On Sushmita Sen's birthday, here are a few lesser-known facts about the Bollywood diva!

Sushmita Sen is a former Miss Universe. After winning the title, she made her Bollywood debut.

New Delhi: Actress Sushmita Sen, who is undoubtedly Bollywood's most inspiring celeb, turns a year older today. Sushmita celebrates her 45th birthday on November 19. As of now, she appears to be in Dubai with her daughters Renee and Alisah.

Sushmita is a former Miss Universe. After winning the title, she made a career in Bollywood and starred in popular films like 'Main Hoon Na', 'Biwi No 1', 'Kyunki Main Jhooth Nahi Bolta' among others. However, after 2015, she was not seen on the big screen. Earlier this year, Sushmita made a smashing comeback with her web series 'Aarya' and the success of the show proved that she rules the hearts of many.

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On Sushmita Sen's birthday, we have collated a few lesser-known facts about the diva you probably didn't know. Read on:

- Sushmita Sen was born on November 19, 1975, in Hyderabad. Her father Shubeer Sen is a former Indian Air Force Wing Commander and her mother Subhra Sen is a jewellery designer. She has two siblings.

- Her family had later moved to Delhi and Sushmita completed her further studies here.

- Sushmita participated in the Miss India pageant in 1994. But when she learnt that Aishwarya Rai had also participated in the competition, she wanted to withdraw her application.

- However, despite being not so confident about her victory over Aishwarya, she got the first place. Aishwarya was the first runner-up.

- Later, Sushmita represented India in the Miss Universe in Manila. In 1994, Sushmita created history by winning the Miss Universe title as none of the beauty queens from India had ever won the crown. 

- In an old interview, Sushmita had once revealed how she got her Miss India gown made by a local tailor from Delhi as coming from a middle-class family, they could not afford designer outfits for the finale.

- Sushmita made her Bollywood debut in 1996 with 'Dastak'.

- She won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Salman Khan and Karisma Kapoor's Biwi No 1 (1999).

- In 2015, she starred in the Bengali film 'Nirbaak', her project in the language. 'Nirbaak' marks her last film on the big screen.

- Sushmita Sen inspired many single women when she adopted her first daughter Renee at the age of 24 in 2000. After a decade, she brought Alisah into her life. She is a proud mother of two Renee and Alisah.

- In 2014, she battled a chronic illness - Addison's disease. 

- 23 years after winning the pageant, Sushmita returned to Manila in 2017 to co-judge the Miss Universe 2016 beauty pageant.

- She is currently dating Rohman Shawl and the much in love couple often share mushy posts for each other.

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Happy Birthday, Sushmita Sen!