Category Archives: Interviews (All)

Connoisseur of Canvases

10 Thursday Jul 2014

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Published: Verve Magazine, July 2014
Photograph by Toranj Kavyon

She has established herself in the art world, has the happy ability to see the lighter side of things, is inspired by nature and is a specialist and head of Christie’s Mumbai sale

Sonal Singh Christies Verve Magazine

“I don’t really have a normal work day, as I spend a lot of my time on road.”

The 35-year-old associate director and head of sale for South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art at Christie’s Mumbai is unlikely to be chained to a desk, and probably has the most creative mix of business and pleasure. She was partial to the arts from childhood. After studying sociology at Delhi University – where she spent a good deal of her time competing for the college at music competitions – Sonal Singh created a solid foundation for herself artistically and academically in London: ceramic design at Central St. Martins College of Art and Design, modern and contemporary art at Christie’s Education and a Master’s in art business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. After working in the field for a few years, she joined Christie’s in 2007 when the latter decided to expand its operations in India and were looking for a resident specialist.

“Every auction that you work on is exciting – to be able to handle the art at first hand is really the most thrilling experience for someone with my passions! Having said that, being a part of the Christie’s first auction in India (December 2013) was really a dream.” While she interacted with big names in the art world at the India Habitat Centre and worked with many artists at Bodhi Art Gallery, at Christie’s she is consumed by the sheer volume and quality of art that she is exposed to – some of the world’s greatest works. “Seeing the whole process through is really gratifying – first working with the collector and getting the consignment, appraising its value and importance and then seeing it go under the hammer. Negotiating for a work can be hard but getting it into an auction is extremely satisfying; similarly the actual auction can be stressful but when an artwork sets a new record or fetches a good price, it’s the most thrilling experience.”

What would someone who works with works of art like to see on her own walls? “I like the immediacy of works on paper and this is mostly what I’ve bought. I’d love to have works by Gaitonde and Amrita Sher-Gil some day and I would like to start learning more about antiquities, in particular, Gandhara sculptures.” She likes Indian textiles, treasures family jewellery and has recently rediscovered saris, while otherwise she would be likely to be seen in churidaars for formal occasions and jeans-and-shirts on a casual note.

She works as part of a team, with colleagues based in New York, London and Mumbai. They curate auctions and aim to bring together rare, important and exquisite works of art. Not surprisingly, she is often on the move, which works well for her, as she is fascinated with planes. After work, if there aren’t any overseas conference calls scheduled, she finds time for a walk, a gallery opening or catches up with friends for dinner.

“I realised a few years ago that the people in my life are my priority and I try to spend as much time as I can with them.” Sonal Singh believes in living life on her own terms and in creating her own path; and that success is nothing more or less than “making the most of what life gives you”.

The Business of Being

15 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by in Interviews (All), Interviews: Business, Publication: Verve Magazine

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Published: Verve Magazine, June 2014
Photograph by Toranj Kavyon

She’s passionate, dedicated and full of conviction. The CEO of Parle Agro Pvt. Ltd., Schauna Chauhan Saluja, is fully immersed in running her family business and believes in a lifetime of learning

Schauna Chauhan Saluja for Verve Magazine

“Work is my priority. Which does not mean family is not as important. But at this age I have the energy, determination and the strength to handle a lot more.”

Thirty-seven-year old Schauna Chauhan Saluja started in the family business at the age of 22 and it feels like she was meant for exactly that. “I didn’t need to see a guidance counsellor in school to sit and ponder over what it is that I wanted to become or where I should work. I think it was already chosen for me and I accepted it as I grew up learning the business…it was a very natural process.”

‘After schooling in Kodaikanal International School and acquiring a Bachelor’s degree from business school in Lausanne, she was back home, learning the ropes in Parle Agro. “Being part of the business has always been so great because it is driven by so much passion and energy. And you are continuously learning. When I started, my role was to learn and understand the business, and that’s what I did – and in a lot of ways I’m still doing that. Joining young gave me a chance to grow with the company.”

The mother of a six-month-old boy, Jahaan, she has her hands full but believes that time can expand to fit all that needs to be done in. “Everyone in my family is working and is as passionate about their work so the understanding is there, if there are occasions where work takes up most of your time. When the family is together, the shared experience becomes important. And whatever free moments I have are taken up by my family first.”

Schauna, who believes in the power of teamwork, a healthy culture and set of values within the organisation, is focused on the current challenge at work – which is something she believes every other entrepreneur or business person is also facing – the challenge to keep the company growth steady in today’s economic scenario. “My life will take the direction depending on the choices I make and the decisions I take. Where I would like it to go is only higher….”

“I am what I am and I do what I do.” Her personal style is very simple, and when she accessorises, she ensures that it’s always a reflection of her personality: simple, elegant and delicate. “I believe that less is more. I don’t like it too cluttered or busy and one does not need to be fancy to look elegant.” Jackets, pearls – you would almost never see her without her pearl necklaces – and bright colours, like pink, are her staples. “One should try and dress up every day…whether it’s the business suit you wear for work or the outfit you slip into when you are going out for an occasion. And dress well to please yourself.”

She treasures a gold heart-shaped Tiffany necklace and an Ulysse Nardin watch that her husband, tennis player and actor, Bikram Saluja, gave her – the latter after he got his first independent project. To Schauna success is, “Going through varied emotions, doing what you love, dressing up in what you would enjoy wearing, learning something new every day, getting up every time you fall down, smiling through the tough times, never taking no for an answer, and always asking the question, ‘Why?’”

The Mistress of Words

15 Thursday May 2014

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Published: Verve Magazine, May 2014
Photograph by Manpreet Singh

She is as vibrant as her novels, and as sharp as her characters. Anuja Chauhan remains unaffected at the best of times

Anuja Chauhan Verve MAgazine

“I identify with every character I write, not just the girls. The heroes, the villains, the sleazy people. They’re all culled from people I know, have observed and am fond of.”

It is as if 43-year-old Anuja Chauhan has come of age early, while retaining a level of humour, innocence and vivacity about her, with her trademark witticism. Growing up, she thought being a Rajput and an army kid was the best thing in the world to be. “It was a big part of my identity and thinking. It still is, though I now realise there is a difference between being foolhardy and being brave, and that in an increasingly shrinking world, the concepts of ‘country’ and ‘nationality’ are rather overrated.”

She ended up in advertising after she read a book her husband (then boyfriend) gave her. Finding it interesting, she did the rounds of the Delhi agencies and took some copy tests. “Getting a job as a copywriter is the easiest thing in the world. Keeping
that job is another thing entirely!” She worked in the ad agency, JWT India, for over 17 years, eventually becoming vice president and executive creative director, before resigning in 2010 to pursue a full-time literary career. Over the years she worked with brands like Pepsi, Kurkure, Mountain Dew and Nokia, creating Pepsi’s Nothing official about it campaign and advertising slogans such as Pepsi’s Yeh Dil Maange More and Oye Bubbly, and Darr ke Aagey Jeet Hai for Mountain Dew. She believes that the biggest milestone for her was growing up, learning teamwork, mentoring and learning to listen.

Now she’s the best-selling author of three literary fiction novels. “Copywriting
is telling somebody else’s story. Essentially, I felt like I wanted to stretch out and write my own stories.” She started writing her first novel, The Zoya Factor, in her spare time while still working. The novel was originally optioned for a film by Red Chillies Entertainment and then resold to Pooja Shetty Deora’s Walkwater Films. The film rights to her second novel, The Battle for Bittora, are with Anil Kapoor Film Company, as she herself moves into writing screenplays for cinema. “Again, it happened very naturally. Filmmakers approached me for the movie rights
to my books – so I sold them, and then people who I couldn’t sell them to, said, ‘Write us a screenplay instead’. So I wrote. But again, it’s a collaborative process. Writing books is still the best thing. You have total control there.”

Married to television presenter and producer, Niret Alva, with three children, Anuja Chauhan has a full life. “Well, the babies are all personal milestones. Their births, the times they’ve done well, the times they’ve gotten ill. Those are the times one grows as a person, learns patience, discipline and humility and gets spiritual.” Her wish for the future is simple: “I just want my children to be healthy and happy and self-sufficient. And I want to spend quality time with my husband.”

Her style quotient consists of three things: comfort, colour and individuality. “My mum had this one jadau sone-ka-haar, which got cut up into four pieces as all her daughters wanted it. I love my bit of it.” Dressing up is wearing a sari. “Or simple clothes and big earrings and lashings of kohl and lipstick.” Inspirations are “all the
people I meet and the conversations I overhear (shamelessly!)” and success is nothing more or less than “peace of mind”.

‘Sleeping Through The Museum’

14 Wednesday May 2014

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Published: Vervemagazine.in, May 2014

Waswo X. Waswo critiques the process of “museumification” in a show at Sakshi Art Gallery, Mumbai

Waswo X Waswo

5 Questions: Waswo X. Waswo

1. Artistic Motivation I grew up in an artistic family, so art has been part of my life since day one. It’s sort of a cliche to say art is about communication. Maybe I think about it more as a way to examine issues, and the world around me. It is in large part a way I look outward, but also self-examine.

