Actress and Miss Universe 2000 Lara Dutta is all set to host the second season of Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva 2015 reality TV series. Each nail-biting episode will see the 16 finalists prove their mettle in tasks set by celebrity judges. The many twists and turns along with innovative challenges are bound to make the series even more exciting. The winner of the pageant will represent India at Miss Universe 2015. Excerpts from an interview with the beautiful Lara...

How different is this season going to be?
Last year, we were sort of finding our way through, narrowing down on a programme that was television-friendly, but at the same time, benefitting the girls. This year, we are a lot more organised. We know what the girls need, therefore the challenges are also fashioned around that.

You seem to be enjoying your television stint.
I love it. I have been offered television a lot of times but I have turned it down. I think it's finding something you identify with and you feel at home doing it. This comes naturally to me because I know exactly what I need to tell the girls. We prepare a script and come, but 90% of everything that happens, happens very organically on the set. I am not just playing the part of a host, I'm also playing mentor to them simultaneously. I have just that much time to impart whatever I need to and in a capsule which is intensive enough for them to be able to absorb.

What's the best part of your job? And the most difficult?
I get to relive what I did 15 years ago. And the hardest part is definitely the eliminations. Nobody has reached this far just on a whim or by chance. They have really worked on themselves, their families have put in so much. I tell them one thing - to be able to succeed or to survive in showbiz, you need a backbone of steel. You need to learn to pick yourself up, dust things off and just move forward. You have to learn to get on with it.

In terms of the participants, do you see a huge change today compared to when you were one?
Tremendously. The girls today are far more prepared than we were. In fact, some of them are already doing films in the South or Bollywood.

The one advice you give the girls...
You need to stand out, whether it's here or at Miss Universe. That can happen only if you have a strong sense of individuality. Otherwise, the girls come so prepared now that they all look like carbon copies of each other. One has to be unique. But I am happier with the lot this year; as soon as I met them, they actually created their own impressions.

Who's the winner for you?
I need somebody who is well prepared. Apart from the physical aspects, I need somebody with confidence, but a quiet confidence. I don't want an in your-face confidence because sometimes, that comes off as arrogance.

Catch the finalists in an exciting seven-episode televi sion series with Lara Dutta on Romedy Now, with repeats on Zoom. The finale will also be aired on Fox Life. Watch all the action, intrigue and behind-the scene preparation for the series starting October 12.

The pageant's title sponsor is Yamaha Fascino. Yamaha Fascino's partnership reflects the spirit of freedom and aims to fascinate youth by fulfilling their lives with products and services under the concept Fascino. Gemfields has come on board as the Crown & Gems Partner for the pageant. For more information, log on to http:www.missdiva.com.