Celina Jaitly’s journey from an Army kid to Miss India and human rights activist

Celina Jaitly’s journey from an Army kid to Miss India and human rights activist

Celina Jaitly’s life has unfolded far beyond the frame of the glamorous songs and comedies most people remember her from. Behind the beauty queen image is a soldier’s daughter, a mother of twins twice over, and a long-time human rights activist now in the middle of a very public personal battle.

Born in Shimla in 1981 to an Indian Army officer father and a mother who taught psychology and literature, Celina grew up in a home where discipline and service were part of daily life.

Much of her childhood was spent moving from one cantonment town to another, studying in multiple schools across India, before she completed a commerce degree and briefly worked in marketing.

Also Read: Celina Jaitly accuses husband Peter Haag of domestic violence, seeks Rs 50 crore compensation

Her life changed dramatically in 2001 when she entered Femina Miss India. Celina won the main title, Femina Miss India 2001, along with several sub-titles, and went on to represent India at Miss Universe the same year, where she finished as 4th runner-up.

That pageant success opened the doors to modelling, music videos and eventually films. She made her Bollywood debut with Janasheen in 2003 and went on to appear in popular titles like No Entry, Apna Sapna Money Money, Golmaal Returns, Money Hai Toh Honey Hai and Thank You, becoming known for her glamorous comic roles.

Shift to Austria post wedding

In her personal life, Celina married Austrian entrepreneur and hotelier Peter Haag in 2010. The couple became parents to twin boys in 2012, and in 2017 they welcomed a second set of twins, though one baby tragically passed away due to a heart defect.

Over the last decade, Celina has gradually stepped away from full-time acting and leaned heavily into activism. She is a long-standing ally of the LGBTQIA+ community, has campaigned for the decriminalisation of homosexuality in India and was nominated as a UN Equality Champion for her work on LGBT rights, including fronting the UN Free & Equal campaign and a music video titled The Welcome.

She frequently speaks on gender equality, diversity and human rights, and is described in UN and media profiles as both actor and activist.

Recently, she has also been in the news for deeply personal reasons: a domestic violence case filed against Haag and a parallel legal fight to secure information and support for her brother, Major (Retd.) Vikrant Jaitly, who she alleges has been unlawfully detained in the UAE.