Sushmita Sen reveals her Miss India gown was sewn by flea market tailor

Sushmita Sen created history when she won Miss India 1994 and later that year, became the first Indian to win the title of Miss Universe. Did you know that her winning Miss India gown was sewn by a local tailor working out of a garage?

In a video that has resurfaced online, Sushmita reveals her incredible journey to winning Miss India. The clip is a snippet from the show Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai.

"We did not have so much money to afford designer gowns on stage; we were supposed to wear four different costumes. We are middle-class people and we knew our restrictions. My mother said, 'So what? They are not going to look at your clothes, they are going to look at you.' So we went to shop at Sarojini Nagar market (a flea market in Delhi). Downstairs, in the garage, there was a local tailor who made petticoats. We gave him the material and told him, 'This will come on TV, so do a good job.' He made my winning gown out of that fabric, and my mother made a rose out of the remaining fabric," she said.

For her gloves, Sushmita revealed that they cut up socks, added some elastic and voila! "The day I won Miss India wearing that gown was a very big day for me. I realised that you don't need money to get what you want; your intention should be right," she said.

After winning the prestigious titles, Sushmita went on to have a promising career in Bollywood. She has acted in films such as Biwi No 1, Main Hoon Na and Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya before quitting in 2010 to focus on raising her daughter Alisah.

Sushmita will make a comeback this year with a web series titled Aarya, in which she plays the titular role. The show will be directed by Ram Madhvani.