Sushmita, beauty brains and substance!

"Just being a woman is God's gift. The origin of a child is a mother, a woman. Woman is sharing and she shows a man what sharing, caring, and loving is all about. That is the essence of a woman." These were her exact words.. the crowd went hysterical and India got its first ever Miss Universe, the year was1994. From Miss India she went on to become the most beautiful women in the universe. And thus was born Sushmita Sen.. diva and the actor.

Born and bought up in Hyderabad, to Bengali parents and daughter of an Air Force Officer, she grew up in Nagpur, Jorhat, before the family settled down in Delhi. She attended a Hindi-medium school, Kendriya Vidyalaya until 9th Standard and in her initial years struggled to get the right pronunciation of English words. And look at the irony the girl who didn't know a word of English until she was 16, went on to obtain Honors in English. It was her fate and determination which took her this far.

She remembers as a 15 year old watching the Miss Universe contest with her father and recalls telling her father, ''You know papa, I don't think many of these girls come across as really beautiful, except maybe one or two." Her father teased her, why don't you join the beauty contests... she did and bought home the coveted crown.

"Just believe in your dreams and you can make it," She says. And talking about 'intelligence', she says, "I don't know what's the definition of intelligence is. I'm not intelligent. I'm street-smart."

Maybe that's what made her Sushmita Sen, the most beautiful in the universe. But isn't she beautiful as well. "I have an exotic face. And about styling, I think everyone has his own persona and that comes out only at home. Your style is what you are when no one's looking. I think you have to wear something that best presents you. All the girls are special, it's just that have to believe in themselves and rest will follow," she says.

However it wasn't the easy rollercoaster ride, her rival was Ms Aishwarya Rai. Everyone thought Ash would walk away with the title of Miss India, but at the end, it was Sushmita who emerged as the dark horse and walked away with the title of Miss India.

And tonight as the 28 beauties from all over the country are vying for the 'crown'.. they for sure will be looking up to Sushmita's 'Sensational' inspirational story..

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