Her answer not only helped her win the crown but also won the judges' hearts. Harnaaz said, “Well, I think the biggest pressure the youth of today is facing is to believe in themselves. To know that you are unique makes you beautiful. Stop comparing yourself with others, and let's talk about more important things happening worldwide. I think this is what you need to understand. Come out, speak for yourself, because you are the leader of your life. You are the voice of your own. I believed in myself, and that's why I'm standing here today. Thank you.”

 

Miss Universe 2000: Lara Dutta

 

Lara Dutta was crowned the Miss Universe in 2000. Her victory was a monumental achievement as she broke previous records by achieving the highest scores in the swimsuit competition and the final interview. Her score of 9.99 remains the highest ever recorded in Miss Universe history to date.

For the finale round, Lara was asked to convince the people protesting outside the venue against the pageant. “I think pageants like the Miss Universe pageant give us young women a platform to foray into the fields that we want to and forge ahead, be it entrepreneurship, the armed forces, or politics. It gives us a platform to voice our choices and opinions and makes us strong, independent women that we are today,” she had replied, impressing the judges with her answer.

Miss Universe 1994: Sushmita Sen

Sushmita Sen was crowned Miss Universe in 1994. Her win remains a historic moment for India for many reasons, including the fact that she became the first Indian woman to win the title since the beauty pageant began 43 years ago.

During the final Q&A, the three finalists were asked to describe their idea of the “essence of a woman”. To which she replied, “Just being a woman is a gift of God that all of us must appreciate. The origin of a child is a mother, who is a woman. She shows a man what caring, sharing and loving is all about. That’s the essence of being a woman.”