When judges asked her during the final question and answer round of Miss World 2017, “Which profession should receive the highest salary in the world?” she responded, “A mother”, and we all knew what happened ahead. The young lady was crowned Miss World 2017, and she’s none other than our very own Manushi Chhillar, who’s recently roped in by UNDP to spread awareness and all set to get the biggest launch in Bollywood opposite superstar Akshay Kumar in Prithviraj.
Ex: You have taken over the world quite literally, how would you like to describe your journey?
Manushi: I would describe my journey as fun, exciting, and I think it was like an adventure ride because there was so much I got to do in life, and there’s so much growth that I’ve seen in the last four years. But I think most importantly, it’s been a vast learning experience for me because I got to experience a lot of things at a very young age. Whether it was travelling, meeting different kinds of people, or meeting world leaders to the most underprivileged of a particular society. So I think it’s been a fascinating journey, and there’s been a lot of learning.
Ex: What is your favourite Mumbai street food?
Manushi: I think Bombay is incomplete without its Vada Pav, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad Vada Pav in Bombay.
Ex: Most people perceive that you need to be an exceptional beauty to hold a title like ‘Miss World or Miss Universe. How would you describe the term beauty?
Manushi: I believe that beauty for me is being unapologetically yourself and being who you are. We’re all unique, and we can all stay unique as long as we are ourselves. And when you talk about Miss Pageants, like Miss World, I’d say that they are not about being an exceptional beauty, but they’re about recognizing the fact that all of us, including all the contestants and everyone else, are exceptional beauties.
Ex: What do you do for a digital detox?
Manushi: My digital detox is usually on the days when I’m not working because on the working days, there’s always something or the other that’s happening on the phone, and all the communication happens over there. However, I love taking at least one day off a week and doing something that I love doing, maybe painting. And when I’m in that zone, I usually don’t need any gadgets, or I don’t even look at my phone. I travel a lot, but I click very few pictures because I don’t like to have my phone on me when I’m travelling. Unless, of course, you need to make an urgent call. So my holidays are my digital detox because I don’t like being on my phone. Otherwise, when I’m on set and when I’m working, except for the parts that I’m shooting, I need my phone.
Ex: What is that one cause you always stand up for and believe everyone should come together?
Manushi: I have always strongly felt for health and hygiene, especially for women, because I believe that if the woman of a family is healthy and learns the right hygiene, that impacts the entire family. She makes sure that the entire family is healthy and entire family knows how to practice good hygiene. So for me, female health and hygiene have always been essential. And I think that is something which I wish is very basic and I hope that it’s something that a lot more people in the world would take up.
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