Delhi girl earns Miss India Universe crown with style

Mumbai: Delhi girl Puja Gupta was crowned Pantaloons Femina Miss India Universe, Mumbai's Sarah Jane Dias Miss India World and New Zealand-based Pooja Chitgopekar Miss India Earth.

Millions witnessed the trio's triumphs on Sunday night, both as a live audience on the MMRDA grounds here and on TV screens.

Puja Gupta dazzled renowned filmmaker and one of the pageant judges Madhur Bhandarkar with her wit and confidence in the semi-final round when he asked: "What matters to you - style or fashion and why?"

A rural Miss India?

She answered: "I think they both go hand in hand. Style is created by fashion and fashion makes you comfortable in your own skin."

When the jury asked Sarah Jane, "If you had to convince a rural woman to compete in the Miss India pageant, what would you tell her?" she said: "I would prompt her that she possesses every quality to be Miss India. And if she wins, she would bring numerous improvements in her village that will make her win indispensable."

Wit on display

To singer Adnan Sami's question: "What is the one invention that has changed the face of the world?" Pooja Chitgopekar's reply was: "Electricity, as it has brought the industrial revolution. Today we depend on electricity for everything."

The panel of judges included Rohit Bal, Subhash Ghai, Rathi Vinay Jha, Malvinder Singh, Priyanka Chopra, Sanjay Dutt and Ujwala Raut.

The crown designed by Tanishq contained a special spring mechanism to fit any head shape.