One of India's most beloved public personalities and the nation's first Miss Universe, Sushmita Sen, recently shared her thoughts on a little-known aspect of her life: running the Miss India Universe franchise from 2010 to 2012.
During this time, American businessman and future US President Donald Trump owned the Miss Universe Organisation.
Speaking in an interview while promoting her acclaimed series Aarya, Sushmita recalled how unexpectedly the opportunity came her way. “The Miss Universe Organisation called me, and said, ‘Would you like to take the franchise?’ I was like, ‘What? Really? That was like a dream!’ I signed a pretty intense contract when I took on this franchise, and that was owned by Donald Trump — which didn’t make it easy or fun,” she revealed.
While Trump was the owner, Sushmita clarified that she did not report directly to him. “Luckily, the only people who were my boss at that time were Paramount Communications and Madison Square Garden, because they owned Miss Universe when I was an employee of Miss Universe for a year. I was a franchise owner for Donald Trump,” she explained.
Although their professional paths crossed, Sushmita Sen chose not to elaborate on her personal opinion of Trump, saying simply, “The point is that it doesn’t matter.” When asked about the impression he left on her, she replied pointedly, “There are some people who leave an impression, not necessarily because of their achievements or power. Just for the people that they are. He is not one of them.”
From 1996 to 2015, when he was well-known throughout the world as a businessman and television personality, Donald Trump was in charge of the Miss Universe Organisation. Later on, he entered politics and was elected President of the United States in January 2017.
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He made a political comeback after losing the 2020 election, winning the 2024 contest and taking office in January 2025 as president for the second time.
Her historic 1994 Miss Universe victory, which gave India great pride and paved the way for a prosperous acting and modelling career, marked the beginning of Sushmita Sen's own journey.
Her roles in Aarya and Taali, in which she played transgender activist Shreegauri Sawant, brought her back to critical acclaim after a break from films and solidified her status as one of India's most respected and versatile actresses.
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