Sushmita Sen reveals her Miss Universe lesson: always eat before official dinners to avoid etiquette mishaps. Learn more about her candid revelation here.
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Sushmita Sen recently opened up about a memorable lesson in etiquette she received after clinching the Miss Universe title. Reflecting on her whirlwind experience shortly after winning the crown, the Bollywood actor shared a candid anecdote about her introduction to formal dining protocols during an official dinner in Mexico.
Recalling the event during a recent interview, Sen admitted to being completely clueless about table manners at the time. “I didn’t learn table manners before winning Miss Universe,” she confessed. “After winning it, they sent me to Mexico City to this place. I’m 18 years old, I barely speak English.”
Sen described feeling a mix of hunger and nervousness as she sat down to preside over a seven-course meal, flanked by her travel manager and a group of distinguished gentlemen. “I’m starving, I’m smiling at my travel manager saying ‘I’m very hungry’. Then I bend over like ‘I’m very hungry Barbara.’ She’s like, ‘So are they and you’re the chief guest, you need to start,’” Sen recounted.
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Admitting her uncertainty about where to begin, Sen found herself in a somewhat awkward predicament until the tourism manager of Mexico, seated beside her, offered a helping hand. “I felt very out of place, and I don’t want to feel that again. One of the things that I learnt was ‘Pet bhar ke kha ke jaao ghar se, taki waha pe jaake khana khane ki utsukta nahi hogi (Eat well at home and then go for an official dinner, so that you won’t feel the urge to eat there).’ Then you can elegantly say, ‘No more, thank you’, and they will assume you follow a strict diet.”
Sen’s experience serves as a reminder that even the most glamorous of events can present unexpected challenges, and that navigating social etiquette is often a learning process for everyone, regardless of stature or achievement. Her candid reflection sheds light on the importance of grace under pressure and the value of learning from uncomfortable situations.
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