Stunningly beautiful Sushmita, born in Delhi on November 19, 1975, walked away with the 1994 Miss India title, after a hard-fought contest with Aishwarya Rai. Sushmita went on to win the Miss Universe title that same year, becoming the first Indian woman to do so.

Her first film was 1996’s ‘Dastak’ and she has co-starred with luminaries such as Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, and up-and-coming sensation Arjun Rampal. She’s no stranger to controversy and the Indian press has speculated about possible alcoholism, gambling and nervous breakdowns, all of which Sushmita has denied.

She was romantically linked to Vikram Bhatt, a married man, but successfully weathered that controversy too.

Undoutedly the most important person in Sushmita’s life is her baby daughter Renee, whom she adopted in 2001, becoming, like countless other women, a working single mom in the process.

She wanted to adopt Renee before she was married, because otherwise her husband could object. This way, she says, any potential husband has to accept both her and her daughter. Sushmita’s current boyfriend is Sanjay Narang.