Manushi Chhillar: I can sense an actor in me

Miss World commitments are keeping Manushi Chhillar busy but the beauty pageant winner says she has not shut doors for Bollywood as she believes there is an actor in her. Manushi was crowned Miss World at a grand event in China last year. The coveted title was last won by Priyanka Chopra for India in 2000, a year after Yukta Mookhey had made the country proud. Both of them soon made an entry in Bollywood.
“I sense an actor in me. Being a doctor and an actor is very similar. My father would always tell me, ‘To be a good doctor, you have to be a good actor because fifty percent of the patients are cured by the way you make them feel’,” Manushi told PTI. “You do have a role-playing to do when you’re a doctor. Even as a Miss World, you have to roleplay sometimes. When you look at some people, you feel like breaking down but you’ve to smile and spread happiness. So of course, I know I am a good actor,” she added.
When asked how many films offers she has refused so far, Manushi said, “I haven’t said no to any opportunity. It’s more of a wait. I need to fulfill certain responsibilities right now. I’ll take the Bollywood decision when it’s the right time.”
Almost half a year after being crowned Miss World, there have been several monumental changes in her life – a lot of travelling, learning and an added sense of responsibility. “For a girl behind specs in her room reading books to come in front of the camera, expected to have an opinion about things, a lot has changed. But I’m enjoying,” she said.
For Manushi, winning the pageant is not just about having a beautiful face but also to have a “worldview”.
“It takes a lot of self-belief to be Miss World. As Miss World, you are a face for beauty with a purpose. You can’t just be beautiful. You have to have the zeal and courage to pursue the purpose. It is not easy to visit an area which is, say, hit by a natural calamity. You have to be with the people, not break down but empathise.”
Manushi is now gearing up to be a judge for Miss India 2018, scheduled to happen on June 19. The pageant winner said life has come “full circle” with this. “I felt so nostalgic when I spoke to the contestants I realised I was one of them. I can understand what’s going on in their mind when they’re giving a particular answer. As a judge, I can see through them. Now that I’m here, I’m also looking at them through the eyes of the Miss World organisation,” she added.