Harnaaz Sandhu is back in Mumbai ahead of India's Miss Universe pageant on Sunday.
The Miss Universe 2021 titleholder has been posting social media updates on the ground, as she prepares to pass on her Miss Diva crown to her successor.
Miss Diva, or Miss Diva Universe, is India's national pageant and its winner will go on to represent the country at the 71st Miss Universe, the dates and location for which are yet to be announced.
Sandhu won India its first crown at the global pageant in 21 years, and its third overall. She has been travelling the world since winning, and on her return to her home country this weekend, she took part in a photoshoot which has had adoring fans gushing on social media.
"Shooting something special with @missdivaorg," Sandhu wrote on the official Miss Universe account, where she has been sharing her travels over the past year.
The beauty queen, from Chandigarh, wore a plunging black sequinned gown with a thigh-high slit by fashion brand Aleta, from the US and Sweden, and creates looks hand-wrought in India.
"Wow! Our queen is so beautiful," wrote one fan in the comments. "Hamari sherni," said another, which means "our lioness" in Hindi.
The Miss Diva Instagram account has also shared a sneak peek at the gown Sandhu plans to wear for the crowning ceremony, which will be streaming free online on the Indian network Voot from September 12.
The dress, by Indian designer Gavin Miguel, is a beaded creation with what appears to be a flowing cape, although only close-up details were revealed in the clip.
Organisers said in the caption that as Sandhu "will be taking her final walk" as the national titleholder, the dress serves as "an ode to her beautiful reign".
Sandhu, 22, is a model and actress, having starred in Punjabi films Yaara Diyan Poo Baran and Bai Ji Kuttange, with dreams to one day act alongside Shah Rukh Khan.
"I share a lot of respect and love for Shah Rukh Khan. The amount of hard work he has done and is still doing, it's never enough I think. But he has always stayed grounded, he has always managed the success," she told The Times of India.
"And the way he has been talking in every interview, that really inspired me, that it's just about your attitude that takes you places. He is a wonderful artist and a wonderful human being."
Miss Diva, established in 2013, is a part of the Femina Miss India pageant that selects India's representatives for Miss Universe, one of the Big Four international beauty pageants.
The winner of Miss Universe 2022 is unlikely to be crowned until December or early next year — however, contestants are already lining up to compete.
More than 35 countries far and wide, from the UK to Ukraine and Guatemala to Ghana, have named their representatives, with plenty more to be unveiled over the coming months.
In the region, Miss Universe Bahrain will be named soon.
Miss Universe 2022 beauty queens crowned so far, from Iraq to Thailand — in pictures
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Miss Universe Turkey 2022 is Aleyana Sirin. Photo: Instagram / Aleyanasirinn -
Miss Universe Italy 2022 is Virginia Stablum. Photo: / Instagram / Virginia.Stablum -
Miss Universe Kyrgyzstan 2022 is Altynai Botoyarova. Photo: Instagram / botoyarova_altynai -
Evlin Khalifa, 24, is the second Miss Universe Bahrain. Photo: Miss Universe Bahrain -
Miss Universe Spain, Alicia Faubel, comes from Alicante and has lived in Dubai and the Philippines. Photo: Instagram / alicia.aliccia -
Divita Rai, 23, winner of India's Miss Diva Universe 2022. Photo: Miss Diva -
Sophiya Bhujel was crowned Oriflame Miss Universe Nepal 2022. Photo: Miss Universe Nepal -
Ndavi Nokeri, winner of Miss Universe South Africa 2022. Photo: Miss South Africa -
Anna Sueangam-iam was named Miss Universe Thailand 2022. Photo: Miss Universe -
Balsam Hussein when she was declared Miss Iraq 2022. Azhar Al-Rubaie for The National -
Yasmina Zaytoun after being crowned Miss Lebanon 2022 at Forum De Beirut. EPA -
Noky Simbani was crowned Miss Universe Great Britain 2022. Photo: Instagram / Miss Universe Great Britain -
Miss Ukraine 2022 is Viktoria Apanasenko, first runner-up from last year's contest. There was no pageant held this year owing to the war in the country. Photo: Instagram / Viktoria Apanasenko -
Nguyen Thi Ngoc Chau has been named Miss Universe Vietnam 2022. Photo: Facebook / Nguyen Thi Ngoc Chau -
Filipino-Italian beauty queen Celeste Cortesi was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2022 in Manila. EPA-EFE -
Bhutan is marking its pageant debut this year and Tashi Choden is the country's first beauty queen. Photo: Tashi Choden -
Laksmi Suardana took the Puteri Indonesia 2022 crown, becoming the first contestant from Bali to enter Miss Universe. Photo: Laksmi Shari De Neefe Suardana -
Miss Universe Ghana 2022 Engracia Afua K Mofuman was one of the first women to be crowned in 2022, in order to compete in the 71st Miss Universe pageant. Photo: Engracia Mofuman -
Hanna Kim, from Seoul, will represent South Korea in the next Miss Universe pageant. Photo: Hanna Ming -
The first and last time the Seychelles competed in Miss Universe was 1995 and so, after that 27-year hiatus, Gabriella Gonthier, from Mahe, will be representing her home country. Photo: Gabriella Gonthier/ Miss University Africa -
Amelia Tu, from Vancouver, winner of Miss Universe Canada 2022. Photo: Miss Universe Canada -
Miss Universe Jamaica 2022, Toshami Calvin, 26, is the cousin of Miss World 2019 Toni-Ann Singh. Photo: Instagram / officialmissuniversejamaica
