Shriya Kishore, Pantaloons Femina Miss India Earth 2009, knows that at five feet 11 inches, her height is the first thing people notice about her. 

“Men get intimidated. I never had any qualms about commuting in overcrowded buses, as men would stay away on their own. Very few men, that includes my father and brother, can handle my height,” says Shriya, who is leaving for the Miss Earth pageant in the Philippines.