Harnaaz Sandhu

“Authenticity is extremely important and throughout the pageant Miss Universe looks for that.”

“But, my passion is acting and I want to follow it. I want to be an actor who inspires people and breaks stereotypes of what women are and can be, by choosing strong characters.”

“To me, it is not about the kind of gown or makeup you are wearing, it is about how confident you are and your beliefs.”

“I believe that this is a part of our Indian culture, that whatever we want to do in our life, we need to be grateful and start that journey with the blessings of the Almighty.”

“My mom Dr Ravinder Kaur Sandhu, a gynecologist, is my hero and has always inspired me.”

“I think the three words that describe my journey are gratitude, original and always being focused.”

“I think I would like to work with Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta and Sushmita Sen. Imagine how strong would that be if a film is made regarding women's empowerment starring them.”

“Priyanka Chopra has been my biggest inspiration. She has created her own brand and represented India not only in beauty pageants but also through her acting and singing talent.”

“My advocacy is regarding women empowerment and for this, For this, I have been focusing on my community because I have seen how my mother has dealt with a patriarchal system.”

“One of my passion is acting and breaking the stereotypes at the same time by choosing strong characters of what women are and can be.”

“I love Priyanka Chopra. So whatever lessons I can learn from her is nevertheless.”

“If you have a vision in your life then everything is possible. I always made sure that no matter what kind of circumstance I am in, I will achieve my goal.”

“As a person, I believe that it is important to struggle and only then can we value our achievements.”

“If you think beauty pageants are all about perfections, then I am sorry to say, it is not like that.”

“My name Harnaaz means 'God's Pride'.”

“Stop comparing yourselves with others and let's talk about more important things that are happening worldwide. Come out, speak for yourself, because you are the leader of your life. You are the voice of your own.”

“While growing up I faced criticism not on the basis of gender but on my appearance. I was bullied and body-shamed.”

“The need has always been to be calm, humble and grounded, this is what I have learned from my community and these are my values.”

“I think everyone who either uplifts you or suppresses you through their comments or anything, they all are supporters according to me, because all are taking out their valuable time, and showcasing their advices or just commenting about something they believe in.”

“I think it's important to maintain this momentum and especially when you are representing your country, you have a lot of pressure of people around you and you have to be at your best behaviour.”