Health is wealth & simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, says Miss Universe hopeful

[vatsayana]

16-10-2021 Sat 18:28 IST | IANS | Offbeat

New Delhi, Oct 16 : Earlier this year, LIVA Miss Diva announced a nationwide hunt to select representatives from across the country where aspirant divas could participate to transform their dreams to reality. Harnaaz Sandhu from Chandigarh was crowned the winner of LIVA Miss Diva as Miss Diva Universe 2021 at the grand finale judged by well-known celebrities like actress Kriti Sanon, singer Kanika Kapoor, billiards and snooker player Pankaj Advani, who is a 23-time world champion and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, filmmaker and writer for films like "Nil Battey Sannata" and "Bareilly Ki Barfi", among others.

IANSlife caught up with the winner to get to know her a little better and her plans for the future:

Q: Along with the title comes legacy and responsibility... how do you plan on fulfilling your role?

A: I will make sure that I am the best version of my country and that I make India proud at Israel this year. Along with that, I'm looking forward to strengthening the relations between Israel and India. I'm super excited and I have to bring back the crown home.

Q: Did you expect to win and how did it feel?

A: I was honestly expecting myself as the winner because I truly believe that it's about how you perceive and take things in your life. One must keep growing through life as we all learn something every day. To believe in yourself is the key to success. I represented myself as the best version of myself.

Q: What is the hardest part of the pageant?

A: The hardest part is to focus on yourself, but as I have always believed in my potential, it was not as hard as I thought it would be.

Q: Of late pageants don't enjoy the same popularity they used to, do you agree and why?

A: I believe that women are coming forward to celebrate sisterhood and womanhood and people across the world celebrate their beauty queens and their successes with great pride. According to me, it's all about being true to the self and people around you will definitely look at that spark in you. Popularity is just a perk of being in pageants and people do get involved and connected to you if they feel your vibe.

Q: The few things the pandemic has taught you.

A: It has taught me that health is wealth and simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. It's all about surviving through the ups and downs, highs and lows. Pandemic has been the biggest lesson for many, I believe. I have explored my cooking skills as well.

Q: What is the next step and do you plan to debut in Bollywood?

A: Well, my current focus is to prepare for Miss Universe 2021 but, after that, I would surely plan to make my debut in Bollywood.