'Priyanka was too dark to be crowned Miss India'

MUMBAI: Bollywood's stylish actress  Priyanka Chopra was not the clear choice for the Miss India title in 2000 as one of the jury members felt her complexion was “too dark”, says a new book on the star who turned 36 on July 18, 2018.

Then 17, Priyanka participated in the beauty contest from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh and emerged as the runner-up - Femina Miss India World 2000.

Another Bollywood actor Lara Dutta was crowned Femina Miss India Universe, while the second runner-up Dia Mirza, who has  also  been part of Indian film industry, won the Femina Miss India Asia Pacific title. All three women went on to clinch the title in their respective categories.

In Priyanka Chopra: The Incredible Story of a Global Bollywood Star, Pradeep Guha, one of the mentors of the contestants for that year’s contest, remembers how one of the jury members was uncertain about the Bollywood star.

"Not everybody in the jury was initially in favour of her. One person mentioned she’s too dark," he recalls, without naming the jury member.

Now she is known for setting style trends in Bollywood, the former Miss World tries to be unique whenever she attends any event. For her style is always a representation of what one wants to wear but doing it in a unique way and expressing oneself.