Manushi Chhillar’s career began with a very different ambition: medicine. The Haryana-born student was pursuing an MBBS degree when pageantry changed the direction of her life. In 2017, she won Femina Miss India and, within months, became Miss World.
The crown opened the door to modelling, global public appearances and social advocacy. But Chhillar did not stop at pageantry. She eventually moved into Hindi cinema and later into entrepreneurship, building a career that now spans entertainment, fashion and wellness.
Quick Overview
| Field | Details |
| Born | May 14, 1997 |
| Age | 29 years (as 2026) |
| Birthplace | Rohtak, Haryana |
| Profession | Actor, Model, Entrepreneur |
| Known For | Miss World 2017 |
| Education | MBBS studies at Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College for Women |
| Years Active | 2017–Present |
| Notable Films | Samrat Prithviraj, The Great Indian Family, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Operation Valentine, Maalik |
The Medical Student Behind the Miss World Crown
Before the international pageant stage, Manushi Chhillar was a medical student with a clear professional goal. She studied at St. Thomas’ School in New Delhi and performed strongly in her Class 12 examinations, including topping the CBSE English examination.
She later cleared the All India Pre-Medical Test and joined Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College for Women in Sonipat to pursue an MBBS degree. At the time, she was interested in building a career in medicine.
Her interests also extended beyond academics. Chhillar trained in Kuchipudi and developed an interest in painting and poetry. This combination of academics and performing arts would later become part of her public identity.
Her entry into pageantry was not initially planned as a permanent departure from medicine. In 2017, she took a break from her medical studies to pursue the competition circuit. The decision quickly changed the course of her career.
From Campus Pageant to Miss World 2017
Chhillar’s pageant journey gained momentum through the Campus Princess competition before she represented Haryana at Femina Miss India 2017. She won the national title and earned the opportunity to represent India at Miss World.
On November 18, 2017, at the Sanya City Arena in China, Chhillar was crowned Miss World 2017. She became the sixth Indian woman to win the title and the first Indian winner since Priyanka Chopra’s victory in 2000.
The win was significant for another reason. Chhillar entered the competition with a medical background and had already distinguished herself through Project Shakti, her menstrual hygiene initiative.
Her campaign therefore had a clear social dimension. Her medical education was not simply a detail in her profile; it also influenced the health-related cause she chose to promote.
Project Shakti Put Health at the Centre of Her Public Profile
Menstrual health was one of the central issues Chhillar addressed during her pageant journey. Through Project Shakti, she worked to increase awareness around menstrual hygiene and access to sanitary products.
During her Miss World tenure, the initiative expanded through village-level awareness programmes. The Miss World organisation said Chhillar and her team visited more than 20 villages as part of the campaign.
The initiative also received attention from the Haryana government. In November 2017, the state announced plans to provide free sanitary napkins to girls in government schools and appointed Chhillar as a brand ambassador for its anaemia-awareness efforts.
Her Beauty With a Purpose work also took her to humanitarian projects during her Miss World year. This period established an important part of her public profile beyond entertainment: using the visibility of the Miss World title to promote health and women’s hygiene.
Bollywood Was the Next Major Career Shift
Winning Miss World created opportunities in entertainment, but Chhillar’s transition into acting took several years. Her Hindi film debut came in 2022 with Samrat Prithviraj, where she played Sanyogita opposite Akshay Kumar.
The transition was significant because pageantry and acting demand different skills. Chhillar entered an industry where her Miss World title was already a major part of her public image, while she also had to establish herself as a performer.
Her next projects took her across different genres. She appeared alongside Vicky Kaushal in The Great Indian Family in 2023, followed by Operation Valentine and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan in 2024.
Rather than staying within one type of role, Chhillar gradually moved between historical drama, family entertainment and action-oriented films.
Maalik Took Her Into a Different Kind of Role
Chhillar’s career took another direction with Maalik, released in 2025. The film placed her opposite Rajkummar Rao and moved her into a less polished, more grounded setting than the glamorous image often associated with beauty-pageant winners.
She played Shalini, a small-town woman in the film set against the backdrop of 1980s Allahabad. Chhillar has spoken about auditioning and testing for the role rather than simply receiving it because of her established profile.
The role represented a different challenge in her acting journey. Moving beyond her Miss World identity meant showing that her pageant background did not have to determine the kind of characters she could play.
In interviews around Maalik, she discussed the assumptions attached to actors coming from the pageant world and her preference for focusing on the work rather than constantly addressing those perceptions.
Her filmography now includes Tehran and Maalik, alongside her earlier releases. Her acting career has therefore moved beyond her debut and into a broader range of projects.
From Celebrity Endorsements to Building Businesses
Chhillar’s post-pageant career has also expanded beyond films and brand endorsements.
In 2024, she entered the fashion business with Dweep, a swimwear and resort-wear brand launched with stylist Sheefa J. Gilani. The brand positioned itself around sustainability and designs intended for Indian consumers.
Her interest in wellness has an even more direct connection to her medical background. In 2025, she co-founded SOMA Wellness with her father, Dr. Mitra Basu Chhillar. The Mumbai-based venture focuses on wellness and regenerative medicine.
This brought her professional interests back toward the health sector she had originally planned to enter through medicine.
That makes her career progression more interesting than a straightforward move from beauty pageants to Bollywood. Medicine was interrupted, but her interest in health remained relevant to the direction she later took as an entrepreneur.
What Comes Next for Manushi Chhillar
Manushi Chhillar’s public career has already passed through several distinct stages: medical student, pageant winner, global titleholder, social campaigner, actor and entrepreneur.
The Miss World crown remains the defining milestone, but it is no longer the only lens through which her career can be viewed. Her film choices have gradually moved across different genres, while her business interests have taken her into fashion and wellness.
At 29, Chhillar is still early in the long arc of her professional career. The more relevant question now is not whether she can move beyond her pageant title, but how effectively she can build an identity across the different fields she has chosen to enter.
For someone who began her adult career preparing for a medical profession, that evolution is perhaps the most defining part of the Manushi Chhillar story.
FAQs
What is Manushi Chhillar known for?
Manushi Chhillar is best known for winning Miss World 2017. She later entered Hindi cinema and also pursued entrepreneurship in fashion and wellness.
How old is Manushi Chhillar?
Manushi Chhillar was born on May 14, 1997, making her 29 years old in 2026.
Did Manushi Chhillar study medicine?
Yes. She studied MBBS at Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College for Women in Sonipat. She took a break from her medical studies to pursue pageantry.
Which was Manushi Chhillar’s debut film?
Her acting debut came with Samrat Prithviraj in 2022, in which she played Sanyogita opposite Akshay Kumar.
What is Project Shakti?
Project Shakti was Manushi Chhillar’s menstrual hygiene awareness initiative, which she presented as part of Miss World’s Beauty With a Purpose programme.
What businesses is Manushi Chhillar associated with?
Chhillar launched the swimwear and resort-wear brand Dweep in 2024 and later co-founded SOMA Wellness with her father, Dr. Mitra Basu Chhillar
Nikita Verma is a content writer, SEO specialist, and editor at WikiMug. She covers business, startups, entrepreneurs, success stories, biographies, and case studies. Her work focuses on in-depth research, fact-checking, and creating informative, engaging, and reader-friendly articles that make complex topics easy to understand.
