‘I was Aishwarya Rai’s roommate that day,’ Shwetha Menon shares her beauty pageant memories

In 1994, the year when Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai brought global glory to India by winning the Miss Universe and Miss World crowns respectively, Malayalam actress Shwetha Menon too was part of that historic pageant journey – a fact not many know. Shwetha, who has now become the first woman president of AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists), shared that she had even shared a room with Aishwarya during the competition.

“I was Aishwarya Rai’s roommate that day, and Sushmita Sen won the crown that year. Francesca Hart was the third runner-up,” Shwetha recalled while speaking at the India Today Conclave South 2025. She added that she had also participated in Miss India Asia Pacific, where she finished as the third runner-up.

“I took part in Miss India Asia Pacific and managed to become the third runner-up. The excitement we had back then, I now see it everywhere — even in my daughter. Today, I feel everyone is a model,” she said.

Shwetha reminisced about how the journey began. “One day when I came back from school, my father told me there was a letter from Coimbatore inviting me to participate in the Miss India competition. He wasn’t too happy that I had applied without asking him, but he still gave me permission and travelled with me to Coimbatore. I became the first runner-up in that competition, and my photographs were published in newspapers in Kerala. As the first runner-up, I was eligible for the finals, but since I was under 18 at the time, I wasn’t allowed to take part,” she said.

Drawing from her own personal experiences, she highlighted the importance of creating a more supportive and communicative work environment, especially for women.

She also pointed out how many women hesitate to speak about their struggles out of fear of losing opportunities. “I acted in four films while I was pregnant. I told my directors that early morning shoots were difficult for me, and they understood. That was a huge relief,” Shwetha recalled of her pregnancy days.

“Most problems can be solved through conversation. But people often avoid it. Even when I was the first woman president of AMMA, I urged women to share their problems. But none of them did,” she said.

She added that the lack of support systems and the fear of losing jobs force many women to fight their battles in silence. “I don’t blame them. Everyone worries about their careers. But slowly, we will bring these issues into light,” Shwetha assured. She was speaking at the India Today South Conclave 2025.

Shwetha Menon had stepped into cinema with ‘Anashwaram’ (1991), opposite Mammootty. She later made her Bollywood debut with ‘Prithvi’ (1997), starring alongside Suniel Shetty and Shilpa Shetty.