First it was Rita Faria who did India proud in 1966. And after the doe-eyed Aishwarya Rai won the coveted Miss World title in 1994, it virtually let the floodgates open. Diana Hayden in 1997, Yookta Mookhey in 1999 and Priyanka Chopra in 2000 followed in quick succession. Two world-winning beauties told Hindustantimes.com what it means to hold the country's flag aloft.
Priyanka Chopra (Miss World 2000)
"Winning the title is of course a dream come true for every girl who enters the pageant. Like every year, the competition was fierce in 2000 too, more so because everyone wanted to win the first contest of the New Millennium. Fortunately for me, it all went well. Besides talent, it requires months of gruelling practice and professional counselling to hone your ability to handle difficult situations at the pageant. One needs to be practical and down-to-earth in each round. But apart from all your preparations, I agree luck has a major role to play in the eventual outcome.
It is not unusual for the most well prepared participants to get the shivers in the final moments. I would be lying now if I say I too wasn't shaking in my shoes. In fact many people are curious how I managed to win the title despite goofing up in the final question-and-answer round. But they forget that I did well in most other things and had a pretty good run throughout the contest. My Army background, support from family and friends and the unstinted love of millions of countrymen helped me become Miss World and I will be forever grateful for that.
I still remember how my phone kept ringing for days after I won the title - everybody who had my number wanted to ring me up and congratulate me. Success at Miss World is therefore not yours alone - every man and woman in this country takes pride in your achievement and shares in your moment of triumph."