The tall and ravishing Shweta Sharda presents a personification of beauty, glitz and glamour today with a glittering crown on her head, her beautiful long hair resting on her shimmering silver sari and a vivacious smile, good to kill a million hearts. But behind The Chandigarh girl’s stupendous achievement in winning the LIVA Miss Diva Universe 2023 (Miss Universe India 2023) contest is an engrossing and worthy story of fortitude which will inspire many a youngster.
Having received a warm reception by family and friends on her brief homecoming to the city, 22 year old Shweta stopped by at The Lalit on Tuesday for a customary interaction with the media during which she frankly shared her story of grit, determination and persistent hard work to reach this stage. During this journey she had to overcome most challenging times, when the family struggled to eke out a living, and the subsequent shattering breakup of her parents when she was only 12. Her father was an auto rickshaw driver.
Shweta Sharda interacting with the media in Chandigarh, her home city
Photos courtesy: LIVA Miss Diva Universe 2023 organisers & Social Media handles
Right through the interaction, the beauty queen, who exuded supreme confidence that she will bring the Miss Universe crown back to India in the finale to be held in the Latin American country of El Salvador in November, did not lose an opportunity to give credit for all that she has been able to achieve in life so far to her single mother. “In fact, my life revolves around my mother. I cannot thank her enough for her support in making me what I am today,” she gushes with gratitude.
Reminiscing her mother’s contribution in her life, she says, “However difficult the circumstances, and no matter what the sacrifices she had to make, my mother always stood behind us two siblings like a rock. I own it to her for the motivation and passion I am able to generate in whatever I do. She also inculcated in us the values of always being grateful for whatever you have, and whatever someone does for you, and remaining patient, humble and grounded all the while.”
Shweta has excelled in dancing, choreography and modelling over the last few years, ever since she relocated to Mumbai to pursue her dreams.
“I participated in five reality shows and made it to every finale. These include Dance India Dance Season 6 and Dance Plus Season 6. The occasion when I got an opportunity to choreograph my childhood favourite diva Madhuri Dixit Nene, among many other top Bollywood actors whom I taught dancing steps in different shows, was a memorable moment for me,” she shared. Madhuri was on the judge’s panel of Dance Deewane on Colors.
“I developed a passion for dancing at a very early age, and used to feel good about the all round appreciation I used to receive in school (she has studied in Government Model Senior Secondary school in MHC Manimajra and then Sector 18 Chandigarh).”
A self taught dancer, she worked extremely hard on improving her dancing skills. “After the regular school hours and tuitions, I used to practice dancing for up to 6-8 hours every day. That was the level of motivation and determination to excel. So, when I was 16 years old and decided to move to Mumbai to pursue a career as a professional dancer, I had my mother’s full support, despite strong opposition from relatives and family friends,” relates Shweta.
Shweta Sharda waving to crowds at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali, Chandigarh on her arrival in her home city
Apart from participating in reality shows, she has also organised dancing workshops, taken up modelling assignments and acted in several Hindi and Punjabi music videos.
Having won the LIVA Miss Diva Universe 2023 contest, Shweta says the crown comes with a lot of responsibility and expectation. At the same time, wearing the crown has given her enough motivation to work harder under the expert guidance of various mentors, to whom she is very grateful. She expresses confidence that she will not let go the opportunity and bring back the Miss Universe crown, which has been won at various times by Sushmita Sen (1994), Lara Dutta (2000) and Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu (2021).
Shweta Sharda greeted by her mother and brother
Though right now completely focussed on the November finale of the Miss Universe contest in El Salvador, Shweta does not hide her long cherished dream of joining the film industry.
Wishing her all the very best!
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