Nikita Porwal comes from Ujjain, a place that's "not too grand or fast-paced". "It is the kind of place that stays with you, speaking of how peaceful it is," she reveals in an exclusive interview with The Free Press Journal. "It is a slow-paced city, where the mornings begin with temple bells and the evenings are spent by the riverside. It is also known for the famous Mahakali Temple, which celebrates the fiercest form of Shiva. When you're around the temple, the feeling is not one of fear, but of surrender. That's the beauty of Ujjain, you'll want to keep coming back to the place."
Nikita, who made history as the first contestant from Madhya Pradesh to be crowned Femina Miss India World, is the Femina Miss India World 2024. She will represent India at the 73rd Miss World Festival to be held in Vietnam in August 2026.
As a child, Nikita's mother would dress her up as a beauty queen for fancy dress competitions. "I have always been fascinated by the larger-than-life characters, and there was a time when all my friends would show up as Rani Laxmi Bai, and my mother would turn me into this pretty girl with a crown and hair extensions. For three straight years, I won the fancy dress competition, and I began to realise that it is something I'd like to recreate when I grow up. I remember the catwalk, doing a hair flip and then introducing myself as a kid. That was the start of the journey, when the seed was sown."
Speaking about the man she would like to date, Nikita mentions that he must be a good listener. "Someone who takes care of little things and, on bad days, brings me flowers or chocolates. Handwritten letters are a must," she adds.
How anxious or excited are you about representing India at the Miss World beauty pageant?
It is a mix of both. The anxiety or nervousness is the same feeling I felt back during my theatre days when I'd wait in the wings for the curtain to open.
What are your preps for the competition?
A lot of it is about grooming and taking care of myself — hair and makeup, communication, walking the ramp and being culturally adaptable. A true Miss World or beauty queen is someone who can be relatable to people from all walks of life, and I'm truly excited for the journey ahead.
How important is it for a beauty queen to know how to do her own makeup?
When we go for the international beauty contests, we're not provided with a hair and makeup team. We need to do our own hair and makeup, and become a one-woman army. However, I feel, it is the biggest gift, to learn how to do it all by ourselves.
Was it easy learning to do your own makeup?
Honestly, it took me quite a lot of time to learn to do my makeup and hair. I was never interested in putting a lot of glam makeup and dressing up. I was a happy -go-lucky girl. But now that I have learnt it, after messing it up initially and not knowing my shades well, I am really grateful to be able to do my hair and makeup by myself.
What are the sacrifices you had to make to get to the crown?
I don't remember any major sacrifices, but it is the little things I miss like spending time with my family. I am a mamma's girl — always being by her side, sleeping next to her even till I was 20. But I miss all these moments since I have shifted to Mumbai post winning the crown. I come from a close-knit family, and I miss spending time with my ageing grandparents.
I lost my pet last year and couldn't be with her during her last days. I'll have those regrets. But I was fulfilling bigger responsibilities and feel that when it comes to representing India at the Miss World beauty pageant, these sacrifices feel worth the effort.
You wrote your first book at the age of eight. How did that happen?
I grew up in an environment full of stories. My mother would tell me stories about religion, my father would tell me things about the world, and my grandparents would read me bedtime stories. My book is a collection of stories I heard as a kid, mostly the bedtime stories told to me by my grandparents. I wanted to have a written record of it to preserve those stories.
How do you manage to stay fit?
A lot of intention goes behind my workouts. It takes a lot of consistency and mental preparation to take care of your own body. For me, initially it was fun, but to workout consistently was a challenge and I had to prepare myself mentally. It was a mental fight first, and then it became a physical fight. Once you become consistent, that is the biggest gift you can give yourself.
Do you have cheat days?
As a person, I cannot be so monotonous. I need to have breaks at the right time, so that I don't mess it up. At times, I eat what I feel like eating, but I burn it out the next day in the gym. I do Pilates and EMS. I love running and going for a walk because I get thrilled meeting stray dogs. Sometimes when I don't feel like doing cardio, I go for a run.
Skincare or beauty hack you religiously follow
Hydration. When you are dehydrated, it instantly shows on your skin. No amount of makeup can hide that. It also messes with your energy levels. Whenever I am with my mom, I love the champi she does.
Can beauty queens be friends?
Of course! I have made really good friends in the industry. Only a beauty queen can understand another queen, and that understanding can make people the best of friends. During the pageant, people would tell me that everyone was my competitor, and I should not trust anyone. But when I won, my roommate was crying because she was so happy for me.
Do you have a message for youngsters?
Go for your dreams passionately. Accept yourself unapologetically, and own your story. A lesson I have learnt from my journey is that you cannot understand yourself completely if you limit yourself. Keep challenging yourself and never put yourself in a box.
Which place would you include in your 2026 travel bucket list?
The scenic beauty and ethereal side of Arunachal Pradesh are untouched, and it is a place that I'd like to visit again. I have promised myself that once I am done with Miss World, I'll go to Arunachal Pradesh for some 'me time' or a staycation, as the place has so much untouched beauty.
Are you a spiritual person?
Yes. When I am in the gym, I pray to Hanuman ji. When I am doing something creative, I bow down to Krishna Bhagwan. When it is about strength, I turn to shakti.
