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Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Celebrities devider Indian actress wins Miss Universe 2021, PH bet in Top 5

Indian actress wins Miss Universe 2021, PH bet in Top 5

Published Dec 13, 2021 10:37 am

India

A 21-year-old Indian actress was crowned Miss Universe 2021 during a competition held in Eilat, Israel Sunday night (Monday morning, Manile time).

Harnaaz Sandhu bested 79 other empowered women for the coveted Miss Universe crown. She is the third Miss Universe from India, the first being Sushmita Sen who was crowned in the Philippines in 1994; and Lara Dutta (2000).

In her Miss Universe bio, Harnaaz said she draws her inspiration from her mother, who broke generations of patriarchy to become a successful gynecologist and led her family.

Paraguay

Driven to support other women the same way, Harnaaz grew up working with her mother at health camps addressing women's health and menstrual hygiene.

Deeply conscious of the privilege her mother's struggles have gifted her, Harnaaz today is a strong advocate for women's empowerment, particularly their constitutional rights to education, careers, and their freedom of choice.

South Africa

Professionally, Harnaaz is an actor with two Punjabi LMS slated for release in 2022 and hopes to essay characters in LMS that break stereotypes that the world has of women.

Her favorite actor is Priyanka Chopra, and she draws inspiration from her body of work. In her spare time, Harnaaz enjoys the company of friends, loves yoga, dancing, cooking, horse riding, and playing chess.

She is a water baby and never misses a chance to jump into a pool to rejuvenate herself. She believes in the saying - “Great things happen to those who don’t stop believing, trying, learning, and being grateful."

Some fun facts about Harnaaz: She loves to mimic almost anyone, including animals; a closet singer; and loves writing couplets in her mother tongue Punjabi.

First runner-up was Miss Paraguay Nadia Ferreira while second runner-up was Miss South Africa Lalena Mswane.

Miss Philippines Beatrice Luigi Gomez finished in the Top 5 of the competition. This is the 12th year that the Philippines has consistently made the semifinals of Miss Universe. The last time the Philippines joined the Top 5 was in 2018 when Catriona Gray won the title.

Beatrice is a community development worker, a Philippine Navy Marines Reservist under the 82nd Marine Battalion Reserve of the Naval Reserve Center of Eastern Visayas, and a proud bisexual who became the first member of the LGBTQIA+ community to win the Miss Universe Philippines title.

She was the appointed president of Rotaract Club of Metro Mandaue 2006, a Rotary-sponsored service club and a non-profit organization that aims to address the concerns of the community, enhance the professional and leadership skills of an individual, and promote good relations between all people worldwide.

She is currently taking up a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication at the University of San Jose. She is passionate about social welfare, offering outreach programs to the most vulnerable communities in Cebu City.

Beatrice is an advocate of youth empowerment and has been closely working with Children in Contact with the Law at a juvenile facility called Operation Second Chance of the Department of Social Welfare Services of Cebu City.

Related Tags

Harnaaz Sandu 70th miss universe competition beatrice luigi gomez
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