The 21-year-old, on life after winning the coveted crown, wants to star in a biopic, and has a year of advocacy ahead of her
Earlier this month in Israel, a 21-year-old girl from a small town in Punjab created history by becoming the third Indian woman to be crowned Miss Universe. Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu won the coveted title – 21 years after Lara Dutta in 2000 – The clip of her final reply in the Q&A round was going viral.
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Asked by host Steve Harvey what advice she would give young women to deal with today’s pressures, Harnaz said, “The biggest pressure today’s youth face is believing in themselves. To know that you are unique and that is what makes you beautiful; Stop comparing yourself to others and talk about more important things happening around the world.”
“That’s what you need to understand. Come out, speak for yourself because you are the leader of your life, you are your voice. I believed in myself and that’s why I stand here today.”
The Chandigarh-based model, who has already featured in a few Punjabi films, is now gearing up for a momentous year during which she will represent the Miss Universe community globally and will also be an ambassador for India at several events.
talking to HinduIn , Harnaaz talks about the relevance of beauty pageants today, women’s empowerment, her love for biopics, and more.
Excerpts from an interview:
How has life changed for you since becoming Miss Universe?
Everything around me has certainly changed, but I, as Harnaz, remained the same. I have certainly become clearer with my vision and more confident about the issues I want to talk about. But that humble, down to earth, innocent girl remains the same even today.
In the past few years, there has been increasing criticism against beauty pageants. What do you think is the place of competitions in the 21st century, where ideas of body positivity and beauty are constantly evolving?
I believe pageants have changed over time and they will continue to evolve over time. This year, and over the years, we are showcasing different colours, communities and bodies on stage with the ultimate goal of embracing and empowering women.
Its goal is to make every woman realize that if we can do it, they can too. We have confidence in our voice, our opinion and we believe in ourselves. We celebrate brotherhood and talk about issues that matter more than just outward appearances.
Now that you have a year of advocacy, how do you want to use it for issues that are close to your heart?
My mother has broken the stereotypes in the patriarchal system by being a gynecologist, and managing her personal and professional life admirably. I have attended health camps with her on menstrual hygiene and other issues related to women. I’m excited to take this further with Miss Universe and spread more awareness about the Smile Train organization and cleft surgery.
I am also sure that it will be a wonderful experience for me to interact with the women there; To help them realize their right to education, also work to choose their partners, and make them feel confident about themselves as women often have when it comes to their rights and health.
In the last round, you talked about how we need to take quick action against climate change. India being a growing economy, how can one strike a balance between growth and containment?
India has made huge investments in the solar power system, and Israel – where Miss Universe 2021 was held – has also been doing wonders for climate change over the years. I believe we need to learn from each other.
Harnaaz Sandhu
Simultaneously, it is the duty of a person to use the laws and resources given to us. We need to take initiative because each one of us can change the world. The little habits that we don’t consider important are actually putting a lot of pressure on nature. As individuals, we need to come together to pressurize businesses to provide them with eco-friendly resources. The government and the individual need to work together; These are the two levels on which I strongly believe we need to act.
Your “cat impression” has apparently taken the internet by a storm, but host Steve Harvey was called out by some for asking some people to imitate an animal on stage. Now that you have some time to reflect, how do you feel about the incident?
I think there was nothing wrong with him asking me this. He is one of my favorite personalities, and I was happy to be standing next to him.
Actually, I am grateful that he asked me that question, because after that my confidence increased. It was the right time to show your talent for mimicry. I also think we’ve broken the stereotype that beauty pageants should be all about beauty and being perfect on stage; You don’t have to be like anyone else! I was just myself.
You have expressed interest in acting in films; What kind of cinema or stories would you like to be a part of?
I have been fascinated by biopics and documentaries, and I want to follow my passion for acting and inspire people through it by casting strong female characters. I want to show people what women are, what they can be and break certain stereotypes about women.
If given a chance, I would love to do a biopic of a strong woman who has broken stereotypes.
The beautiful gown you wore on winning the crown was designed by trans fashion designer Saisha Shinde. Did you give her any brief about what the dress should be like?
It was an honor that she made that amazing gown for me. She delicately worked on it for over 25 days and the gown was in line with my culture. She was trying to make it very related to my life, and I even made sure she used orange because it’s my lucky charm!
I promised her that it would be the winning gown. When you have a beautiful team and a beautiful person who puts in so much effort, you know you are going to win.
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