Three women. Three crowns. Three completely different Bollywood journeys.
One became a superstar within two years. Another scored the highest individual round score in Miss Universe history before dominating rom coms. The third waited four years, battled body shaming, fought legal cases, and finally made her debut in 2025 while the world wondered what took so long.
This weekend, Mexico’s Fatima Bosch won Miss Universe 2025 in Bangkok after walking out on an organizer who publicly bullied her. India’s Manika Vishwakarma reached the Top 30, continuing the country’s placement streak but falling short of bringing home the crown for the fourth time.
But here’s what nobody talks about. The three Indian women who DID win Miss Universe faced wildly different paths to Bollywood success. Sushmita Sen, at 18, defeated Aishwarya Rai and became India’s first Miss Universe in 1994. Two years later, she was starring opposite Shah Rukh Khan. Lara Dutta broke scoring records in 2000, then seamlessly transitioned to blockbusters with Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan.
Then there’s Harnaaz Sandhu. Crowned Miss Universe 2021 after a 21 year gap. Should have been Bollywood’s next big thing by 2023. Instead, she disappeared from public view, gained weight that trolls viciously attacked, fought a legal battle with a Punjabi film producer, and only just made her Hindi film debut in September 2025’s Baaghi 4.
What changed between 1994 and 2021? Why did Harnaaz’s journey take twice as long as her predecessors? And what does Fatima Bosch’s controversy filled Miss Universe win reveal about how pageants have evolved?
Share this with every person who thinks beauty pageants are just about looking pretty because these women’s stories are about everything BUT that.
The Controversy That Made Miss Universe 2025 Unforgettable
Credits: The Hindu
Before diving into India’s Miss Universe history, let’s talk about this weekend’s pageant because it was WILD. Fatima Bosch, 25, representing Mexico, was publicly scolded by Thailand’s Miss Universe National Director Nawat Itsaragrisil during a pre pageant ceremony. On camera. In front of dozens of contestants.
Why? Because Fatima followed instructions from her Mexican national director instead of Nawat’s orders. His response was to berate her publicly and threaten to disqualify anyone who supported her. The power trip was so blatant, so unnecessary, and so tone deaf that it backfired spectacularly.
Fatima walked out. Not dramatically. Not angrily. Just calmly left the stage. And here’s where it gets beautiful: other contestants walked out with her. In solidarity. A bunch of women from different countries, competing against each other for the same crown, chose supporting Fatima over appeasing an authority figure abusing his power.
The backlash was immediate and global. Social media exploded. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the country’s first female president, publicly praised Fatima for standing up for herself. “The notion that women are more attractive when they remain silent is outdated,” Sheinbaum declared during a press conference. “Women shine when we express ourselves and engage.”
Nawat issued a tearful public apology. But the damage was done. The 74th Miss Universe competition would be remembered for its controversy as much as its winner. When Fatima’s name was announced, the arena erupted. Supporters waved Mexican flags. Thousands gathered in her home state of Tabasco to celebrate. This wasn’t just a beauty pageant win. It was vindication.
In her post victory remarks, Fatima said she wanted to be remembered as “someone who altered the traditional image of a Miss Universe and as a genuine individual who gives from the heart.” Mission accomplished. She literally changed Miss Universe history by refusing to be intimidated.
Don’t miss how Sushmita Sen did something similarly revolutionary 31 years earlier.
When An 18 Year Old From India Changed Everything
Credits: India Today
1994. Sushmita Sen is 18 years old. She’s competing in Miss India against Aishwarya Rai, who would later become one of Bollywood’s biggest stars and an international icon. Everyone expects Aishwarya to win. She has the look. The poise. The conventional beauty that pageants traditionally reward.
Sushmita wins. Then she goes to Miss Universe and wins that too. Becomes the first Indian woman ever to wear the crown. At 18. Before social media. Before pageant training had become the sophisticated industry it is today. Just raw confidence, sharp wit, and the ability to answer questions with substance instead of platitudes.
Her Miss Universe answer during the final question round became legendary. When asked what quality was most needed in a Miss Universe, she responded: “The Miss Universes that we have had up to now have been proof enough that they have had compassion, compassion for the underprivileged, not only for the people who have status and stature, who can look beyond the barriers that man has set up for ourselves of nationalities and colors. We have to look beyond that. And that would make a true Miss Universe. A person with humanity.”
She wasn’t reading from a script. She believed it. And that authenticity resonated globally. Sushmita Sen didn’t just win a pageant. She announced that Indian women could compete and win on the world’s biggest stages.
