Madhu Sapre is an Indian model and athlete from Maharashtra who was crowned Femina Miss India 1992 and represented India at Miss Universe 1992. The coronation night was held on 9th May 1992 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. Madhu was adjudged as the second runner-up by the end of event finale. She was 20-years-old when she was crowned Miss India Universe 1992 and had just two weeks to prepare for Miss Universe 1992 contest.
Madhu was always fascinated by fashion and beauty pageants but was passionate about sports as well. She settled in Mumbai in order to fulfil her dreams of being an athlete as well as a beauty queen. Her dedication and will to represent India at international level brought her to a point where she can look at her career and say that she is proud of what she has achieved.
She sailed through the swimsuit round of the Miss Universe 1992 contest with a score of 9.9 out of 10 and was adjudged the number one in her Sangeeta Chopra evening gown. In the final round, Madhu was asked a question “What is the first thing you'd do if you became the leader of your country tomorrow?” And she said: "If I became leader of my country, the first thing I'd do is open up the biggest sports ground in India because we're lacking there." Her answer caused a lot of stir among the people and is one of the most controversial answers.
“All the officials had told us that our answers had to be truthful and coming from the heart. Nobody told us we had to be politically correct. I said what my heart told me and I lost. According to me India has been in poverty for many years, so it was not going to suddenly change in one year by my becoming the prime minister. But there are other areas like art and sports in which we can improve. And being a sportsgirl I had suffered because we don't have the equipment and the grounds in India. In the brief time you get to answer I wanted to say all this but perhaps because of my inadequacy in English, I could not express myself”, she later clarified.
When she came back to India, Madhu had a plan and was determined to change the way Miss India contest was held and how girls were trained. She felt that if Indian delegates had to make a mark and win beauty pageants, it needed to change the way it was conducting the Miss India contest. She wanted to introduce many rounds, grooming, scouting for potential winners etc, all these proved to be lucky for India later. Madhu convinced Pradeep Guha – the National Director at that time about her plans and introducing of swimsuit round. The most difficult part was the introduction of swimsuit round. There were concerns about the number of participation if such round was introduced and there could be only four to five participants.
Madhu having experienced international contest and having shared platforms with the best from around the world, she was determined and confident about what she felt was right. She told Pradeep to take those four girls, have the contest and train them.
Two years after Madhu’s convincing plans, India had its first Miss Universe and second Miss World crown. Then India went on to perform exceptionally well in all the contests they participated and got more International crown. Though swimsuit round were done behind closed door and as a preliminary contest, it made those who entered the contest to prepare before they participated and that they don’t come to Miss India just as aspirants but also as a real beauty queen. It also gave the contestants a taste of what International contests were like. In the end, it wasn’t just a pageant anymore; it was a real beauty pageant and a real Miss India contest.
Madhu Sapre might be remembered as a Miss India who was 2nd runner up at the Miss Universe 1992 contest, but she is more than that. She is a true beauty queen and real Miss India who used her experience as a stepping stone for her successors and a Sash that the world will take recognition of. She might not be mentioned as the Miss India who inspired others to take part in the contest, but the Indian Pageantry owes it to her. She gave the representatives of India a platform and opportunity that will help them later as they go on to participate in their international pageants. She might not have given an answer that the world wanted to hear, but she spoke the truth as the person she was, not as a beauty queen is expected to be. She is fearless, outspoken and a fighter, yet she is fun and lively. That makes her an endearing woman and a Miss India we can proudly say, “Yes, she is our Miss India.”
The former supermodel has been out of the spotlight since she wed Gian Maria Emendatori in 2001 and moved to Riccione in Italy. They have a daughter together, Indira. Madhu has stayed away from the world of glamour and glitz for being a stay-at-home mother for her daughter.