She was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, but grew up in Kolkata, Bengal, India. Her father is a Punjabi-Kashmiri; her mother is a native of Afghanistan and was once a model. She has one brother, who is serving in the Indian army. She has said that when she was young, she wanted to join the army herself, either as a doctor or a pilot.
She was a semi finalist in the Miss Universe contest. She later complained that the media in Puerto Rico had treated her unfairly, hinting that she was only in the contest due to political meddling behind the scenes. She claimed that they viewed her as a threat to hometown girl and eventual Miss Universe 2001 Denise Quinones.
In addition to her Miss India win, Celina has won the Miss Margo Beautiful skin, Indiatimes Surfer's Choice, and MTV's Most Wanted awards.