Miss India, Harnaaz Sandhu, was crowned "Miss Universe 2021" last night, Sunday, in Eilat, Israel, after winning against the runners-up, Miss Paraguay, Nadia Ferreira, and Miss South Africa, Lalela Mswane. Following her victory, Sandhu stated, "I am extremely grateful to God, my parents, and the Miss India organization for guiding and supporting me throughout this time. A lot of love to everyone who prayed and wished for me to win the crown. Bringing back the glorious crown to India after 21 years is a moment of great pride."
Harnaaz Sandhu became the third Indian woman to win the Miss Universe title, following Indian actresses and models Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta, who won the competition in 1994 and 2000, respectively. However, before Sandhu was crowned, the controversial host Steve Harvey asked her a question that surprised her. He requested Miss India to imitate the sound of an animal while other contestants had the opportunity to talk about their achievements.
Steve Harvey said to Harnaaz Sandhu, "I heard you do some good animal impressions, let's hear your best." Sandhu responded to Harvey, saying, "Oh my God, Steve, I didn’t expect you to ask me this on the global stage," and added, laughing, "But I have to do this, I have no other choice." Sandhu chose to imitate cat sounds.
Harnaaz Sandhu's cat imitation moment caused a stir on social media, and many viewers were astonished, wondering why she wasn't given a meaningful moment to share more about herself with the audience. One user expressed their displeasure on Twitter, saying, "Oh my God, Miss India is making cat sounds with Steve Harvey, not what I expected to see tonight. I'm sure the Miss Universe organization could have asked her a better question... so disappointed." Another user tweeted that Steve Harvey's question was silly and affirmed that Harnaaz Sandhu had much to say.
Harnaaz Sandhu, 21, was born in Punjab, northwest India. In 2017, she won the "Times Fresh Face" competition, representing Punjab's capital, Chandigarh, at the age of 17. She has also starred in several Punjabi films and music videos. Besides her modeling career, she is pursuing a master's degree in public management. Sandhu gained fame for her love of fitness and her passion for yoga, describing herself as a quick learner with good relations, compassionate, and self-confident, always maintaining her passion and continuing to achieve her goals. The "Miss Universe 2021" pageant is the first event held in Israel in the competition's 70-year history.
