On one head, the Miss India 1994 jury had the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai, already predicted as the favourite for the crown. On the other, the equally gorgeous Sushmita Sen, relatively new on the modelling scene. When it came down to breaking the tie between the two, one question was all it took. Buckle in and join us in the trip down memory lane.
“If you have to look for qualities in a husband, would you look for the qualities in Ridge Forrester from Bold & Beautiful or in Mason Capwell from Santa Barbara?”
Aishwarya’s Response: “Mason. They do have a lot in common, but from what we see, Mason has a very caring side to him, and a terrific sense of humour. And that really gels with my character.”
“What do you know about the textile heritage of your country and how long has it been around?”
Sushmita’s Response: “I think it all started with Mahatma Gandhi’s Khadi. It has gone a long way since then but the basics of Indian textile heritage has been from there.”
And voila, the jury had a winner on their hands. As per Mehroo Mistry, who was among the lucky top finalists, “After that, the Miss India World winner was announced. We all held our breath and were completely shocked when Aishwarya's name was called. It took us a whole minute to realise that she was not the winner of the big crown after all. The Miss India Universe 1994 is Miss Sushmita Sen! The drama wasn't over yet as minutes later a tearful Aishwarya came running to the dressing room and was soon surrounded by her bunch of professional friends ready to console her.”
