Who Is Harnaaz Sandhu? India's Harnaaz Sandhu was crowned Miss Universe for the year 2021 on December 21. At an event held in Eilat, Isreal, Sandhu contested alongside contestants from as many as 80 nations.
2020 Miss Universe, Andrea Meza of Mexico crowned the 21-year-old model from Chandigarh, Punjab, whereas Nadia Ferreira of Paraguay and South Africa's Lalela Mswane were named first and second runner-ups respectively.
Sandhu has brought the Miss Universe crown back to India after a hiatus of 21 years. Before her, it was Lara Dutta, who won the pageant in the year 2000. Dutta congratulated Sandhu on her win, writing in her tweet, "Congratulations
@HarnaazSandhu03 !!! Welcome to the club!!! We’ve waited 21 long years for this!!! You make us SO SO proud!!! A billion dreams come true!!!"
Here's everything you should know about Harnaaz Sandhu
- She is 21-years-old and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in public administration.
- The Chandigarh-based model was crowned LIVA Miss Diva Universe 2021 recently.
- “It feels surreal and I cannot explain it in words how grateful I am to God and each and everyone who has been a part of my journey. But, along with the title comes a great responsibility to carry forward a legacy with utmost determination and passion", she had said.
- “The challenges are definitely going to be there as no success path is easy. We have only 45 days to prepare and we are not leaving any stone unturned. There is a lot of work that is being done. It’s definitely going to be a roller-coaster ride but I’m ready for it as vision, hard work and goals are what create a winner,” she added.
- Sandhu has extensively worked in a few Punjabi films. These include the upcoming “Yaara Diyan Poo Baran” and “Bai Ji Kuttange”
- In an interview, she revealed that she was a victim of body shaming as she was very skinny but that experience made her very strong.
- She is quite active on Instagram. She has 71.7K followers there. "Shine like the whole Universe is yours💫✨", reads her Instagram bio.
More about the event
It is going to be a three-hour event finale and will be broadcast in 160 countries and territories across the globe, organisers said. It feature competitions in several categories, including personal statement, swimsuit, evening gown and interview, before Meza crowns her successor.
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