Celina Jaitly looks back at her Miss Universe journey: ‘I stood tall as a teenager’

June 20, 2025

Mumbai, April 20: Celina Jaitly made the country proud as she became 4th runner-up at Miss Universe 2001 at a very tender age. Using social media, she recalled the experience with a heartfelt post.

Revealing how the media looked at her runner-up status in India, Celina penned, “#anniversary – RUNNER-UP | MISS UNIVERSE 2001 Back home, the welcome didn’t quite match the moment. Most headlines screamed: “Unfortunately… INDIA comes in as Miss Universe Runner-Up!” However, for her, this was a proud moment. “At just 5’6”, I stood tall as a teenager winning Runner-Up for India among 103 of the world’s most dazzling women at Miss Universe 2001… a feat India wouldn’t repeat for another 20 years. Yet I was met with pitying advice: “Too short.”, “Too honest”, “Your mangal’s crossed, beta.” It was hilarious. It was heartbreaking. But it built me,” she added.

 

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A post shared by Celina Jaitly (@celinajaitlyofficial)

Talking about her Miss Universe journey, Celine said, “I left Mumbai with 11 suitcases, a full-body wax, a facial, & fierce determination… which was promptly tested at JFK airport when I found myself staring at five trolleys I had to push across terminals, alone. I was in tears, until a kind NYPD officer appeared like an angel & helped me through.”

“I boarded the flight from New York with contestants from several countries. Many flew business class with entourages… poised, pampered, & perfectly prepared. Meanwhile, Ms Russia & I sat at the back, trying to change outfits in a cramped lavatory that stayed occupied for most of the flight to San Juan. That’s when it hit me… the scale of what I was stepping into. The stakes. The pressure. & the quiet realisation: I’d have to rise & meet the moment,” she added.

Her Miss India win also led to the beginning of her journey in Bollywood. “I won Ms Universe Runner-Up & soon after, the legendary Mr. Feroz Khan launched me in films since its been a blessed journey”, Celina recalled. “Ms Universe wasn’t just a pageant. It was a metamorphosis. A girl who dared to dream… a woman who rose.lt was the Universe’s way of telling me… YOU ARE THE UNIVERSE. #celinajaitly,” she concluded revealing what Miss Universe meant to her.