2. Inspirations I could name a long list of artists and photographers who have inspired me, and still do. But for this particular exhibition I have to name a member of my own family, Ed Green, whose job it was to organise the painting of dioramas in the local natural history museum. This show is all about the issues that arise from that.

3. Art in your home Besides making my own art, I’ve also formed a very large collection of Indian printmaking. That collection was shown last year at the NGMA-Mumbai. So my home is filled with vintage and contemporary etchings and woodcuts by well-known Indian artists. My interest in printmaking is why I asked the young lithographer Subrat Behera Kumar to be a part of this show.

4. Concerns that show up in your art I’m concerned with how the world is being torn apart, it seems everywhere, by cultural misunderstandings. A large part of my art has been to explore these misunderstandings, and try to learn what creates them.

5. If you weren’t an artist, you would be… Believe it or not, when I was young, I also wanted to work in a museum like my cousin Ed. I dreamt about being a ‘curator’ long before that word came into common usage and fashion. If I hadn’t followed an art career, maybe that is where I would have found myself.

The show Sleeping Through the Museum previews tonight and is on until June 21, 2014 (11pm-6pm) at Sakshi Art Gallery (6/19, Grants Building, 2nd Floor, Arthur Bunder Road, Colaba, Mumbai.)

Living Her Dreams

30 Wednesday Apr 2014

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Published: Verve Magazine, April 2014
Photograph by Toranj Kavyon

Indian cinema and theatre actress, mother and brand builder of her family business; Perizaad Zorabian-Irani is effortlessly easy-goIng, exuberant and full of life

Perizaad Zorabian for Verve Magazine

I don’t have a single lazy, chilled out moment! My life moves at a crazy pace…but that’s the only way I know how to be.”

Dinner With Friends, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play directed by Feroz Abbas Khan that she’s been working in, has been running for three years and seen a 100 shows worldwide. Simultaneously, Perizaad Zorabian-Irani has looked after specific food ranges as her family business, Zorabian Chicken, started its journey into the retail space. And if that’s not enough, she’s mother to six-year-old Zaha and four-year-old Zayaan.

Juggling things isn’t new to her. The 40-year-old describes how she managed to be in the top 10 of her class in school while training for 12 years to be a ballerina – one whom in her teacher’s words was ‘born to be on stage because of the immense joy she brings to her performance’. Later, while modelling and being a part of fashion shows and dramatics, she graduated with a gold medal in management from Mumbai University. She followed it with her education in New York City, where, in addition to her MBA, she also attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. “All throughout, I have been inclined towards academics and the arts; I feel passionately about both!”

Building the Zorabian brand in the retail space with a limited marketing spend has been extremely challenging. “All I had when we started building our brand was quality – an outstanding product to offer the Indian consumer. Convincing our storekeepers and retailers to give Zorabian shelf space when we first started off was tough, but today when people stop me to tell me how much they love our product, I feel like I have conquered the world and it makes me believe even more in the power of doing things right.”

She’s been nominated for a best debut award for Bollywood Calling (2003), and won a best actor award for Joggers Park (2003) at the Bollywood Awards in New York. She’s acted in more movies since, including essaying the role of Indira Gandhi in a Chinese film, Badung Sonata, and looks forward to exploring that profession further. “Zorabian Chicken gives me an adrenaline rush; being an actor is my moment of nirvana – I need both to complete me.”

She’s been trained early to manage her time effectively and she’s grounded with a strong sense of discipline with the ability to prioritise; which all form key aspects of the balancing act. She admits that it’s not easy to do all of it together, especially when one has young children, but, “if you really want to do something, the whole world conspires to make it possible!”

Perizaad got married in 2006 and believes her husband, businessman Boman Rustom Irani, is the ‘wind beneath her wings’. “In spite of being hugely successful in his own right he has never undermined my need to excel – he has always respected and encouraged it.”

She describes her style quotient as minimalistic, understated, classic and feminine; and her most treasured possession is her engagement ring, which she absolutely can’t take off, even after seven years. While passionate, committed and hard- working are all what she’s about, Perizaad Zorabian-Irani believes success is merely “living life on your own terms. Being able to chase the dreams you want to; being free!”

Cool Crusader

10 Thursday Apr 2014

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Published: Verve Magazine, March 2014
Photograph by Toranj Kavyon

Theatre personality, Bollywood actress and American television star Poorna Jagannathan is passionate, driven and well on her way to achieving her own definition of success

Poorna Jagannathan for Verve Magazine

“I’m sick of hearing myself talk about things I’d love to do. I’m trying to just shut up and actually do them.”

