Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; March 19, 2020)

As an actress, film producer and entrepreneur, Lara Dutta has been juggling multiple hats with ease. However, the one role that’s close to her heart is that of a mentor. A former title holder (Miss Universe 2000), she has been guiding the contestants of the Miss Diva pageant for the past few years. This year is quite special for Lara, as it marks the 20th anniversary of her winning the Miss Universe crown. In a conversation with BT, she remembers the day she made India proud, the evolution of contestants over the years and her take on a question that she is often asked — when will India win the next Miss Universe title? Excerpts...

Miss Diva 2020 concluded recently, with Adline Castelino winning the title. You have mentored her for the upcoming Miss Universe beauty pageant. Does it bring back a lot of memories, as 20 years ago, you had won the international pageant?
I can’t believe that it all happened 20 years ago, it feels like I was crowned Miss Universe just yesterday. Winning the title introduced me to some amazing opportunities in life. It’s been a lifetime of an experience.

What’s the one memory from that day that you will always cherish?
I have a very silly memory from that day. I was just 21 years old when I won the title. The event was held in Cyprus that year. It was a prime time, live show being telecast in the US. The event rolled at 4 am in Cyprus and I was crowned at 6 am. Post the ceremony, we had a press conference where I was introduced as the Miss Universe 2000.

A journalist asked me what was the first thing I wanted to do after being crowned as the new Miss Universe, and I replied, ‘I want to have breakfast’ (laughs!). Later on, I felt that I could have said something profound, but at that point, I was starving. Anyway, the press loved my honesty. I also remember my rebelliousness when I was living in the US as Miss Universe. I was expected to wear my crown and sash whenever I attended public events, but I found it bizarre. I felt that we were so much more than just the girls displaying our beauty, adorned with the sash and the crown. I wanted people to see us as strong and intelligent women. My actions had strong repercussions. So much so, from 2001, the organisers of Miss Universe started mentioning in their contract that wearing sashes and crowns at public events was a must. After long, when I wore that crown again at the grand finale of Miss Diva this year, it filled me with a sense of contentment of having done something for our country.

Back then, most contestants were raw and didn’t enjoy the kind of exposure today’s aspirants do. In this digital age, even amateurs are posting glamourous images on social media. Most of them already know how to face the camera, how to look their best and so on. As a mentor, you must have noticed a stark difference over the years…
Honestly, that’s the sad part of today. Even before they have achieved anything, they have thousands of followers. So, in their eyes, they are already stars. I am glad that we never had to deal with social media. Every photograph that these girls put up on social media has multiple filters. So much so, they look nothing like the person who finally shows up as a contestant. There’s nothing refreshing or natural about them. Where do you find that breath of fresh air? It is all about deconstructing your ego, so that you come to terms with who you are, really. I think social media puts tremendous pressure on today’s girls to gather followers and prove their popularity. It doesn’t give them an opportunity to develop real, natural confidence. Now, their confidence is based on how many likes they have received for their post. There is no concept of self-worth anymore. Over the last seven years as a mentor to these girls, my job has been to make the contestants identify their self-worth. I help them gain a sense of self-identity.

How is the training you received different from the one being imparted to today’s contestants?
They enjoy far more exposure than what we had. When we began this journey, only a few were from the modelling background. So, it all started from scratch for most of us. Our training happened behind closed doors. Today, even the training programme is televised at times. How will you learn if you are constantly performing for the camera? We were given time to hone our skills before facing the spotlight. Today, the training period is very short and almost everything is on camera. When the finalists were selected, the first thing I asked them to do was read. Whatever is the medium, one should just read. You need to cultivate love for books, it doesn’t come to everyone naturally. No amount of money can buy you the kind of intellect or information that you are armed with. I encourage a lot of young women to read. I tell them that it will change their lives.

It’s been 20 years since India won the Miss Universe title. As a mentor, does it put a lot of pressure on you?
No, it doesn’t put pressure on me. Every year, many girls come with dreams of winning the crown. While some succeed, others don’t. However, every single contestant returns home as a more evolved, self-aware person. Now, that is victory for me. It is very easy to sit at home and wonder why our girls aren’t winning the title.

You have been busy mentoring the Miss Diva contestants over the past few months. Now that the event has wrapped up, what are you planning to focus on next?
I am focusing on my production venture, which is in collaboration with an international company. I will also be acting in two web shows this year. That apart, I am focusing on my skincare brand, Arias. As a woman, it is so tough to grow your business. People are ready to hear all your creative inputs, but the minute you start talking about numbers and statistics, they look over your shoulder to see whether you have a man backing you up or not.