Newly-crowned Femina Miss India World Anukreethy Vas is on cloud nine and why shouldn’t she. The 19-year-old from Tamil Nadu is the Femina Miss India 2018 winner and was crowned with the coveted title by previous edition’s holder as well as reigning Miss World, Manushi Chhillar. Anukreethy Vas has every right to be the happiest and extremely proud of her achievement for the girl from Trichy (Tiruchirappalli) has worked very hard for it. Post the win, Anukreethy was quoted saying, “Being raised by single mother has been inspiring.” Anukreethy Vas’ is a single mother, an IT professional named Seleena. Earlier in 2009, we had Femina Miss India turned actress Pooja Chopra whose life-journey of being raised by her strong single mother left us all super inspired. Anukreethy Vas is Femina Miss India 2018 Winner! Education, Parents, Height, Bio & Profile of The Indian Beauty Queen.

For Miss India World Anukreethy Vas, her mother has been a great role model, someone who has inspired her in every way. Speaking about one quality of her mother that she has learnt and shaped her life is – keep smiling because she feels a smile keeps everyone going. Anukreethy who is dominating every news headline after becoming Miss India World 2018 did not always have an easy life. She narrates how her mother raised her single-handedly and that though being raised by a single mother was challenging but being strong in every situation kept the mother-daughter going.

In a phone interview with IANS, Anukreethy Vas was quoted saying, "The challenges were there forever starting from school because I am not from a city-based place. I studied in Trichy (Tiruchirappalli) which is not really a city but I was very strong enough because my mother didn't let me down at any point. She used to say, 'You are a strong person. How can you cry?' and that's how she brought me up."

Anukreethy Vas being crowned by Manushi Chhillar (Photo Credits: @feminamissindia Twitter)

"I have never seen her low. She has a lot of problems herself but she never showed that to me and that is how I was brought up. Even if I had something inside me, I never expressed it to other person because I feel that a smile is one thing that keeps the other person going. And this is what I learnt from her. She inspired me in every way and she has been a great role model," added Vas. As we hear inspirational words of Anukreethy about her mother, let us take a look at two other such strong yet heart-warming tale of beauty queens raised by their powerful single mothers.

Pooja Chopra (Photo Credits: Facebook)

Firstly, we have Pooja Chopra, the gorgeous diva who won the title of Femina Miss India in 2009. The 32-year-old had represented the country at Miss World competition held in Johannesburg, South Africa and was a semi-finalist. Pooja had won the Beauty with a Purpose award after which she ventured into Bollywood. On seeing Pooja, one can never imagine that had it not been for her strong mother, Pooja would not have been even alive!

Yes, she is the child of a single mother, Neera Chopra who was tortured for not bearing a male child by her husband. When Pooja was just a 20-day old infant, her mother left the marital home than continuing to face abuse at her husband’s hands. Pooja and her elder sister Shubra were raised single-handedly by her mother and what a tough life it was for the trio. Nevertheless, their patience, faith and determination paid off, and when Pooja was crowned Miss India World, the family’s joy knew no bounds.

Khanittha “Mint” Phasaeng (Photo Credits: Tong Cooker/Twitter)

Second in the list is Khanittha “Mint” Phasaeng, who won the title of Miss Uncensored Thailand 2015 as a 17-year-old. The newly-crowned beauty queen had returned to her hometown in Amin, Thailand and it was here when she bowed down at her mother’s feet. The powerful photo of Khanittha wearing the crown and sash bowing to her mother touched netizens’ hearts across the globe. Being a single mother, the lady had raised Khanittha by collecting garbage, a work even the pageant winner did to help her mother.

Back to Anukreethy Vas, the 19-year-old will now hope to make the county proud at Miss World 2018 platform, and with her mother’s blessings, no feat is impossible. "I will put my best to get the crown again," she said, referring to the Miss World crown which 21-year-old Manushi Chillar brought back to India long after Bollywood superstar actress Priyanka Chopra won it in 2000.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 20, 2018 11:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).