The first Indian to win 7 titles at the Miss Earth pageant held in the Philippines, Alankrita Anup Sahai, gets candid with us and gives us a glimpse of her life journey. 

We asked her about the responsibilities which surely came along with the 7 titles of Miss Earth to which she said, “ Yes it did come with a lot of responsibility and hard work. Well, diamonds are made under pressure so, I somehow worked well with it and didn’t succumb to the pressure. I had to represent my country, which in itself is the biggest dream that came true and which surely filled me with a lot of pride. A lot of eyes were on me at that time. The pressure was undeniably a lot but I enjoyed every bit of it and turned any dark and dull moment into a humorous one. Presence of mind and being able to have fun, played a very important role in winning the same.”

She tells us that acting was never a goal or a dream. However, in school days dancing and dramatics were her best friends and she was always participating in all the cultural activities. Inherently, all of it was a part of her but what she really wanted to become was an IAS officer but the universe had other plans and conspired for her.

We asked her about her involvement in all the social work she does and how it personally affected her to which she said, “It has made me and my spectrum of understanding human psychology grow. It’s helped me serve the people who in return made my heart kinder and made me more aware that I should be grateful for what I have. They have taught me never to give up on hope and always strive to help or make someone smile even if takes an ocean or just a drop. Everyone should know that they really matter. I am an empath so I can feel things even more intensely now.”

“Joyful, eventful, beautiful, hurtful and extremely delightful” – are the words she describes her journey with. The journey encapsulated a variety of experiences that made her what she is today. She says, “ The city of Mumbai took me in its arms and embraced me. She never let me go and never gave up on me. She gave me wings and I flew and built a life, a name that I would continue to work towards. I will enjoy this journey of a lifetime.” Looking back at her journey, she feels immense gratitude and hopes to be a better version of herself everyday. “My journey has been  blissfully easy and difficult yet smooth, filled with joy and tears.  An Amalgamation of emotions ! Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost.”

For the obvious delight of her fans we asked her about her upcoming projects and she told us that her two films, ‘Tippsy’ and ‘Dead girls don’t talk’ are slated to release next year. Her upcoming Amazon series, songs and projects are all there in the pipeline.

We asked her to share her mantra with the young girls who aspire to be the pageant queens, to which she said, “ Be true to who you are. Be confident and wear your smile like it’s worth a billion dollars. Do not ever succumb to bullies or bully anyone either. You may be heavily influenced by the world outside and Instagram could make you conscious but the world that’s inside of you is far more beautiful. You have to be mentally, emotionally and spiritually aligned and strong to be in any industry and face the challenges the world will throw at you. The will to rise with grace is the most important part of this journey. Avoid being with people who gossip because great minds talk about visions not people. In the end, attract what you expect, reflect what you desire, become what you respect and mirror what you admire. Life is a journey that has to have its own path but have a little fun along the way and don’t get extremely serious. Your mental health is the top goal, it’s your temple so don’t pollute it. I  believe the recipe to finding yourself is to be able to be creative  and co-exist with like minded people who see the good and bad in you and show you the light even when you don’t see it . In school we are taught a lesson and then given a test but in life we are given a test from which we learn our lessons . So I believe the only way forward in life is to keep evolving and being your authentic self.” 

For her story of competing in the Miss Earth, she says that her friends, family and colleagues had played a major role. They pushed her forward and inspired her to follow her calling. “ It was an accidental, universally conspired entry which resulted in the most monumental event of my life. This event is the most special thing for me as it changed my life forever.”