Women empowerment: Harnaaz Sandhu praises Lara Dutta as actress welcomes her to Miss Universe club

Successful people often say that the first step towards achieving their dreams is to have faith and walk with confidence. Harnaaz Sandhu, who was crowned the 70th Miss Universe, is one of them, purposefully and confidently achieving her goal. In an exclusive interview right after winning, Sandhu spoke to IANSlife about his win and his plans ahead.

How does it feel to win the crown for India after 21 years?

Sandhu: It’s just overwhelming and unbelievable. Finally, India is able to crown Miss Universe after 21 years, and I think we have been waiting for this for so long; The feeling is out of this world.

You were confident that you would win and you did… What was the key to your success?

Sandhu: Representing your country is a big deal. It’s about self-confidence, you must realize in yourself and from within that this is the purpose of your life. Want to make the most of the platform and opportunity that you have been given.

We really have to grow a lot when we realize what we want to do with our lives. With that faith, love and all the prayers of the people of my country, it gave me the motivation I needed to win.

This is going to be a busy year. How do you plan to use the platform to drive change?

Sandhu: I would love to focus on every possible issue that the organization focuses on, along with my advocacy for women’s empowerment and menstrual hygiene.

My mother, a gynecologist, has always made sure that I talk about it with the youth who are the future of tomorrow.

Women in my community and around the world still feel uncomfortable talking about their health. And I feel that if one wants to achieve the purpose of his life, it can happen only when one is healthy. That’s why I would like to use this forum to talk about these issues.

Lara Dutta welcomes you to the Miss Universe Club. Would you like to say something on that?

Sandhu: I’m really out of words. One of the queens who gave me the confidence and courage to be one of them is welcoming me to the group. To empower women, to change the world and I am fortunate to be among them, is something I am grateful for.

Lara has really helped me a lot and made me realize that it is all about believing in myself.