Empowering Women: Manushi Chhillar's Journey Beyond the Crown
A Vision Beyond the Pageant
When most contestants step onto the Miss World stage, they aim to leave a lasting impression with their responses. However, Manushi Chhillar entered the finale with a robust initiative she had been nurturing long before the crown was within reach.
Her initiative, named Shakti, focuses on breaking the silence surrounding menstrual hygiene, a topic often shrouded in stigma.
Chhillar explained, "Shakti signifies 'Power.' My goal is to empower every woman through this project." Her efforts have already reached over 20 villages across India. Besides raising awareness about menstrual hygiene, Project Shakti also distributes affordable sanitary napkins and creates job opportunities by encouraging local women to participate in sanitary pad production.
Beauty with a Purpose
This impactful work became her entry for the Beauty with a Purpose segment at Miss World 2017, earning her the title of the fourth Indian woman to achieve this honor. On November 18, 2017, at just 20 years old, Chhillar was crowned Miss World in Sanya, China, marking her as the sixth Indian to win the title and the first since Priyanka Chopra in 2000, ending a 17-year drought for the nation.
Winning the crown did not halt her momentum. The Haryana government supported Project Shakti by providing funding for free sanitary pads in schools, and UNICEF invited her to lead its Red Dot Challenge in India. Even years after her victory, she continues to engage with teenage girls in schools, advocating for a topic she once felt compelled to speak out about.
A Flourishing Career in Entertainment
Chhillar has also ventured into acting, making her debut as Princess Sanyogita in the film Samrat Prithviraj (2022) alongside Akshay Kumar. She has since appeared in The Great Indian Family (2023), the bilingual action film Operation Valentine, and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (both set for release in 2024), as well as Maalik and the spy thriller Tehran (both scheduled for 2025), starring with Rajkummar Rao and John Abraham respectively.
Beyond Acting: A Multifaceted Talent
Outside of her film career, Chhillar is a trained Kuchipudi dancer under the guidance of gurus Raja and Radha Reddy, a classically trained vocalist, and an alumna of the National School of Drama. She has also embraced entrepreneurship by launching her swimwear and resort-wear brand, Dweep, while serving as a brand ambassador for Adidas, Estée Lauder, and Pantene.
What unifies her diverse pursuits is the same drive that inspired Project Shakti: choosing her causes and career paths on her own terms, rather than waiting for a title to dictate her narrative.