How Dubai’s oldest beauty queen Tasneem Raza rewrote the rules at Miss Universe India

Dubai: If you came here looking for a glittering tiara, you won’t find it. What you will find is a story of grit, grace, and a woman who turned the Miss Universe India stage into her own runway of reinvention. This is the grand finale of our Dubai Beauty Queen series — where Tasneem Raza, the oldest contestant in the pageant, proved you don’t need a crown to rule. She didn’t bring one home, but she sure made one for herself along the way. So here are her final thoughts in her own words ...

As I sit down to write this final reflection on my Miss Universe India journey, one truth rings louder than all the rest: in life, we may not always control the outcomes, but we always control how we show up.

I write this with a lot of mixed emotions—gratitude, relief, confusion, anger, disappointment, and joy. At this point, I am still taking it all in and processing it, and that might take a few days or maybe even a few weeks. But mostly, it’s gratitude—for where I am, for what I have lived, and for all that I have learned.

My top learnings from this journey:

On control and responsibility
I didn’t place in the Top 20. That was my reality. And while it stung at first, I quickly realised that the measure of my worth was never in the crown—it was in the courage it took to stand there at all. It would have been easy to blame politics or favoritism. Many do. But the harder, braver choice is to take responsibility. The truth is, those who advanced did something right in the eyes of the judges. Perhaps I didn’t fit the criteria they valued most. That doesn’t diminish my efforts. It simply reminds me that growth lies not in excuses but in reflection.

On pageantry as a test of character
This pageant tested me in ways I didn’t expect. Time was scarce, and sleep and wellbeing were not the priority. It wasn’t just about talent or personality—it was also about marketability. A Miss Universe is not only a queen of hearts, but also a face that brands, sponsors, and audiences can rally behind. That’s a reality of the world we live in. It taught me that being impactful is about more than being good—it’s about being prepared to be seen as a global ambassador.

On redefining victory
I don’t leave this journey empty-handed but full-hearted. I walked away with the Best in Fitness award—something I treasure deeply. Because fitness is not won in a week of rehearsals — it is a lifestyle built over years of discipline and self-love. Winning that title at 42, as a mother of two, over 47 other women half my age, is proof that age is no barrier to strength, vitality, and passion. If that inspired even one woman to put her health first, then I have won.

On breaking stereotypes
By standing as the oldest contestant, and a married woman and mother to compete, I broke a stereotype that said women like me don’t belong on that stage. I know I lit a torch that another bold woman will one day carry even further—maybe even all the way to history. If that is my legacy, I accept it with pride.

On sisterhood and choice
The friendships I formed are real and lifelong, though so too were the whispers, gossip, and politics. Pageants are a mirror of life itself: you will always find both light and shadow. But the choice of what to embrace is ours. I chose joy, kindness, and sisterhood. I chose to lift others up. In return, I found myself surrounded by those who lifted me. What you choose and give out, is what comes back to you. I chose peace and positivity and that’s what came back to me.

On walking away with gratitude
Do I wish I had brought home the crown? Of course. But my journey was never about proving I was perfect—it was about proving that women can reinvent themselves, at any age, and still dare greatly. I stood there not just for myself but for every woman who has been told “too late” or “not possible.” And by being there, I have achieved that goal.

And so, I leave with no regrets. I leave grateful—for the lessons, the sisterhood, the stage, and the chance to inspire. The title may not have been mine, but the journey was. And that journey will forever be my crown.

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to every single person who stood by me—the team at Gulf News for giving voice to my story, my family and friends who were my anchor, my coaches who sharpened my skills, my stylist, photographers, makeup artists, advisers, and cheerleaders who made me feel like a queen every step of the way. You were my true strength.

I may not have made history for India as the first mother to wear the crown, but I made history as the oldest contestant to have ever walked on that stage. As a 42-year-old mother who dared to dream. I showed up with heart, with courage, and with gratitude. And while outcomes are never ours to control, how we show up always is. That will forever be my crown—one that no one can ever take away from me.

And that’s the final curtain call of our Dubai Beauty Queen series: not a crown on her head, but a crown in her story.