Harnaaz Sandhu becomes the third Indian to be crowned Miss Universe

India’s Harnaaz Sandhu bagged the 70th Miss Universe title...

...and became the third Indian to win the honour, after a gap of 21 years.

The 21-year-old Sandhu was crowned Miss Universe 2021 after Lara Dutta won the title in 2000.

Model-turned-actor Sushmita Sen was the first Indian to win the title of Miss Universe in 1994.

In 2020, Andrea Meza from Mexico was the Miss Universe and she presented the title to Sandhu.

The first and the second runners-up of Miss Universe 2021 were from Paraguay and South Africa respectively.

Sandhu has previously been crowned Miss Diva 2021, Femina Miss India Punjab 2019...

...and was even placed in the Top 12 at Femina Miss India 2019.

Sandhu hails from Chandigarh, Punjab and..

...has done her graduation from Government college for Girls in Chandigarh.

This was Sandhu’s answer to the final question at the contest:

“The biggest pressure the youth of today is facing is to believe in themselves."

“To know that you are unique makes you beautiful...

...Stop comparing yourselves with others and let's talk about more important things that are happening worldwide.”

“Come out, speak for yourself, because you are the leader of your life. You are the voice of your own.

I believed in myself and that is why I am standing here today.”

She has also starred in some Punjabi movies like Yaara Diyan Poo Baran, Bai Ji Kuttange.

Sandhu started her modelling career at a very young age.

She won her first title ‘Miss Chandigarh’ in 2017.

In one of the speeches she gave at Miss Femina 2019,...

...she mentioned her mother to be her biggest inspiration, who is a gynaecologist in Chandigarh.