Miss Universe - 1994

She stunned the universe. And shone on Manila. Euphoria gripped the entire Indian nation on May 21, 1994, when for the first time ever an Indian girl was crowned Miss Universe, at Manila, Philippines. And, she was there at the pageant weeping, when she was being crowned the most beautiful woman in the universe. That's Sushmita Sen, Miss Universe 1994.

It is not everyday that an 18-year-old speaks of downtrodden children or explains the essence of womanhood. But this young belle from Delhi had the most compelling combination of beauty and brains.

The young lady made a powerful impact in the first round itself by introducing herself as, "Namaste, I am Sushmita Sen from India, where love is the essence of life." When asked to explain what she meant by that, she spontaneously replied that India was multi-racial, it was a goliath of a country with 168 languages, no less. That people here live in a state of relative harmony, is an indication that this is a nation of love.

In the final round of the beauty pageant, the question put to her was, "What is the essence of a woman?", to which she very craftily replied, "Just being a woman is God's gift". Followed by a spontaneous notion: "The origin of a child is a mother, a woman. She shows a man what sharing, caring, and loving is all about. That is the essence of a woman."

She was immensely articulate, aware, sensitive, and a delightful combination of beauty and brains. The judges were enchanted with her replies. And they chose her, the youngest among the 77 contestants, to be an ambassador of peace and goodwill and angel of mercy to underprivileged children. That's Sushmita Sen, a story that had to be.

Sushmita likes instrumental music, writes poetry and is fond of children. Today, she has directed her brilliance, energy and talent towards the Indian film industry, where she reigns in fearless glory.