"Chak De Phatte, India": Says Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu After Win

Moments after being crowned the Miss Universe, India's Harnaaz Sandhu, hardly able to contain her joy, screamed, “Chak de phatte, India. Chak de phatte”. The clip was shared online by the official Twitter handle of the Miss Universe with the caption: “Who are you?” The clip begins with Ms Sandhu saying, “Chak de phatte, India.” She is then asked, “Who are you?” To this she replies, “I am Miss Universe 2021,” which is then repeated, amid cheers, by her fellow contestants. Ms Sandhu was crowned the winner at the 70th Miss Universe 2021, held in Eilat, Israel, on Monday.

Watch the video here:

WHO ARE YOU? #MISSUNIVERSE pic.twitter.com/YUy7x9iTN8

— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) December 13, 2021

Harnaaz Sandhu brought home the coveted Miss Universe title 21 years after Lara Dutta's win in 2000. While the win gave Indians across the world a reason to celebrate, it was Ms Sandhu's video after the win that took the Internet by storm. Upon being announced the winner, an extremely overwhelmed Ms Sandhu broke down in tears.

The video of the special moment went viral in no time. So far, it has been viewed over 1.2 lakh times.

Ms Sandhu, a 21-year-old Chandigarh-based model, beat Paraguay's Nadia Ferreira and South Africa's Lalela Mswane to secure the first place in the competition.

During the final question-and-answer round, Ms Sandhu was asked what advice she would give to young women on dealing deal with the pressures they faced today. To this, she replied that believing in themselves, understanding they are unique, which is what makes them attractive, was the biggest pressure on today's youth. She also urged the youth to stop comparing themselves to others and, instead, focusing on the more pressing issues worldwide.

Ms Sandhu began her beauty pageant journey when she was just 17. She was previously crowned Miss Diva 2021, Femina Miss India Punjab 2019, and also made it to the Top 12 at Femina Miss India 2019.

Before her, only two Indians have won the Miss Universe title. While Sushmita Sen was crowned the winner in 1994, Lara Dutta won it six years later, in 2000.

At the end of event, Mexico's Andrea Meza, the reigning Miss Universe titleholder, passed on her crown to her successor, Ms Sandhu.