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 That
this dusky ambassador from India was a strong contender
for the crown was apparent days before the Miss Universe
pageant, with more and more people commenting on her winning
combination of beauty and brains. And when she actually
wore the crown on May 12, 2000 in the beautiful city of
Cyprus, her triumph was best described as deserving. Lara
Dutta describes her winning the Miss Universe title as being
"a culmination of a dream."
Lara impressed the judges with her answer to the final question
of the contest: "What would you say to those who condemn
the contest as an affront to women ?" To which she replied,
"Pageants like Miss Universe give us young women a platform
to foray in the fields that we want to and forge ahead be
it entrepreneurship, be it the armed forces, be it politics".
And added, "It gives us a platform to voice our choices
and opinions and it makes us strong and independent that
we are today."
She was born in 1978, Ghaziabad, to Wg. Cdr. L.K. Dutta
(retired) and Jennifer Dutta. In 1981, she moved to Bangalore
with her parents, where she completed her schooling, and
then shifted to Bombay where she obtained a degree in economics.
She enjoys outdoor sports like rock climbing and bungee
jumping. She is trained in Indian classical dance and loves
to read autobiographies. Before winning the crown, Lara
was a leading fashion and print model.
As the reigning  Miss
Universe, she will travel the world on behalf of the Miss
Universe organisation, to promote their official cause of
building AIDS/HIV awareness. A whirlwind of exciting events,
philanthropic experiences and career-advancing opportunities,
will follow her in the year ahead. And we hope that she
forges a bond with the people she meets, with her grace
and grit!
After finishing her reign as Miss Universe 2000, Lara hopes
to pursue MBA in marketing and communications. She also
has her eye on becoming a director of documentaries on wildlife
and Indian culture. Here's wishing her success in all that
she sets out to accomplish !
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