(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

A defining interaction with Donald Trump changed Lara Dutta's perception forever.

Recalling the moment at Khaleej Times x We The Women summit recently, the former Miss Universe from India said she was being introduced by Trump, who owned the Miss Universe organisation back then, to his associates. Referring to herself as a "Trump-era beauty queen", Dutta remembered,“I was at Mr Trump's mother's wake. He called me over and said, 'This is my Miss Universe. She's not only beautiful, she's also intelligent.' And then he turns to me and says, 'Say something.'”

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The remark, Dutta explained, triggered something within her.“At that moment, all the cells in my 21-year-old body just flared up," she laughed. "I knew that I was never going to walk into a room again and have anyone, male or female, make a statement like that to me.”

Flustered for a few seconds, she quickly recovered her wits, reminding him of the sombre situation they were at.“I said, 'I'm so sorry for your loss. I'd like to pay my respects (to your mother).'"

Dutta's experiences as a beauty pageant winner and later as an actress and entrepreneur enthralled the packed audience at the third edition of We The Women in Dubai - hosted by Khaleej Times. The former Miss Universe shared candid insights about motherhood, beauty contests, the entertainment industry and the essence of challenging patriarchal mindsets in a riveting coversation with acclaimed journalist Barkha Dutt.

Rewriting the Miss Universe script

Reflecting on the way people perceived beauty, Dutta revealed how the title of Miss Universe shaped and sometimes limited people's worldview.“After I won Miss Universe, they were always ready to see a beautiful woman walk through the door - not necessarily an intelligent one,” she said. The years following her win were dedicated to“rewriting that script”.

“I have spent the 25 years since I won, proving that I refuse to be put in a box that says, 'She's just a beautiful woman.' I think I was done with being Miss Universe - or at least the idea of it - by the time I was 25.”

Parenting with purpose

Away from the glamour, Dutta spoke about how she and her husband, tennis legend Mahesh Bhupathi, approach parenting their 13-year-old daughter, Saira.

“My husband and I get judged a lot by other parents because they think we're too hard on her,” she said.“But we're not pushing her to make grades or be the perfect daughter - we're teaching her discipline.”

Saira's daily routine is a reflection of that.“She wakes up at 5.45am, plays tennis for two-and-a-half hours, goes to school, comes back, and hits the court again for two more hours - six days a week,” Dutta said.“We don't expect her to be a professional tennis player, but we want her to know she can do hard things.”

The actress acknowledged that her daughter's privileged upbringing is very different from her own, and that instilling a sense of drive and humility is key.“She's growing up in a world we never had - a great house, travel, access. So, how do you teach her that life isn't always rose-tinted?”

Across all her reflections - from standing her ground before Trump to teaching her daughter resilience - one thing is clear: Dutta's indeed someone who refuses to be put into a materialistic box. She's someone who's come from being introduced as“beautiful and intelligent” to owning the stage as a woman who no longer needs an introduction.

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