Miss Universe 2019 Contestant Vartika Singh: Bollywood Is Not My Goal, But Wouldn't Mind It

Vartika Singh, who is all set to represent India at the Miss Universe 2019 pageant, recently opened up about her plans for Bollywood, what winning means to her, and how her parents reacted when they first learnt of her desire to make a career in beauty.

Speaking on 'By Invite Only', a talk show by Zoom, Vartika was asked if she had plans of entering Bollywood. She said, "I don't mind grabbing an opportunity from Bollywood that comes my way but Bollywood is not the goal for me in life."

Vartika was crowned the Femina Miss Grand India in 2015. She went on to represent the country at Miss Grand International 2015 in Bangkok, and was the 2nd runner up. In 2016, she was ranked as one of the hottest women in India by GQ magazine, and in 2017, she competed in the Kingfisher Model Hunt. Vartika was recently appointed Miss Universe India 2019.

Talking about what winning means to her, she said, "Winning is not the ultimate thing for me but India hasn't won Miss Universe in 19 years and I want to end this prolonged gap. My dad told me that there are multiple opportunities for people to serve their nation and this is my opportunity to serve my nation with my hard work and talent. He told me to do this not just for me but for India."

Vartika opened up about how her parents reacted when they learnt of her career choice. "It was a cultural shock for my parents when I told them that the world of beauty is my career choice. My parents didn't know at first. They got to know from a newspaper and they didn't know how to react," she said.

The 68th edition of Miss Universe will be held on December 8, 2019, in Georgia, United States.