Sushmita Sen’s mother pushed her to participate in the beauty pageant in 1994.
Sushmita Sen, in an old interview, had revealed that 25 girls had already backed out of Miss India 1994 because Aishwarya Rai was also participating.
When we look back now, it is hard to imagine someone else other than Sushmita Sen wearing the Miss India crown in 1994. But did you know that the actress had almost backed out of the beauty pageant that year? It was because of Aishwarya Rai. Sushmita Sen once disclosed in an interview that she had almost skipped Miss India 1994 contest as “extremely beautiful” Aishwarya was also participating in the pageant. Feeling overshadowed by her rival’s beauty and popularity, Sushmita considered withdrawing her name from the contest. In the interview, an excerpt of which is going viral on Reddit, the actress revealed that 25 girls had already backed out of the competition because of Aishwarya Rai.
However, after Sushmita withdrew her application form, her mother’s pushed her to participate in the pageant and accept defeat at least after trying her best. The very next day, Sushmita participated in the pageant and later emerged as the winner, making India proud. In the clip, Sushmita credits her mother for encouraging her to participate in the grand contest. A Reddit page shared the video with the caption “Sushmita-Aishwarya pageant story.”
Not many know that Sushmita Sen’s victory in the pageant was a result of the tie-breaker round. During the Miss India 1994 contest, Aishwarya Rai was asked a unique question that left the audience and judges curious. She was asked to choose between two iconic television characters, Ridge Forrester from ‘The Bold & Beautiful’ and Mason Capwell from ‘Santa Barbara,’ and whose qualities she would look for in a husband. Aishwarya’s response was a surprise to many as she chose Mason, stating that he had a caring side and a great sense of humour, qualities that matched her personality.
On the other hand, Sushmita Sen was asked about the textile heritage of the country and her personal preferences in clothing. In her answer, she credited Mahatma Gandhi’s promotion of khadi as the start of India’s textile legacy.
Following the success of Miss India, Sushmita Sen created history by winning the Miss Universe title for her country the same year. She was the first Indian to win the global beauty pageant.
A few years later, Sushmita made her Bollywood debut with the 1996 film Dastak. She went on to star in a variety of projects, including Tamil films.
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