Sushmita Sen

When Sushmita Sen decided to participate in the Miss India beauty pageant in 1994, Aishwarya Rai, another contestant, was a big threat.

But Sushmita remained composed and confident, eventually winning the Miss India title while Aishwarya became the first runner-up.

Also the actress was the first Indian woman to bring the Miss Universe crown home in the same year. What's interesting is that Sushmita did her schooling from a Hindi medium institution and learnt English only post the age of 16, two years prior to winning the Miss Universe title.