Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu teaches Trevor Noah Bollywood moves

The reigning beauty queen also spoke about 'menstrual equity' and being bullied online for gaining weight

Miss Universe 2022 Harnaaz Sandhu shows 'The Daily Show' host Trevor Noah a few Bollywood dance steps. Photo: YouTube / The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

Fresh off from stealing the show at the Miss Universe South Africa pageant last week, reigning Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu stopped by The Daily Show with Trevor Noah to teach the host some Bollywood moves.

Sandhu, who is from India but is currently living in New York, appeared on the long-running show to chat with Noah about her ongoing projects as well as acting. The beauty queen, who acted in a handful of Punjabi films before being crowned Miss Universe last year, expressed her interest in making it in Bollywood.

"My dream has always been to be in a Bollywood movie," Noah told Sandhu, in a clip from the show that was uploaded on Friday.

"Do you want my debut to be with you?" Sandhu replied, before saying: "Let me think about it ... but I can consider you."

"I mean ... I have to have the right moves and everything," Noah said, before Sandhu offered to teach him.

During her appearance on the show, Sandhu also spoke about "menstrual equity", a cause that she's been passionately promoting since winning the crown.

"You're destigmatising the conversation," Noah told her. "So many people from around the world live in a world where they cannot talk about something that's a normal part of a woman's life every single day. And you've really been playing a role, not just in India, but around the world, in saying that we need to get rid of that stigma"

Earlier this year, Sandhu partnered with a number of non-profits in India to launch a "menstrual equity" project that aims to reduce stigma, promote education, policy and access to sanitary products. The project aims to reach five million women by 2025.

"For me, Miss Universe was never about looking beautiful and wearing glitz and glam," Sandhu told Noah. "For me, it's a platform where you can talk about things you want to do. And I also wanted to leave a legacy and tell women around the world that 'If I can do it, you can do it too'."

Scroll through the gallery below to see more images of Miss Universe winner Harnaaz Sandhu

The beauty queen also spoke about being bullied online after she gained weight following her win.

"People were very vicious and they brought you to tears," Noah pointed out during the interview. "But you've bounced back and become a spokesperson for positivity in general. And I feel like you've come out of it stronger."

"For me, it's not about how you look, but what you say and how you say it and how you treat people," Sandhu replied. "Because when you die, people will not remember what you wore. They will remember how they treated you.

"Yes I was really disheartened when I saw people bashing me for my weight gain, but I didn't let them describe me. There are young girls and boys looking up to me, and if they see me being timid or not strong enough, I don't think that's the right way to be impactful. I want to tell them that 'If you inspire yourself, that's how you can inspire a lot of people'."

Watch the full interview below:

Miss Universe beauty queens are being crowned all over the world at the moment, ahead of the global pageant. The date and location for this year's event are expected to be revealed in a few weeks.

Earlier this month, Miss Universe made history by implementing one of the biggest rule changes in its 70-year history, by accepting married women and mothers.

In an internal memo seen by The National, the organisation said the new changes will come into effect from the 72nd pageant, to be held next year.

Preliminary rounds for the 71st Miss Universe have already taken place. More than 35 countries, from the UK to Ukraine and Guatemala to Ghana, have named their representatives, with plenty more to be unveiled over the summer months.

Miss Universe 2022 beauty queens crowned so far, from Iraq to Thailand — in pictures