Two years later, she made her Bollywood debut in Mahesh Bhatt’s Dastak (1996). She played a fictionalized version of herself being stalked by an obsessed fan. The film wasn’t a massive hit but it established her presence. Then came the real hits: Biwi No 1 (1999) with Salman Khan and Karisma Kapoor, Aankhen (2002), Main Hoon Na (2004) with Shah Rukh Khan, and Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya (2005).
Sushmita’s Bollywood career spanned two decades. She never became the biggest female star, but she carved a niche as the tall, confident woman who could hold her own against male superstars. She dated high profile men. Adopted two daughters as a single mother. Maintained dignity through scandals and setbacks. And recently made a successful web series comeback with Aarya.
Her transition from Miss Universe to Bollywood was remarkably smooth. Two years from crown to debut. Steady work throughout her career. Never desperate for roles or validation. That confidence she displayed at 18 never wavered.
Lara Dutta’s Record Breaking Performance
Credits: DNA India
If Sushmita opened doors, Lara Dutta kicked them off the hinges. The year 2000 was magical for Indian pageantry. Lara won Miss Universe. Priyanka Chopra won Miss World. Dia Mirza won Miss Asia Pacific. Three major international crowns in one year. India was officially a pageant powerhouse.
But Lara’s victory was special for statistical reasons. She received the highest score ever in the swimsuit competition. Then, during the final interview round, she broke the record for highest individual score in a single round. These weren’t subjective assessments. These were quantifiable achievements showing she dominated the competition technically and aesthetically.
Her final question answer displayed the same sharp intelligence Sushmita had shown six years earlier. When asked what significant world event had occurred during her lifetime, Lara discussed humanity’s landing on the moon in perspective, showing both historical knowledge and the ability to think beyond obvious answers.
Three years after winning, Lara made her Bollywood debut in Andaaz (2003) alongside Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra. The film was a hit. She won the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. Her career trajectory was clear: romantic comedies and family entertainers where her beauty queen elegance translated perfectly to the traditional Hindi film heroine archetype.
Kaal (2005), No Entry (2005), Partner (2007), Don 2 (2011). Lara worked with every major male star: Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, John Abraham, Shah Rukh Khan. She understood her lane and excelled in it. Beautiful leading lady in big budget entertainers. She never tried to be Sushmita’s intense dramatic presence. She was content being Bollywood’s gorgeous girl next door.
Lara also transitioned successfully into entrepreneurship and motherhood. She married professional tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi, had a daughter, and continues working selectively. Her Miss Universe title didn’t define her but it opened every door she needed to build the career and life she wanted.
Both Sushmita and Lara showed that Miss Universe winners could successfully pivot to Bollywood. The formula seemed established. Win crown. Train with acting coaches. Debut within 2 to 3 years. Work steadily. Maintain relevance.
Then Harnaaz Sandhu’s journey revealed the formula had an expiration date.
Share this with your Bollywood history obsessed friend because what happened next changed everything.
Why Harnaaz Sandhu’s Path Took Four Years
Credits: The Hitavada
December 2021. Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu from Punjab becomes Miss Universe in Eilat, Israel. India wins the crown for the first time in 21 years. The entire country celebrates. She’s 21, articulate, passionate about women’s issues. Her final answer about menstruation stigma was bold and necessary. Everything pointed to a smooth Bollywood transition like her predecessors.
Then nothing happened. For months. While fans waited for her debut announcement, Harnaaz seemingly disappeared. When she did appear publicly, she looked different. She’d gained weight. And the internet, being the cesspool it often is, attacked her viciously.
What nobody knew: Harnaaz was struggling with celiac disease, an autoimmune condition triggered by gluten that causes inflammation and weight changes. The condition went undiagnosed for months while she dealt with symptoms and tried to understand why her body was changing despite efforts to maintain her pageant physique.
The body shaming was relentless. Comments on every photo. Articles questioning her appearance. Comparisons to Sushmita and Lara who maintained model figures throughout their careers. Harnaaz addressed it directly: “I was bullied for the way I gained weight. I feel sorry for those trolls who don’t know what I was going through. Sometimes people forget that their one comment can impact someone’s mental and emotional health.”
Then came legal drama. Upasana Singh, producer of Punjabi film Bai Ji Kuttange (2022), filed a complaint claiming Harnaaz broke her contract by refusing promotional duties. Harnaaz countered that the allegations were legally defective and dates had been misrepresented. The public battle added another obstacle to her already complicated post pageant life.
