United News of Bangladesh

Winning the Miss Universe Kerala 2026 title may have brought her recognition, but for 19-year-old law student Kaziah Liz Mejo, her greatest achievement is overcoming years of self-doubt and insecurity. Speaking to The New Indian Express, Kaziah said she struggled with confidence for years and was unhappy with many aspects of herself. “For years, I didn't have a single unfiltered picture of myself. I was insecure about my looks, my personality and almost everything else,” she said. The beauty queen said building confidence was a gradual process that involved working on her communication skills, personality, appearance and overall self-development. According to her, one idea played a major role in changing her mindset: “fake it till you make it.” “The biggest change came when I started intentionally working on myself. I convinced myself that I was the most confident person in the room and walked onto stages with that belief. At first, others believed it, and eventually I believed it too,” she said. Kaziah, who hails from Mavelikkara in India's Kerala state, said her interest in beauty pageants began after watching Harnaaz Sandhu win the Miss Universe crown in 2021. “That was the first Miss Universe competition I watched. I didn’t know much about pageants at the time, but seeing India win after so many years inspired me,” she said. Harnaaz Sandhu ended India’s 21-year wait for the Miss Universe title in 2021. Before her, India’s previous winners were Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta. Responding to the perception that beauty pageants focus only on physical appearance, Kaziah said the experience offers valuable life lessons. “Pageantry is often misunderstood. It is not only about beauty. Whether you win or lose, it helps you discover yourself, find your voice and build confidence. It has taught me resilience, discipline and personal growth,” she said. Kaziah is now preparing to compete in the Miss Universe India competition, hoping to take the next step in her pageant journey.

Actress Sushmita Sen is once again making headlines after former IPL chairman Lalit Modi defended her against past accusations of being a "gold digger," describing her instead as a successful and wealthy woman who earned her fortune through her own efforts. The debate dates back to July 2022, when Modi publicly announced that he was dating the former Miss Universe by sharing photographs of the two together. The announcement sparked widespread discussion on social media, with some users labeling Sen a "gold digger." Responding to the criticism at the time, Sen wrote on social media that she prefers "diamonds" over gold and dismissed the allegations. She also shared a photo with her daughters, Renee and Alisah, saying she was happy, unmarried and surrounded by love. Four years later, Modi revisited the issue during an interview with Humans of Bombay, where he rejected the accusations against Sen. "She's not a gold digger; I am a diamond digger," Modi said, adding that Sen is financially successful and owns an impressive collection of diamonds. According to Modi, the actress has built her wealth independently and enjoys a luxurious lifestyle that includes high-end accessories, luxury vehicles and an upscale home. Sen remains one of Bollywood's most recognized personalities and has often spoken openly about her unconventional career choices and decision to embrace motherhood while continuing her acting career. The actress is widely regarded as a self-made star, having established a successful career in the entertainment industry after becoming Sushmita Sen, the first Indian woman to win the Miss Universe crown in 1994.

Sushmita Sen is one of the most cherished beauty queens in the Indian subcontinent. Winning the Miss India crown led her to the Miss Universe pageant. Then in 1994, at the age of 18, Sushmita became the first Indian to become Miss Universe. Since then, movie lovers started getting to know about her artistry in the cinematic universe. This crash of millions of fans is going to reach 47 on November 19, 2022. On this occasion, let’s take a trip to the archives and enjoy the 5 most noteworthy performances of Sushmita Sen in Bollywood movies. 5 Best Films of Sushmita Sen Aankhen (2002) IMDb: 7.4 Directed by Vipul Amritlal Shah, this heist thriller film is basically a remake of his own Gujarati play Andhalo Pato or Blindman's Buff. Here Sushmita shares the screen with Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal, Aditya Pancholi, and Paresh Rawal. In the story, a short-tempered man is unexpectedly fired from the position of bank manager. He decides to rob a bank to take revenge. Interestingly, he arranged for three blind men to be trained to do this risky job. The responsibility of this mentoring falls on the shoulders of a school teacher named Neha Srivastava. Read More: Bollywood diva Nora Fatehi finally arrives in Dhaka Sushmita Sen has played the role of Neha with extraordinary skill. In the film, she paired up with Arjun Rampal, who was one of the three blinds. Sen earned much appreciation for her performance in the character. The movie had a stellar opening at the Indian box office. With a gross figure of Rs 471.9 million, this hit movie became the second-highest-grossing Bollywood movie of 2002. Even it got a nomination for Best Film at the 9th Annual Screen Awards. Main Hoon Naa (2004) IMDb: 7 This masala film directed by Farah Khan made a huge contribution to Sushmita Sen's career. Her co-artists here were Shah Rukh Khan, Sunil Shetty, Amrita Rao, and Zayed Khan. Read More: 9 Top New Shows on Netflix in November 2022 Major Ram Sharma disguises himself as a university student on a mission to save the general's daughter from a dangerous rogue soldier. During the mission, he falls in love with a newcomer chemistry teacher at the university. And this chemistry teacher was none other than Sushmita. Her sensational approach to this role in the film packed with comedy, romance, and action is still etched in the hearts of fans. May Hoon Na received an amazing response at the Bollywood box office. The film achieved the 2nd position among the highest-grossing Indian films in 2004 by earning Rs 84 crore. This Chandni Chopra character was one of Sushmita's popular roles, which earned her many accolades. These include nominations for Readers' Choice Star - Actress of the Year at the Stardust Awards and Best Supporting Actress at the Zee Cine Awards. Samay: When Time Strikes (2003) IMDb: 7 Directed by Robby Grewal, this thriller movie is basically the Bollywood version of the famous Hollywood film Se7en. Read More: Top 10 South Indian Films Coming in November 2022 In this movie, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Malvika Chauhan is constantly struggling to solve various murders in the city. Sushmita Sen plays the lead role i.e. ACP Malvika Chauhan in the high-tension movie. She was accompanied by Jackie Shroff, Sushant Singh, and Barkha Singh.