Do you know Tanushree Dutta defeated ‘Wonder Woman’ Gal Gadot at Miss Universe 2004? Details inside

Today marks the birthday of Israeli beauty and global icon, Gal Gadot! As the Wonder Woman star turns a year older, it's the perfect time to rewind to her early days — long before the fame, red carpets, and superhero stardom.

Back in 2004, a then 18-year-old Gal Gadot was crowned Miss Israel. Full of hopes and dreams, she went on to represent her country at the prestigious Miss Universe pageant. That same year, former Bollywood actress Tanushree Dutta was representing India in the same competition.

Despite Gal’s striking beauty and charm, the pageant experience wasn’t as glamorous as it seemed for her. In later interviews, Gal candidly revealed how overwhelming the whole event was. “I was just an 18-year-old kid, I didn’t even know what I was doing there,” she admitted. Feeling out of place under the international spotlight, she reportedly self-sabotaged her chances of winning. “I didn’t want to win. I didn’t want to be Miss Universe. It was too much,” she once shared in an interview.

As fate would have it, Tanushree Dutta advanced to the top 10, while Gal failed to make it past the early elimination rounds. But destiny clearly had bigger plans for her.
Gal made her Hollywood debut in 2009 with Fast & Furious, sharing screen space with Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and Michelle Rodriguez. However, it was her portrayal of Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) that turned her into a global phenomenon. Her performance was both fierce and graceful, earning her praise and a devoted fan base.