Manushi Chhillar has a strong voice and is an opinion leader who likes to take a stand on societal issues. Immediately after winning Miss World in 2017, she conceived and spear-headed a non-profit organisation, Project Shakti, aimed at improving the menstrual hygiene of women. The debutant is clear that she wants to help raise awareness on issues regarding children and education in the near future.

Manushi says, “My journey with Miss World opened my eyes to life, society and most importantly, humanity. I cherish every moment because I got to meet the most incredible people across the world and came across fascinating stories of self-belief, self-reliance and survival. The lessons I learnt has shaped me as a human being and I want to do my bit constantly for social good.”

Manushi, who will be debuting in Bollywood opposite Akshay Kumar in YRF’s Prithviraj, adds, “I want to use my equity as an actor to take up more and more causes and dedicate my life towards bringing attention to initiatives on children and education. How we protect our future generation will lay the foundation stone on how this world will shape up.”

She also reveals her plans to expand the scope of work of her initiative. Says she, “I’m already actively working on Project Shakti which I’m keen to expand and reach out to more women in newer cities of India. We had elaborate plans for 2020 but we had to wait on these discussions because of the Coronavirus pandemic. I’m eager to roll out these plans and bring as much awareness across India about menstrual hygiene. It’s a cause that I feel deeply connected to.”

The debutant adds, “My Miss World tenure showed me that we as a society, as individuals have to constantly try to help others because there are so many people in need. I do feel that we have a collective responsibility towards our next generation and we are looking at a serious crisis hitting us if we don’t pay attention to them.”