And she has gone ahead and done exactly that. Poorna Jagannathan, 41, best known locally for her irreverent role in Delhi Belly (2011) and her character role in last year’s Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, juggles working in America and India while also being a mother to her seven-year-old son. “Straddling two continents and living a gypsy lifestyle isn’t easy, but I am drawn to excellent writing and for now, it’s still coming out of the States for me. And raising a child when both parents are working is like a dance where everyone has two left feet!”

Jagannathan was born in Tunisia, grew up in various parts of the world, before calling America home. The American television and film actor begins shooting for HBO’s new series, Criminal Justice, opposite Robert De Niro this summer. But closest to her heart is the critically acclaimed human-rights-theatre-project Nirbhaya, which is a play she has initiated, produced and is acting in. The gang rape in Delhi left her with an unnerving feeling of complicity – reminding her about the times she remained silent about the sexual violence she had dealt with. She felt it is silence that sustains a culture of violence and unaccountability.

Five women (including Jagannathan) come forward to talk about their own personal experience with sexual violence. The hope is that by them breaking their silence, the audience members will too. The play premiered abroad where it won the 2013 Amnesty International award, including several others. It was also listed by The Guardian’s critics as one of the ‘best plays of 2013’. Leaning on crowd funding for their India run, Nirbhaya tours Mumbai (Tata Theatre, 17-20), Delhi (FICCI Auditorium, 22-25) and Bengaluru (Rangshankara, 26-30) this month. “Producing Nirbhaya was a complete paradigm shift. I stopped waiting for something or someone to come along and change things. It’s also when I stopped talking about wanting to do something and actually did it – that was hugely liberating.”

She’s constantly looking to be the voice of dissent. Jagannathan has added a new dimension to the Bollywood red carpet look, and that’s because she likes character in everything that she wears or does. She treasures her wedding ring, which is her mother’s old, traditional South Indian, U-shaped ring. Her sense of humour serves her well as she navigates the Indian film industry, and she admires people who play the ‘David vs. Goliath’ game. “It takes a lot to go up against the system here.”

The Barracks and the Beautiful

01 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by in Features & Trends, Interviews (All), Publication: Verve Magazine

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Published Verve Magazine, March 2014

These driven professionals have solid grounding even if they have lived a nomadic existence. Discipline, endurance, strong commitment to fitness, confidence and the ability to fit in anywhere are defining qualities of army brats. We find that their background is a strong player in their success

“In the services one defined themselves by what one did and stood for, and that does someone more good than being dependent on possessions, especially those handed down to you. Our self- confidence came from ourselves, it was partially a nomadic life, thinking was the best way to travel, movies could be watched under umbrellas in the rain, and one was inculcated with a sense of pride”. – Tarun Tahiliani, designer

Were you aware that the celebrated designer and his sister, Tina, who runs the country’s foremost multi-brand designer store, Ensemble, both hail from a defence background? Their father, Admiral Radhakrishna Hariram Tahiliani, served as the Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy and as the Governor of Sikkim. Far more than you may realise, the great names of art and culture, fashion and television, corporate anchors and CEOs owe their allegiance to a background of serving the country. (See box for Bollywood’s army kids)

When you observe the way in which these young men and women deal with the pressures of public life, the way in which they remain calm under crisis or criticism, and have the patience and wherewithal to continue on a chosen trajectory, is seems to have a direct bearing on their powerful upbringing. Indian cinema actor, Anushka Sharma’s ability to respond with grace and restraint over the recent public scrutiny or Priyanka Chopra’s strong-willed endurance could be attributed to their upbringing. Former Miss India and Indian cinema actress, who once considered becoming an IAS officer, Neha Dhupia, is strong-willed and not easily moved. “I’m very stable as a person: when my head packs up my body takes over and when my body packs up my mind takes over. My Mom always says, ‘If it doesn’t kill you it only makes you stronger.’ My Dad always says, ‘Don’t sweat the small stuff.’ My parents are humble, educated and unaffected by their surroundings. Being indecisive about things in life isn’t appreciated; it’s almost a sign of being foolish. It’s important to try – winning or losing isn’t important.”

The lifestyle, bordering on nomadic – as Tahiliani describes it – is bound to have repercussions – for most of them, the ability to make friends anywhere, to pick up and move on and remain disconnected from the trappings of setting roots, and treating it like an “adventure”, as stellar novelist, and Rajput army kid, Anuja Chauhan, puts it. It serves them well when dealing with fame, ephemeral industries, transitory jobs and new people. Indian cinema actress, Nimrat Kaur, who shot to fame recently with The Lunchbox, says “We never stayed in one place for more than two to three years. It keeps challenging your comfort zone. You need to make new friends and start afresh; you don’t have an identity you carry with you for years together.” Actor and activist, Gul Panag counts that she has been to 13 schools: “I’m still in touch with these friends. Having travelled so much, I do find it easier to view life as a wide canvas.” While Chauhan admits that “you get better at socialising, taking a deep breath, walking into a roomful of strangers and making friends with them”, she believes that not sticking around in one school impacts the chance of having deep friendships.

