Victory Lap

- Nikita Sawant and Rushmika Banerjee

‘I’VE GROWN AS A PERSON’  Colors Femina Miss India World 2017 Manushi Chhillar may be one of the youngest to have won the crown, but she knows exactly where she wants to go and how to get there, finds Nikita Sawant.

Manushi Chhillar’s dream had always been to get up on the Miss India stage, till one day in standard 9, when she chanced upon a picture of a foetus in a womb at the National Science Centre in Delhi. She was so fascinated she declared to her friends that she would become a doctor, just like her parents. A few years later, she appeared for the entrance exam to study medicine and cleared it too. Then, life took another random turn and the 20-year-old found herself on that very stage she’d fantasised about so many years ago. One thing’s for sure—once she sets her mind on something, Chhillar just doesn’t know how to quit.

How did you go from being a medical student to being a model?

I was always interested in being a part of Miss India, so I went to a photographer to get my pictures taken. He offered to create a lookbook for me and circulate it in the industry. Some people liked my pictures and I got a few shoots done before Miss India happened.

Who has been your biggest inspiration?

Reita Faria. She inspires me not only because she was the first Asian to win Miss World, but also because she did what she wanted to do. I may also be a little biased towards her because she’s a doctor as well.

How would you sum up your Miss India journey?