It is Sushmita Sen's birthday today, and the Bollywood diva turns 47 this year. She has had a glorious comeback to Bollywood in 2020 with Aarya. Making her Bollywood debut with Dastak in 1992, Sushmita Sen won the Miss India Pageant when she was just 18!

After that, she went on to win the Miss Universe title in 1994. However, there is an interesting story behind her win that involves Aishwarya Rai. Yes, you read it right. Sushmita Sen almost missed the Miss Universe title when she was asked to let Aishwarya Rai take her place.

Aishwarya Rai was the first runner-up for Miss India.

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The reason behind this is the misplacement of her passport during the Miss Universe tour. She misplaced her passport before going to the competition. She recounted the event recently and reflected by saying, "I did not lose my passport. It was given to Anupama Verma, a coordinator for events, for a show in Bangladesh. I confidently told Miss India that my passport's safe with Anupama Verma, but she couldn't find it."

This sent the Miss India organizers on an anxious ride, and they suggested that Aishwarya should go to her place. They said, "Miss World is in November, and we'll figure out your passport till then." However, Sushmita was just reluctant to go herself after coming so close to the title.

Also read: Sushmita Sen And Rohman Shawl Are Back Together As They Hold Hands At Diwali Party

She told her father that if she cannot go to Miss Universe, then nobody else can. Somehow, it was managed, and she went for the competition, and the rest is history.

Miss Universe was a big moment, not just for her but for the entire country. Just within a span of days, her life completely changed. She started getting offers for films, and she actively worked for the next decade, doing all kinds of roles and mesmerizing everyone with her on-screen presence.

Apart from her stint at acting, Sushmita is the mother of two adopted daughters. She also suffers from a rare disease called Addision's disease, and she has to take some steroid drugs to maintain her health for the rest of her life.

Sushmita Sen was seen recently in Season 3 of Aarya. She also played the role of a transwoman for the JioCinema web show Taali.

Also read: Sushmita Sen Recalls Being Called A 'Gold Digger', Reveals Her Relationship Status