Mumbai, May 3 (AHN) Actress Lara Dutta, who was last seen in ‘Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond’, once spoke about navigating the world while being a beautiful person.

An old clip from one of the beauty pageant has resurfaced on the Internet, and it shows veteran actress Waheeda Rehman asking her if it’s difficult to be a beautiful person.

Responding to the same, Lara Dutta said, “Ma'am, as someone else down this line, one of my contestants said, beauty lies within you. And I think that if you are a beautiful person from inside, if you have belief in yourself, if you trust yourself, and you have confidence and determination to fight the odds, the stamina to last forever, conviction from within and a dream to be victorious, that makes you a beautiful person, and it's not that difficult”.

Lara Dutta won the title of Miss Universe on May 12, 2000. She represented India with confidence and poise, she impressed judges through every stage of the competition, particularly during the final round.

Her articulate response about the essence of womanhood became one of the defining moments of the pageant and helped secure her victory. Lara’s win made her the second Indian woman to earn the Miss Universe crown after Sushmita Sen. The year 2000 was especially significant for India in global beauty contests, as the country also celebrated wins in other international pageants. Lara’s win elevated her public profile and opened doors in modeling, television, and cinema. She later built a successful acting career in Hindi films while remaining associated with elegance, intelligence, and grace.

Meanwhile, on the work front, the actress is gearing up for the release of ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ in which she has reunited with Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar. The film is set to release this year.