A diabetologist with a heart of gold – Bangalore’s Dr. Leena Gupta wins the ‘Mrs India Empress of the Nation 2021

A beautiful personality, she was crowned Miss Mysore in 1993 and went on to become  Sangam Queen – Miss Karnataka. She has also authored five successful children books.

Dr. Leena Gupta won the coveted title of winner at Diva Pageants’ ‘Mrs India Empress of the Nation 2021’ in the Gold category and her joy knew no bounds “It indeed was a beautiful moment when my name was announced. Every great dream begins with a dreamer and I lived my dreams”, she beamed, as she walked away with the prestigious crown from amongst 31 finalists at the glittering finale which was held at Hyatt Pune on 10^th December 2021. Diva Pageants is the brainchild of Karl and Anjana Mascarenhas. That’s not all – she also bagged the subtitle of ‘Mrs Achiever Award’ in the same category! 

But the title was well-deserved. Because this pageant is not just about beauty, but also brains and a heart of gold. And Dr. Leena Gupta ticked off all the three boxes. A doctor by profession, holding MBBS, MD, MPhil degrees, practicing as a Diabetologist and Physician and Founder of Meesha Polyclinic and Diagnostic Centre, Dr. Leena Gupta, believes that all “learnings and earnings are for service of the society”. From providing free covid consultations to subsidizing treatments for un-affording patients, she has lived by this philosophy. Despite fears and anxiety, she never stopped working to ensure that none of the patients are deprived of medical need. She did online consultations during first and second wave of the pandemic, attending to hundreds of patients from Karnataka, UP, Delhi. “Let’s do all that we can. We are blessed to be able to help”, says the doctor who did her MBBS from Mysore. She recognised absence of good doctor’s consultations in many neigbourhoods and on requests from people there she started treating the patients online. She was naturally inundated with requests for consultations, day and night. “Right advise at the right time and proper guidance saves lives. Lots of diagnostics are not available in smaller towns – they did not even have oximeters – but through consultations we can teach them what to do. This helped so many of them to cope with the disease”, adds the lovely doctor, who is also Founder of the health Startup – Meesha MedNet Pvt. Ltd.

Dr. Leena has always believed in giving back to society from the early days of her practise. Apart from the pandemic, she has been helping several youngsters achieve their dreams or get timely medical aid – from sponsoring heart operations for underprivileged girls to supporting tribal kids of Nandurbar, from sponsoring girl players for world chess competitions to paying for engineering and dental college fees for less fortunate students, from supplying food during covid times to lower rungs of society to organizing medical camps in slums, you ask for a social cause and she will jump with heart and soul into it.  

What’s more – she has an artistic side to her persona too – she is an accomplished Bharatnatyam dancer who has given solo performances at many national level dance festivals like Ellora Festival, Kalidas Festival, Elephanta Festival, Mysore Dussehra Festival etc. and also in Mahakaleshver temple, Mumbai Juhu ISKCON temple, Dussehra festival at Jugmohan Palace Mysore etc. She even performed in Udaya Channel weekly serial named ‘Aralu Mallige’ based on classical dance and art, as a child.

Coming back to her crowning glory, Dr. Leena gives all credit to her mentors Anjana & Karl, for this transformation from a busy doctor to becoming a Diva Mrs India. “Our mentors – Karl and Anjana were with us the whole day, grooming us with a lot of patience. I, being an entrepreneur sincerely appreciate attention to minutest of details and generation of an ambience of participation, care as well as excitement. The days that I spent with my DIVA family will be a memory that I will cherish forever. I realise I came out as first among equals – rest are equally empowered and graceful ladies that may make any family, society proud. Finally, thanks are due for gifts of confidence, health, grooming, self-esteem as well as  the twinkle in the eyes of my children (she has two children – daughter 21, son 17 – both internationally acclaimed chess players). Last but not the least a most supportive hubby who tries to fulfill all my weirdest ideas into reality. That is the main reason I have excelled in so many fields”, she smiles.