"It brings me to tears of joy even today...29 years later"
Sushmita Sen celebrated her legendary Miss Universe win with a throwback picture on her Instagram.
Sharing the image of when she was just 18 years old, the actress and model reflected on her historic win at the competition in 1994.
Taking a trip down memory lane, Sushmita Sen was the first Indian to win the Miss Universe competition. In a lengthy caption, she wrote:
“This picture is exactly 29 years old, shot by the epic man & photographer #prabuddhadasgupta.
“In the rawness of this picture, he beautifully captured an 18-year-old me…with a smile he said, you realise you’re the first Miss Universe I’ve ever shot.
“I proudly added, it’s actually INDIA’s first ever Miss Universe.”
“The privilege of representing & winning for my Motherland is an honour so profound, it brings me to tears of joy even today…29 years later!!!
“I celebrate & remember this day with great pride as History bears witness, INDIA won Miss Universe for the first time ever on 21st May 1994 in Manila.”
There was an outpour of emotion in response to the image. One was from TV actor Suvrat Joshi, who said:
“You are one powerhouse…you have inspired not only women of this country but also so many young minds (me included) to thrive to be a better human and bigger artist…More power to you.”
Actor Ankur Bhatia also added: “You are Miss Universe forever”.
In 1994, Sushmita would compete against Aishwarya Rai and nearly withdrew her application after learning she’d be facing off against her.
However, her mother persuaded her to take part in the pageant, and what a correct decision it was.
Since Sushmita, there have been other Miss Universe winners from India.
Actress, Lara Dutta won the famous crown in 2000 and then 21 years later, model Harnaaz Kaur Sandu put Indian beauty back on the map.
As of 2023, only three Indians have won this incredible title but it shows the trailblazer Sushmita Sen is with India’s first-ever win.
Loading ...