BENGALURU: Dressed in a black gown, Divita Rai, Liva Miss Diva India Universe 2022, who was in Bengaluru for her homecoming, had a sense of satisfaction. The 23-year-old beauty pageant winner was poised, calm and didn’t hesitate to answer any sort of question, including one about a scar on her face, which she got in her childhood.
The wish to represent India on a global platform was so strong in her that Rai has been trying her luck at winning the pageant since she was 18 years old. But a few weeks ago when she finally won the crown, needless to say, she was extra emotional. “When I wore the crown, I tried hard not to break down.
But no amount of preparation was enough for that moment. I just wanted to be present at that moment and acknowledge the emotions,” recalls Rai. Considering the current Miss Universe is Miss India Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu, Rai says she doesn’t feel the pressure. “I see two different personalities representing India in the best possible way. I don’t look at it as pressure but probably more eyes are looking at me and that excites me,” explains Rai.
With her father, Dilip Rai, being an ex-employee of Indian Oil, Rai got to live in different cities – Kolkata, Bhopal, Bengaluru and Mumbai. While one of the biggest cons of this setup is leaving your friends when you move to a different city, Rai says the first thing she learnt was adaptability. “You are so new to everything. Being thrown into a new environment, you have to introduce yourself to new people, and prove yourself again.
So you learn to handle different environments,” says Rai, adding that one of the biggest perks was learning many sports like basketball and swimming. During her stint in Bengaluru, she and her family lived in Vasanth Nagar. Ask her for her favourite hangouts and she says, “Plan B was great. There is this place called Desserted in Vasanth Nagar.
They have really great honey chilli fries.” She often receives compliments for her good skin, for which she credits her Mangalurean genes. But there is an elaborate skincare routine that she follows. “I remove all the make-up before I go to bed and it takes a good half an hour. I do a deep clean and let it breathe. Then massage with castor oil or argan oil. I drink a lot of water and eat right. The moment I eat a lot of processed food, it shows on my skin,” she elaborates.
FUN FACTS
What’s one thing about yourself that people don’t know?
I have changed six schools and lived in five cities
What’s something you wish you had?
The ability to read people’s mind
Who is the one celebrity you stalk most?
Deepika Padukone