She worked in two Punjabi films during this period: Yaaran Diyan Poun Baaran (2023) and the contentious Bai Ji Kuttange. But Bollywood, the dream destination for most beauty queens, remained elusive. Casting directors weren’t calling. Producers weren’t offering lead roles. The smooth transition her predecessors enjoyed simply wasn’t happening.
Finally, in September 2025, nearly four years after her Miss Universe win, Harnaaz made her Hindi film debut in Baaghi 4 starring Tiger Shroff and Sanjay Dutt. Directed by A Harsha and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, the action thriller gave her a platform but not the same launching pad Sushmita and Lara received.
Why the delay? Multiple factors. The film industry had changed dramatically between 2000 and 2021. OTT platforms disrupted traditional star making machinery. Beauty pageants lost some cultural cachet as Instagram and reality TV created new celebrity pathways. And frankly, Harnaaz’s health struggles and body changes made risk averse producers hesitant in an industry that remains obsessively looks focused despite claims of progress.
Her journey wasn’t smoother or easier than Sushmita’s or Lara’s. It was significantly harder. And that says something sobering about how Bollywood and society treat women whose bodies don’t conform to narrow standards even temporarily.
What Miss India 2025’s Top 30 Finish Means
This weekend, Manika Vishwakarma represented India at Miss Universe 2025. The 21 year old political science student from Jaipur was crowned Miss Universe India in August after winning Best in Personal Interview and Miss Beautiful Smile. She entered the competition with pressure to continue India’s legacy and possibly bring home a fourth crown.
She reached the Top 30. Made it through the swimsuit round wearing a white monokini. Advanced to Top 15. But didn’t crack Top 12. India maintains its placement streak since 2019 but another crown remains elusive.
Is Top 30 disappointing? Only if you ignore how competitive Miss Universe has become. Over 130 countries compete. Training has professionalized globally. Every contestant arrives prepared, polished, and media trained. Making Top 30 means you’re objectively among the best beauty queens internationally.
But India’s Miss Universe history creates specific expectations. Three wins. Multiple Top 10 finishes. A reputation for producing articulate, intelligent contestants who excel in interview rounds. Anything less than Top 5 feels like underperformance even when it objectively isn’t.
Manika’s journey isn’t over. Whether she pursues Bollywood like her predecessors or forges a different path remains to be seen. But the beauty queen to actress pipeline isn’t as automatic as it once was. She’ll need strategy, timing, and luck to replicate Sushmita and Lara’s success.
The Bollywood Pipeline That’s Changed Forever
Here’s the reality nobody wants to admit. The Miss Universe to Bollywood transition that worked seamlessly in the 1990s and 2000s doesn’t function the same way anymore.
Social media democratized fame. Instagram influencers with millions of followers get brand deals and acting opportunities without pageant credentials. Reality TV creates instant celebrities. Nepotism remains entrenched, with industry kids getting opportunities regardless of pageant wins.
Additionally, Bollywood itself has changed. The solo heroine led films that Sushmita and Lara headlined are rarer. Female actors compete for limited roles in male star vehicles or ensemble casts. And beauty alone, even beauty queen caliber beauty, isn’t enough when producers can cast established names with proven box office track records.
Harnaaz’s four year wait illustrates this perfectly. She had the crown. The credentials. The desire to act. But the industry that once embraced beauty queens no longer prioritizes them. She had to fight for opportunities her predecessors received automatically.
Does this mean future Miss Universe winners from India won’t succeed in Bollywood? Not necessarily. But it means the path will be harder, require more strategic planning, and possibly involve building audiences through social media and OTT platforms before attempting theatrical films.
The fairy tale of winning Miss Universe and smoothly transitioning to movie stardom belongs to a different era. Sushmita and Lara caught the perfect wave. Harnaaz faced a changed ocean. Future winners will need to be even more adaptable.
Drop a comment: Who’s your favorite Miss Universe winner who became a Bollywood star? Should Harnaaz have gotten better opportunities faster? Share this with your pageant obsessed friend because this history lesson is everything.
Follow for more stories about how Indian women conquered global stages and then faced completely different challenges trying to succeed at home. Because sometimes winning the crown is easier than wearing it afterward.
When Fatima Bosch walked out on her bully and came back to win Miss Universe 2025, she proved something Sushmita Sen knew at 18, Lara Dutta understood at 22, and Harnaaz Sandhu learned the hard way at 25: crowns open doors but walking through them requires courage, resilience, and refusing to let anyone dim your shine. Three Indian women won Miss Universe. All three conquered Bollywood eventually. But their journeys show that even when you start from the same place, the path to success looks different for everyone. And sometimes, the longest journey teaches the most valuable lessons.
