00:00for me it was more than just a competition and just to compete with women it was more like
00:04more about showing showcasing your country and the strength that your country is possessing
00:09at the moment. Being born and raised in Kuwait especially in an Indian environment you know
00:16even if you're away from home you're always close to what's happening in India and how you're very
00:22close to your roots and you know authenticity so for me I learned a lot about you know what our
00:30roots are and what we share as Indians and our love for the country, our love for just our
00:36community so all these values were always instilled in me and I think it's destiny that I got to
00:42represent India at this time with India is going through such a difficult moment in history and
00:48for me every day that I got up, got ready for my pageant I had a 10-day pageant I would always
00:54see that India is going through this and today so many people have suffered and for me it was a
01:00very emotional thing I was like it was a responsibility then to give them something to
01:05smile about for me it was more than just a competition and just to compete with women it was
01:10more like more about showing showcasing your country and the strength that your country is
01:15possessing at the moment to tell them that you know we are walking shoulder to shoulder with
01:19other countries too that has come from really you know being born and raised in Kuwait away from
01:24your country but still having that passion for your country.
01:28How does it feel to bring back the glory you know usually we had Aishwarya Rai and all of those
01:33women who did this country so proud but it took some time for us to get back in the game are you
01:38just happy that you are back on the map at least when it comes to beauty pageants?
01:42I never thought about all these things honestly I never thought that this would be the response
01:46from people I was so into proving this to other people and to showcase my country and you know I
01:53was in the moment because I've gone through so much so much emotionally just before I left
01:59there was a lockdown it was a miracle that I went to America because we had no seats we had no
02:04flights I was supposed to travel on the 5th of May but there was a country countrywide lockdown
02:10can you imagine I and I traveled only one day prior to that even I also had COVID before I
02:15traveled just like two weeks before that I suffered through COVID myself so I saw what
02:21isolation could do to a human being and I saw how people suffered losing their loved ones losing
02:27their livelihoods so this was much more than just a pageant just you know a competition amongst
02:33women it was for me to prove much more of my country and give them truly give them a reason
02:38to smile because it has been you know I know a lot of people have seen the news but it has been
02:44a very difficult time for my country so this all was a very enriching journey for me that I was
02:50able to showcase the same thing over there I did not there was nothing else for me to hide from
02:56them I said you know what this is happening in my country and I need to win the Miss Universe title
03:02so that I can bring that importance and you know bring India on the spot so that we can you know
03:07together with the organization help my country out of this phase and then that was the truth
03:12and I was just living that truth there was nothing else
Comments