EXCLUSIVE: Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu on being bullied in school- “I was body shamed for being too thin”

December 13, 2021 - 3:41 PM IST

On Monday morning, India woke up to the delightful news of Miss India winning the Miss Universe title after 21 years. Harnaaz Sandhu who represented India was crowned Miss Universe 2021 at an event held in Eilat in Israel. The 21-year-old from Punjab won edging out Paraguay's Nadia Ferreira and South Africa's Lalela Mswane. Only two Indians before Harnaaz Sandhu have won the coveted crown- Sushmita Sen in 1994 and Lara Dutta in 2000.

EXCLUSIVE: Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu on being bullied in school- “I was body shamed for being too thin”

Ahead of the 70th Miss Universe pageant, Harnaaz Sandhu had a conversation with Bollywood Hungama where she spoke about being bullied in school and what constitutes a hero for her. Talking about being bullied in school, Harnaaz shared, “I was body shamed for being too thin and just the way I look.”

Further, when asked about what makes someone a hero, Harnaaz said, “Your skill, your talent. I think a person should be recognised for his or her talent rather than being just famous. It’s about how talented you are from the inside.”

She also revealed that she finds her eyes the most attractive feature of her because “they talk about everything”.

The 21-year-old also gave an impressive answer when asked about the importance of money in her life. “I personally think that being spiritual and materialistic- It’s very important to balance both the things so I would like to give it 5.5 out of 10. Rest is all a bit of talent and a little bit being spiritual,” she answered.