Let's revisit the landmark women and moments from India's Miss World history.
Rachel Gupta had done India proud by winning the first ever Miss Grand International title for India in the 11 year old competition.
Miss World 2024 will be crowned in India soon. Long before Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra, Yukta Mukhey and Diana Hayden, a beautiful woman from Bombay was crowned Miss World. In 1966. Reita Faria was India's first Miss World. Vaihayasi Pande Daniel/ Rediff.com met the 80 year old in Dublin recently, still as elegant, still as attractive as she was all those years ago.
'Priyanka has done very well in Bollywood and Hollywood. But had she joined politics, it might have been a different story altogether. Given how ambitious she was, she would have made a good youth leader. She might even have launched her own party,' says Sathya Saran
Meet Sini Shetty who will represent India at the 71st Miss World beauty pageant on March 9.
The coveted title was last won by Priyanka Chopra for India in 2000, a year after Yukta Mookhey had made the country proud.
Twenty one-year-old Parvathy, who hails from Kottayam in Kerala, narrowly missed out on joining five Indian glamour queens Reita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999) and Priyanka Chopra (2000) who had won the title.
'Life will test you but if you have resilience and fortitude, the crown will be yours forever,' says Miss World Yukta Mookhey.
'When my father travelled 5,000 miles to build a new home in Ireland, I doubt he ever dreamed that his son would one day grow up to become its leader.' Vaihayasi Pande Daniel/Rediff.com profiles Dr Leo Varadkar who will step down as Ireland's taoiseach (prime minister) next week.
Brand India's societal divisions and distortions have remained as much relevant in 'liberal' America and Europe as it still is in the structurally stratified Indian society of the 21st century, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The former Miss World has shaped the lives of many.
20 occasions she captured our attention.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances