Harnaaz Sandhu, Miss Universe 2021, is about to embark on an amazing and lengthy trip. She won the championship for the first time in 21 years, 21 years after Lara Dutta did so in 2000. Along with Lara and Sushmita Sen, who won the title in 1994, she is in extremely remarkable company. Harnaaz, like her more experienced opponents, has her sights set on yet another prized trophy. A career in the film industry. Harnaaz had stated about her future ambitions in an interview that she participated in the Miss Universe finals, “I would love to focus on Bollywood.”
This lovely and self-assured young girl, like so many others before her, aspires to be an actress. We’ve previously mentioned Manushi Chillar, Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra, Yukta Mookhey, Dia Mirza, Celina Jaitley, Neha Dhupia, and Tanushree Dutta. The list is extremely remarkable and lengthy. However, there is no law that says a pageant winner or contender must pursue a career in Bollywood. Engineers, physicians, legislators, and entrepreneurs are all possibilities. Take, for example, Reita Faria. In 1966, she became the first Indian woman to win Miss World, and she went on to become a doctor. Garima Yadav joined the Indian Army as a Lieutenant only a few years ago. However, many women intentionally desire a job in the movies since it is the most organic, natural, and reasonable vocation to follow once you’ve learned about flashbulbs and fashion.
In 2000, India won both the Miss Universe and Miss World pageants, with Lara Dutta taking home the Miss Universe crown and Priyanka Chopra taking home the Miss World crown. And, as fate would have it, both ladies starred alongside Akshay Kumar in the same first film, ‘Andaaz’ (2003). “Andaaz was scheduled to star two established women alongside Akshay Kumar in 2002, but I couldn’t figure out the uniqueness to the proposed casting and questioned how it would draw spectators,” Darshan recalls. That’s when I decided to work on a new look for the film, and I chose Lara Dutta, who had previously photographed for the Filmfare cover. I summoned her from Bangalore.
Then Priyanka Chopra and her secretary showed up to my office one day and demanded to speak with me. They came into my cabin, and I politely requested that they seat across the table from me to see whether she might be considered for the second part. She seemed apprehensive, and I originally thought she was unlike any of the other conventionally attractive actresses with whom I had worked (Meenakshi Seshadri, Juhi Chawla, both beauty pageant winners, Karishma and Kareena Kapoor). But it was Priyanka’s expressive eyes and haunting voice that reminded me of the seductive Rekha. I agreed to cast her on the condition that ‘Andaaz’ be her debut film, which Priyanka and her secretary enthusiastically agreed to.”
