Actor Manushi Chhillar has shared an emotional note reflecting on her performance at the Commonwealth Games 2026, describing the experience as the fulfilment of a dream she did not realise she had begun chasing years ago.
Manushi, who represented India during the Games' handover ceremony, took to Instagram to look back on a childhood memory that, according to her, shaped the journey leading to that moment.
"I watched that stage. I dreamt of that feeling"
In her post, Manushi recalled watching the opening ceremony of the 2010 Commonwealth Games as a young girl. She wrote that she was deeply inspired by the performance of the disciples of renowned Kuchipudi exponents Raja and Radha Reddy from Natya Tarangini, which motivated her to begin learning the classical dance form.
Reflecting on the journey, she wrote: "There's something surreal about realising that perhaps I had manifested this moment before I even had the words for it. I watched that stage. I dreamt of that feeling. And somehow, years later, life brought me onto it."
She added that standing on the Commonwealth Games stage made her think about the little girl who once watched India on television and quietly hoped to represent the country someday.
View this post on Instagram
On her Instagram Stories, she summed up the feeling by writing: "I think I manifested this 16 years ago…" She followed it with another thought: "...I guess adulthood becomes about everything you wanted as a child but even better."
Representing India on the global stage
Manushi opened the Commonwealth Games 2026 handover ceremony with a performance set to Vande Mataram, celebrating India's cultural heritage before an international audience.
Following her appearance, several social media users drew comparisons with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who represented India during the 2006 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony. The comparisons highlighted the connection between two Miss World winners representing the country on the global stage across different editions of the Games.
Also Read: Manushi Chhillar leads opening act at Commonwealth Games 2026 closing ceremony
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