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Renowned filmmaker and ad guru Prahlad Kakkar, who has been behind some of India's most iconic ad campaigns, recently shared intriguing insights about the 1994 Miss India pageant, highlighting the intense competition between Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
In an exclusive conversation with ANI, Kakkar recalled the moments he witnessed during the contest, shedding light on Sushmita Sen's belief that the competition was "rigged." He said, "I had escorted Aishwarya to Goa with her mother. I met Sushmita there at the thing. I had access to the changing room, much to the organiser's dismay. He tried to stop me and questioned my identity. I told them, 'You can't stop me,'" he said. Kakkar recounted a poignant moment when he found Sushmita Sen weeping in a corner of the changing room during the contest. "One day, halfway through the competition, Sushmita was weeping copiously in one corner of the changing room. I walked up to her. Even though I was supposed to be from a rival camp, I walked up to her and asked her. She said, 'No, it's all fixed. It's all rigged. We don't know what we are doing here.' When I asked her, she explained how Aishwarya was a bigger model and she would be named the winner," Kakkar added. The filmmaker also shared how he advised Sushmita about judge Simone Tata's role, encouraging her to trust the fairness of the judgment process. "She's a judge. She's going to judge honestly and fairly. And that's precisely what happened," he said. Kakkar also revealed the circumstances that led to Sushmita Sen being crowned as the winner over Aishwarya. "It was a tough competition. Both of them were stunning. But Aishwarya fell. Finally, there was a question-and-answer round, which was an extra round because they couldn't make up their minds. Sushmita's answer was far more confident and composed than Aishwarya's, and she won the last round. It was touch and go. But that was like, what an era it was," he shared. Kakkar also addressed the supposed rivalry between Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta, dismissing it. He noted that both found their own paths and proudly represented India on global stages. Reflecting on his experience working with Sushmita Sen, Kakkar revealed that she grew somewhat disenchanted with the film industry over time. "Sushmita got disenchanted with the industry and started becoming difficult to actually get hold of, access. So she put layers in front of her, too. I don't think she trusted them. To some extent, she was westernised. Additionally, she harboured a mistrust of the industry, as she believed it was all exploitative. At the end of it, if you're a single woman and you're good-looking and your life is on the line because your career is your life, then you can be taken advantage of," he shared. Prahlad Kakkar, a pioneering creative force in Indian advertising, is known for his storytelling in commercials for major brands such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Maggi, and Nestle, among others. (ANI)
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