Ved Bharambe has made history as the first Indian to win the Best National Costume Award at the Man of the World 2024 pageant held in the Philippines. The Pune native was captured on video strutting down the runway in an extravagant costume inspired by India’s national bird, the peacock. This footage has since gone viral on Instagram, amassing over 19 million views.
The elaborate outfit featured a model of the Taj Mahal, which opened to reveal Bharambe’s face. The oversized peacock wings displayed images of India’s most famous beauty queens – Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen, Lara Dutta, and Priyanka Chopra, along with a photo of Aditya Khurana, the 2022 Man of the World winner.
This Week reported that Ved Bharambe, also known as Lavesh Mohan Bharambe, secured the Best National Costume award at the 6th edition of the Man of the World Pageant.
The costume, titled “The Wonders of India,” was a collaboration between Filipino designer Patrick Isorena and India’s Mohammed Nagaman Lateef. Their aim was to highlight India’s rich cultural heritage and iconic symbols. The creation took 408 hours to complete.
The designers sought to capture the essence of India, featuring the Taj Mahal as one of its most recognizable monuments. The costume also honored past pageant winners, such as Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen. Additionally, the white peacock, India’s national bird, symbolized strength, power, and immortality.
The Man of the World pageant is an annual event celebrating “Masculinity with Responsibility.” This year, Sergio Azuaga from Venezuela was crowned the winner on July 26, succeeding Wook Kim from South Korea, who won in 2023.
Bharambe entered the global pageant after winning ‘Man of the World India 2024’ in April. He reached the top 10 before being eliminated from the competition.