Harnaaz Sandhu’s Miss Universe 2021 title has meant renewed interest in the Miss World 2021 pageant to be held in Puerto Rico in a few hours from now. The question being asked – will India’s representative Manasa Varanasi bring back the crown too to make it a three-time double win.
India has twice won both the Miss Universe and Miss World titles in the same year. In 1994 and in 2000. If Manasa Varanasi, Miss India World 2020, manages to get crowned Miss World 2021, it will be another historic moment for India, following Harnaaz Sandhu’s win at the Miss Universe pageant earlier this week.
The 70th edition of the Miss World pageant will be held on December 16, 2021 (4.30 am, December 17 IST) at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Toni-Ann Singh of Jamaica, Miss World 2019, will crown her successor at the end of the event.
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India first bagged a pageant double in 1994, when Sushmita Sen was crowned Miss Universe and Aishwarya Rai bagged the Miss World title.
Six years later, in the year 2000, India’s Lara Dutta won Miss Universe, while Priyanka Chopra was crowned Miss World at the 50th edition of the prestigious pageant held on 30 November 2000 at the Millennium Dome in London, United Kingdom.
That year was made more special by Dia Mirza winning the Miss Asia-Pacific title too, making it a hat-trick for India.
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Never after 2000 has India won any of the titles and excited fans are now counting down to the Miss World pageant.
Manasa Varanasi is a 23-year-old engineer and financial information exchange analyst. She was born in Hyderabad and did her schooling from Global Indian, graduating in computer science from the Vasavi College of Engineering.
Calling Priyanka Chopra her inspiration, she told India Today earlier, “Out of all the beauty queens, Priyanka Chopra stands out to me because she’s an explorer – she has always chosen to push her boundaries and made her mark in various spaces – music, movies, entrepreneurship, social work, and the list goes on. Also, as a shy kid who tried to make herself heard, I always looked up to Priyanka for the outspoken badass that she was. It’s her versatility and strength that I draw inspiration from.”
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The Miss World Pageant is scheduled to happen on December 17, 2021, 4:30 am IST.