It’s so much more than just glamour, says Harnaaz Sandhu

Sheetal

It’s not all glamour, Miss Universe Harnaaz told The Tribune in an interview before she left for Israel. 

"Having a huge stage to speak your mind demands a lot of courage —courage to hold on to your ideas and your perception that you refuse to change because of others.”

She said she was a newbie when she went into Femina Miss India back in 2019. It was when she won Miss India Punjab title that she understood what beauty pageant meant.

 “I got to know in that competition what it meant to be representing your country. I developed a purpose and since then working on achieving it,” she said.

The Punjabi in her

Ask her what’s the first Punjabi thing she would post after her win, and there goes a long list. “Once I land in Punjab, I would first have mithi lassi with malai. And maybe order a big thali, which should have rajmah-chawal, makki di roti and sarson da saag I know it feels rather exaggerated but I could have a bowl of ghee and jalebi too.”

Her favourite spots in Chandigarh are Sukhna Lake and Sector 17 because they are good places to go cycling or simply sit with your favourite person. In Punjab, it’s the Golden Temple. “Punjab is full of places that give a peaceful vibe but I think Amritsar is a place that has it all, historical significance, Wagah border to celebrate our differences as well as togetherness, the Golden Temple, and even great food options. If somebody has to come with me to see Punjab, he/she has to come down to Amritsar”.