There is also a tolerance towards and the ability to deal with people, while fostering an innate sense of confidence and approachability. Says Kaur, whose father was a farmer’s son and didn’t have money for school: “The environment is extremely eclectic – people from all walks of life come in to the army to become officers. You are exposed to values from different cultures. Everyone has the same resources and furniture, is at the same level – it makes a difference to your worldview. As a girl I was never treated differently from the boys, you have the same responsibilities.” And they are definitely not shy talking to people. Chauhan agrees, “Army brats strut around a safe cantonment environment, and so they’re more confident – and more patriotic!”

Great mental strength and the ability to deal with situations bristling with tension give them staying power in industries that are cutthroat yet riddled with fragile and tenuous relationships. Gul Panag, whose father, H S Panag, is a general (retired) in the Indian Army, admits that having to deal with the fact that one of your family members may be posted to an area that is fraught with immense danger and dealing with the uncertainty that it creates, makes you mentally very tough. “The whole focus of putting country before self also creates a deeper sense of purpose and strength that is then evident in other areas of life as well – you are willing to take more risks, live life fuller and, of course, are also more grounded.” Perhaps this thinking gives Panag the ability to be outspoken on a public platform, the confidence to become an activist for social causes.

And along with that comes the actual physical strength – the training to keep going for long hours and withstand immense physical pressure. Army brats are all very outdoorsy, learning to swim and horse-ride at an early age, are automatically exposed to a wide range of sports and tend towards natural athleticism, even if all can’t eventually be the famous runner Milkha Singh or his golfer son, Jeev Milkha Singh. Or stunt star Akshay Kumar, for that matter! Panag started running when she was 16, inspired by her father’s passion for fitness. “He would often make an example of me to his unfit officers, comparing the fact that a 16-year-old girl could outrun them! The focus on fitness was certainly a way of life growing up, and it’s stayed with me always.” Kaur also stresses on the discipline that comes as a part of the culture, along with being physically fit – being physically on time! “My father was one of the fittest people I had known. It (the movie industry) is a physically exhausting field and being delicate takes that much longer to adapt to things.” Neha Dhupia is a regular in the Mumbai Marathon. “I never start or end my day without a run, even when I am travelling. Being in the (movie) industry you want to get away, to clear and relax your mind, not have it ticking like a time bomb.” Chauhan, who easily romanticises the cantonment life says, “I think the whole club-swimming pool-golf-course- embroidery classes-May Queen Ball culture is one of the best one could have those days.”

The regular social events in the barracks, which include participation in initial-level beauty contests such as the Navy Queen held at the Navy Ball, naturally prep the girls for thinking of pageants as a future option on a bigger scale. Dhupia changed her mind about becoming an IAS officer when an uncle suggested her entering her name in the Miss India beauty pageant. There was no looking back. From Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta to Pooja Batra, there are a number of army offspring who have shone in beauty pageants and eventually gone on to become actresses. Panag admits, “I think every little girl dreams of being Miss India one day. I don’t know if it’s an army-specific thing. But certainly the outlook in the defence forces is forward looking and allows girls that freedom to dream and do.” But Kaur is quite vociferous in her anti-view, “My mother was never inclined towards beauty contests. I don’t subscribe to them personally. They are an easy way of making a mark. When Sushmita Sen won Miss Universe, or Aishwarya Rai won Miss World, everyone rejoiced. The novelty may have got diluted today – now there are other ways of being noticed.”

Being associated with a defence family also means dealing with the loss of life and coming to terms with insecurity about your loved ones. It also tends to make you value life more. Kaur, whose father was in the Indian Army and lost his life in a terrorist attack in Kashmir, has deep feelings about it. “Having seen death up close keeps your core strong. My inner strength or core comes from an upbringing I have seen – you can take everything away from me, but you cannot take away the upbringing. I have these values and they remain with me. I have seen extremely drastic times with losing my father on the field in Kashmir. I don’t know if being in any other profession would have changed things. Life is more fragile and you have experienced more dangerous situations. You don’t take things for granted; you value life and people. Things change without your control so rapidly. All you have is your conduct and how you treated people, and your goodwill.”

Without going deep into Francis Galton’s nature and nurture debate, and accepting that the ‘tabula rasa’ theory cannot be viewed in isolation, one must admit that one’s upbringing and surroundings have a strong and dynamic impact on our choices, thinking and personality. It defines whom you eventually go on to become and defines how you deal with circumstances. Army brats are given a solid foundation upon which they manage to make something of themselves – as so many people in diverse fields have proven. Galton’s half- cousin Charles Darwin’s ‘survival of the fittest’ is not too far from the truth when it comes to defining the success of these individuals from defence backgrounds. They are fit, determined and they often show us how it’s done.

