Ad filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar has shared an emotional behind-the-scenes story from the 1994 Femina Miss India pageant, revealing that actress Sushmita Sen was in tears moments before she went on to win the crown — convinced that Aishwarya Rai was destined to take the title instead.
“She thought it was all fixed”
Speaking to the media recently, Kakkar recalled that during the competition, he found Sushmita sitting in a corner, crying uncontrollably. When he asked what was wrong, she told him she was sure she didn’t stand a chance.
“She was weeping copiously in one corner. I asked her what happened, and she said, ‘It’s all fixed. Aishwarya is going to win — she’s the favorite, she’s the big name,’” Kakkar said.
He tried to reassure her, reminding her that one of the judges was Simone Tata, a respected businesswoman and chairperson known for her integrity.
“I told her, ‘If Simone Tata is judging, nothing can be fixed. Just go out there and be yourself,’” he recalled.
The turning point
As the pageant progressed, a tie between the two finalists led to an extra round of questions — a moment Kakkar believes changed everything. According to him, Sushmita’s calm, confident answer stood out, tipping the scales in her favor.
“That final Q&A was the moment. Sushmita held her nerve and nailed it. Aishwarya hesitated slightly, and that was enough. The judges were convinced,” Kakkar said.
From rivalry to history
The 1994 Miss India contest has gone down in history as one of the most iconic beauty pageants in India. Sushmita Sen, then just 18, went on to become Miss Universe 1994, while Aishwarya Rai won Miss World 1994 later that year — a rare moment when two women from the same competition conquered global titles.
Kakkar, who had accompanied Aishwarya to the Goa leg of the pageant, said both contestants were extraordinary in their own ways but had very different personalities — Aishwarya, calm and composed; Sushmita, fiery and spontaneous.
A moment of doubt behind the glamour
What makes this revelation striking is how human it feels. Before stepping into history books, Sushmita — who would go on to become one of Bollywood’s most admired actresses — had a moment of pure vulnerability and self-doubt.
Kakkar’s account is a reminder that even at their most glamorous, beauty pageants are emotional battlegrounds filled with insecurities, pressure, and unexpected grace under fire.
In hindsight, it’s poetic: the young woman who once feared the contest was “fixed” ended up proving that destiny, when paired with confidence, can’t be rigged at all.
