How Sushmita Sen prepared for her Miss Universe title

Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen, who was last seen in the 3rd season of the superhit streaming show ‘Aarya’, once spoke about what it takes to bag the title of Miss Universe.

An old video of the actress talking to the media after her return to India following her victory at Miss Universe, has resurfaced on the Internet.

In the video, she said, “You have to get your wardrobe in order, you have to get your body in order for which you need to do a lot of physical exercises and going to gym and everything. But honestly, I did not work so much for all this”.

She further mentioned, “I worked on my mental level at that point of time because it takes a lot of confidence, it takes a lot of tolerance, a lot of patience to be there among so many beautiful girls, to face an audience of so many people and to be yourself yet there. So I guess that's what I really worked on”.

Sushmita Sen won the Miss Universe 1994 title. She became the first Indian to win the Miss Universe crown. She represented India after winning the Femina Miss India 1994 title earlier that year, where she placed first ahead of Aishwarya Rai. During the Miss Universe competition, Sushmita Sen advanced through preliminary rounds, including swimsuit and evening gown segments, to reach the final stage. In the final question round, she was asked about the essence of being a woman.

Her response emphasized motherhood, compassion, and strength as defining qualities. She was crowned by outgoing Miss Universe Dayanara Torres of Puerto Rico. Sen’s victory marked India’s first Miss Universe win and contributed to increased global recognition of Indian contestants in international beauty pageants. The same year, India also won Miss World through Aishwarya Rai, marking a significant milestone for the country in global pageantry. Sushmita Sen’s win is recorded as a key moment in India’s participation in international beauty competitions.