BOLLYWOOD’S ARMY BRATS

  • Akshay Kumar
  • Anushka Sharma
  • Arjun Rampal
  • Celina Jaitley
  • Chitrangada Singh
  • Gauri Khan
  • Lara Dutta
  • Mohnish Behl
  • Pooja Batra
  • Preity Zinta
  • Priyanka Chopra
  • Sushmita Sen

The Rose Code #1 Neha Dhupia: ‘A Higher State of Being’

03 Monday Mar 2014

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Published: Verve Magazine, February 2014, Luxe Select
Photograph by Toranj Kavyon

Actor and former Miss India, Neha Dhupia is a grounded celebrity. She carries herself with grace, works hard at her chosen profession and embodies a strong sense of self-worth, making her one of The Rose Code’s ambassadors of style and substance

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I’m a very stable person. When my head packs up, my body takes over; when my body packs up, my mind takes over.”

She’s confident, sorted and self-assured. Neha Dhupia has no qualms about speaking her mind, knows what she wants and comes across as balanced. The actor is in a good place right now with three films up for release before the summer: Ungli produced by Karan Johar (releasing next month), Viacom’s Santa Banta and Nautanki Film’s 21 Topo Ki Salaami, which she is currently shooting for.

She was all set to be an IAS officer – she had just chosen her subject – when a call from her uncle changed her path. He asked if she would be interested in trying out for the Miss India pageant. She missed the cut-off date that year, but kept an eye out for it the next. “When the other hopeful girls were starving to stay thin, I was having a ham-and-cheese multigrain club sandwich. Then I got selected, I won (2002) and things changed! I never thought I would last so many years.” She’s “had the pancake on for a long time”, been an actor in the Indian film industry for a decade, done theatre, modelling and the pageant before that. “The job that I do is most unstable and unforgiving. A bad photo is published more than a good one. But it’s also rewarding. I maintain a huge amount of stability in my head and heart. I’ve been in the tunnel and can always see the light.”

She counts her milestones in all her experiences, the first of everything achieved – getting on stage, walking the ramp, facing the camera, having a film release, running for the first time; and finding that life often comes a full circle. She’s been associated with charitable projects along the way – she’s run the Mumbai Marathon for the Concern India Foundation, she’s helped raise money for the Sikkim earthquake victims and for the last five years she has been a spokesperson for Shiksha, a philanthropic venture by Procter & Gamble.

Running is something very close to her heart. She ran the 2014 Marathon last month for a cause as important as any: herself. “I find my sense of spirituality in running. I never start or end my day without a run, even when I am travelling. Being in the industry you want to get away, to clear and relax your mind, not have it ticking like a time bomb. Running, to me, has almost become a religion. It’s a higher state of being. It balances me, personally and professionally. Being single, even on days that I lack companionship, running provides me that.”

Neha Dhupia, a previous cover girl for Verve’s Best Dressed issue, likes to dress “for the occasion and the weather,” always choosing to wear something that gets her personality out. Very certain about what she likes and what will suit her, she laughs and dismisses it saying, “It’s just clothes after all.” She treasures her grandmother’s pearl-and-gold bracelet, that she never wears because she’s afraid of losing it, and remains inspired by her own success and failure all at once, while believing that success is entirely relative.

Cover Story with Priyanka Chopra: “Little Grown-Up Girl”

17 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by in Interviews (All), Interviews: Cinema, Interviews: Cover Stories, Publication: Verve Magazine

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Published: Verve Magazine, Dec 2013 (18th year anniversary issue)
Photograph by: Dabboo Ratnani

Priyanka Chopra has had to take leaps and become an adult when her peers were bunking school. She’s tumbled into several coming-of-age moments; ones that define her and some that continue to plague her. The top-rung Hindi film actor and experimental singer opens up about her self-esteem issues, growing up, making mistakes and finding herself

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She’s sexy, glamorous and unbelievably graceful. As she walks into the cover shoot, every single head turns. And if you catch her eye, the look can be distant or it can pierce your soul, entirely dependent upon how interested she may be in knowing you. She’s warm but has her personal space and boundaries clearly defined. Her husky voice is muted, as she remains engrossed in long, involved conversations with her Verve cover co-stars, Karan Johar and Ekta Kapoor. Later, you struggle to reconcile the raw vulnerability of the girl to the exterior of this poised and spirited woman, as she reveals the moments of the past that define her today….

