ‘IronMan.’ And now, here’s another Superhero; Eksha puts Wonder Woman in the shade! And she’s a biker too. I think we need to get her on a #Jawa What say, @reach_anupam @BRustomjee ? https://t.co/Vgf3LAoG5h
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) October 7, 2021
Edited by Yoshita Rao
All images have been sourced from Instagram
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