14 beauty queens who turned Bollywood actresses: From Aishwarya Rai to Zeenat Aman

Zeenat Aman: She was second runners up at the Miss India contest and went on to win the Miss Asia Pacific title in 1970, becoming the first Indian to do so. Post her win she joined Bollywood, working on movies such as Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Dharam Veer and Qurbani. She is considered the original diva of Bollywood.

Juhi Chawla won the Miss India Universe title in 1984 and went on to win the Best National Costume Award at the international competition. She was only 17 years old. Chawla then got into acting, and while she primarily worked in Bollywood projects she also acted in Bengali, Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu films. She is the recipient of two Filmfare Awards. She has been praised for her comic timing and charismatic on-screen presence.

Aishwarya Rai needs no introduction at all. She won the Miss World title in 1994. She then ventured into Bollywood, where she met her husband Abhishek Bachchan. But forget being overshadowed by in-laws who are Bollywood royalty – she has come to be known in her own right as a Bollywood icon.

While Rai claimed the Miss World title in 1994, Sushmita Sen went on to take the Miss Universe crown that year. Sen has primarily worked in Bollywood films since that stint, but she has done some work in Bengali and Tamil films as well. Some of her movies are 2003’s ‘Samay – When Time Strikes’ and 2004’s ‘Main Hoon Na’.

Lara Dutta is an Indian actress, model and – of course - a beauty queen. She was crowned Miss Intercontinental 1997 and Miss Universe 2000. In her career, Lara has primarily worked in Hindi films including Andaaz (2003) and 2010’s Housefull. She is the recipient of several accolades including a Filmfare Award.

Who does not know Priyanka Chopra Jonas? She is an Indian actress, singer, film producer, and the winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant. One of India's highest paid and most popular celebrities, Chopra has received numerous awards, including one National Film Award and five Filmfare Awards.

Neha Dhupia won the 2002 Femina Miss India pageant before heading into Bollywood’s fame-filled waters. She debuted with Qayamat: City Under Threat in 2003. In addition to her Hindi movie credits, she’s done a bunch of projects in Punjabi, Telugu and Malayalam movies.

Dia Mirza is an Indian model, actress, producer, social worker and beauty queen who won the Miss Asia Pacific 2000 title. She made her acting debut with ‘Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein’. She subsequently featured in films including ‘Dus’, ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ and ‘Sanju’.

Jacqueline Fernandez is a Sri Lankan actress, former model, and winner of the Miss Universe Sri Lanka pageant of 2006. She predominantly works in Bollywood. In 2009, she debuted in Bollywood with the movie Aladdin and since then has established a career in the industry.

Meenakshi Seshadri is a former Indian actress, model and dancer who mainly appeared in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu films. She won the Eve's Weekly Miss India contest in 1981 at the age of 17. She was a noted actress and won many an award during her career.

Namrata Shirodkar is an actress, producer and former model known for her works in Bollywood. She was awarded the Femina Miss India in 1993.

Pooja Batra is an Indian actress and model. She was crowned Femina Miss India International in 1993. Batra’s movies include 2000’s ‘Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye’.

Tanushree Dutta is an Indian model and actress who has primarily worked in Bollywood movies. Dutta is the recipient of Femina Miss India Universe title in 2004 – a crown she won at the age of 20. In the same year, at the Miss Universe beauty pageant, she was among the top ten finalists. Dutta has worked in a number of films including ‘Horn Ok Please’ (2009) and ‘Aashiq Banaya Aapne’ (2005). The actress has been in the limelight in the past year because of her allegations that Nana Patekar, who worked with her in the 2009 movie, sexually harassed her. These charges have been vehemently denied by Patekar.

Manushi Chillar was the winner of Miss World 2017 and has since been cast opposite Akshay Kumar for the movie ‘Prithviraj’. Directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi, ‘Prithviraj’ is based on the life and heroism of the king Prithviraj Chauhan. It stars actor Kumar in the title role while Chillar will play the role of the Sanyogita, the love of his life. The release date has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.