JUST INTO THE AWKWARD TEENS, I WAS VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE WAY I LOOKED. I was very dusky and skinny to my Punjabi family’s fair, fat and pretty. I always felt left out. With all those insecurities in mind, I landed up in America in high school (ninth grade), which took a big toll on me as a teenager.

TO BE IN HIGH SCHOOL IN AMERICA IS JUST LIKE MEAN GIRLS, THE MOVIE. I came from Bareilly, didn’t understand anything and had so many emotional and self-esteem issues; and around me the girls looked so grown-up. I looked 12 to their 16. They were dressed up, developed, wore make-up, had blow-dried hair, and I was in pigtails. I realised that grooming is the only thing that will make you look the best that you can be and I started learning how to take care of myself.

THE WAY YOU LOOK, UNFORTUNATELY, MAKES YOU FEEL A CERTAIN WAY. Everybody doesn’t like certain things about themselves and as soon as you start accepting yourself for who you are, or be the best that you can be then you start feeling confident. It is something I still do. I have improved upon my skin, my looks. There is nothing wrong with that skin tone; in fact, I photograph really well because of it. But my skin, unlike Smita Patil’s beautiful duskiness, for instance, used to be an unclear dusky. I started taking care of it, which gave me a much clearer complexion; being more active and getting toned up so my body started developing the way I wanted it to; and I began wearing the right kind of clothes.

THE UGLY DUCKLING USED TO BE MY FAVOURITE STORY, BECAUSE THAT WAS MY STORY. In high school, in four years, from 13 to 17 I changed from that gawky teenager to Miss World. And yet, even as Miss World, I didn’t feel like a pari. I had major self-esteem issues because it was in my head.

I CAUGHT A TV SHOW, JUST THIS MORNING, WHERE THEY TALKED ABOUT ‘PLASTIC CHOPRA’ about how my body, face and hair have changed over the years. My knees were circled in one picture pointing out that they had more gradation in skin colour (2005) and they circled my knees now, saying ‘knees pe plastic surgery karvaiyi hai, colour badal gaya hai unka! (She’s had plastic surgery on her knees, their colour has changed.)’ It hurts me so much, because it’s taken so much of me to go from that ugly duckling to be who I am today, to be in the movie business. For all the young girls out there – moisturise every day and watch your skin become smoother and it will start glowing. It’s the little things and I learnt that over time. There was no one to teach me….

WHEN I BECAME MISS WORLD THAT WAS A BIG COMING-OF-AGE MOMENT FOR ME. Suddenly from a school uniform in the 12th standard I went to talking about the economy of Zimbabwe to the press of the world. How am I supposed to know that at 17? I had to grow up instantly.

THE MOVIE INDUSTRY IS A HARD PLACE TO BE IN WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE A MENTOR OR A BOYFRIEND, SOMEONE WHO IS PROTECTING YOU. At the ages of 18-20 I had to deal with people the way an adult would, and in the movie business you meet a lot of strange people. I had my mom with me, and even though she didn’t know the ways of the industry either, we both knew how to live life on our terms.

I HAVE NEVER BEEN FORCED OR COERCED INTO DOING SOMETHING. I know how to protect myself as a woman. Even if it’s a big film, I know how to say no if I feel uncomfortable. Every movie that I have done has been an experience in making me the actor that I am today. Sometimes it’s hard, because it’s a male-dominated world. But nothing in life is worth your self-respect or your dignity.

I HAVE MY VALUES VERY INTACT. I HAVE A LOT OF COURAGE OF CONVICTION. EVEN IF I MAKE MISTAKES, THEY ARE MINE. I stand by them and I will take the lynching and the shooting and stand in front of the squad and say, ‘I did this. Now shoot me. I am not a saint. I haven’t come here to be one, and no one can be.’ I am someone who is happiest when I make people happy.

I HAVE A REALLY FIERCE SENSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH DOESN’T MEAN THAT I DRAW LINES AND STAY WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF WHAT IS SAFE. I won’t say, ‘Yeh laxman rekha hai, and I won’t cross it.’ I am adventurous in life and I have done so many things out of my comfort zone whether it is my career or my personal life. But I stand by them. I don’t feel like I regret even the bad phases of my life. I may have wanted them not to happen. But I have never been ashamed of anything I have done.

I AM MOST UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN I AM IN GREY SITUATIONS. I am a very black-and-white kind of person. I need to make parallels and flow charts. I need to know life is headed a particular way; I need to know what is going to happen; I need to be prepared. But life is not like that, it throws googlies at you regularly…and I get thrown off. I am a very sensitive person, hugely emotional. Every time life throws a googly at me, I come of age. I grow up a little bit more.

