After Punjab’s Harnaaz Sandhu brought home the Miss Universe crown after 21 years, Indians were thrilled. However, she also did receive her fair share of criticism. Unnecessarily, some people took a dig at her achievement and called it insignificant, highlighting that all she had to do was be a pretty face.
Responding to such criticism and online trolling, Harnaaz Sandhu, in a recent interview, claimed that an immense amount of effort went behind winning the Miss Universe crown. She also compared her win to that of the Olympics.
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The Hindustan Times quoted her saying:
“There are a lot of people who say [I] won because [I] have a pretty face. But I know the amount of effort that went behind it. Instead of indulging in arguments, I’d rather work hard to make them realise [my worth]. This is the stereotype that I want to break. This [win] is a lot like an Olympic [win].”
She questioned that why not appreciate beauty pageant winners if we can applaud sportspersons.
“When we appreciate a sportsperson who represents the country, why can’t we [appreciate] beauty pageant winners? However, mindsets are changing, and I am happy to be breaking stereotypes already.”
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When asked about her willingness to pursue acting, she said that she wants to become someone “influential”, the one who breaks stereotypes.
“I don’t want to be a normal actress. I want to be one of those who are very influential, and who break stereotypes by choosing strong characters, being wise and inspirational.”
A win is a win, and we laud Sandhu for that!