THE ONE THING I MISSED OUT ON IS COLLEGE LIFE; MY MOM FEELS THAT THAT IS HER BIGGEST REGRET FOR ME. Bunking classes and running off with your friends. I never had that. I feel like I am regressing now, though. I am also a private, shy person. With my work I take all the risks, but with my personal life I am afraid to take the leap.

I’M LETTING LIFE PASS ME BY BECAUSE I ADORE MY JOB. It gives me the greatest joy, but maybe ten years down the line I will think, ‘I wish I had taken that holiday….’ I haven’t taken a holiday in 16 years. This phase – as you are talking to me – is a coming-of-age phase. I am happy and content professionally; I am blazing my own trail…whether it’s the wrong path, failure-ridden path, successful path…I don’t know. But at least it’s my own. I’m not following norms. It’s more fun that way. I always like running…or flying! I don’t ever want to take any steps back for any reason.

MY DAD’S GOING MADE ME GROW UP A LITTLE BIT. It’s too soon so I haven’t dealt with it in a way, but that changed me a lot. I’m still processing it. I will always remember my post 20s beginning like that.

MY 20S WERE VERY TURBULENT. I didn’t know who I was, what I wanted to be…not that I know now, but I am a little closer to understanding it. I know what I don’t want. You start living with an acceptance of who you are.

Chasing the Sunrays

17 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by in Interviews (All), Interviews: Travel, Publication: Verve Magazine, Travel Stories

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Published: Verve Magazine, December 2013, Scapes/Travel

How does one curate the hottest party destinations of the world? Simple – you ask the DJs. An all-male eclectic group of local and international music producers and disk jockeys pick some of their favourite places to party, some of which they have played at, often for hours at a stretch. Don’t be surprised to find the usual suspects and be willing to discover unheard-of secret spots: from the Praia Brava coastline of Brazil to the beaches of Goa; from electronic dance music and house to hip hop….

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SLEEPLESS IN LAS VEGAS: DJ AQEEL

REVERED PARTY SPOT
Las Vegas. All the clubs are simply mind blowing with the best DJs in the world playing the most amazing music, in particular: Marquee, Hakkasan and XS.

IT ROCKS BECAUSE
Every one is here to party and have a good time… making it by far, the best city in the world.

MEMORABLE TAKE-AWAY
I learnt how to play Texas hold ’em poker!

NON-STOP PARTY METER
A night out normally lasts three or four hours; I go to Vegas every year without fail.

HIGH NOTES
It is mostly hip hop and house, but amazing music.

THE MOOD
The energy of Vegas, the city that never sleeps, is incomparable. No place can match up to it.

ON THE WISH LIST
I would love to play in Ibiza – another very cool party destination.

VISIT
Las Vegas all year round and Ibiza from June till September.

FAVOURITE PARTY SPOTS
Miami, Ibiza, St Tropez, London.

LOCATION DETAILS
Marquee: marqueelasvegas.com, Hakkasan: hakkasanlv.com, XS: xslasvegas.com

GETTING THERE
Virgin Atlantic flies into Las Vegas from Mumbai with a stopover in London (partially operated by Jet Airways).

Personal mantra: Expect the Unexpected.
DJ Aqeel is a prolific international DJ, and has played twice at the World Economic Forum in Davos (Swiss) representing India and entertaining the likes of Bill Clinton and Kofi Annan. As a producer, his remix albums have sold over seven million copies worldwide; he has also introduced the first ever DJ-owned record label in the country under the brand Power Play Records. He’s behind The Super Club in India, with nightclubs like Poison, Bling and Hype.

LIFE’S A BEACH IN GOA: NIKHIL CHINAPA

REVERED PARTY SPOT
Zanzibar, the beach shack on Baga beach, is one of a few. I’ve also done some amazing gigs in Manipal, Indore, Baroda and Bengaluru…there’s something special about playing to your home crowd.

IT ROCKS BECAUSE
It’s a magical feeling playing music on a beach, looking out at the sunset and the ocean. It’s therapeutic and sublime… makes you feel that all is well with the world (even if it’s not).

MEMORABLE MOMENT
The amazing crowd we had in 2007/2008. Those were undoubtedly some of the best years we’ve had at Zanzibar.

NON-STOP PARTY METER
Six hours a day for five days straight.

HIGH NOTES
Beach house music: it has an easy tempo and brings out the smiles.

THE MOOD
It’s on a beach in Goa…

VISIT
December 30… every year.

LOCATION DETAILS
Zanzibar is on Baga beach, outside Mambos in Calangute.

GETTING THERE
Most local airlines fly into Goa daily from Mumbai and Delhi.

Personal mantra: Nothing brings people together like dance music.
MTV mascot, DJ, VJ, promoter, festival director, radio host, dance music fanatic, Nikhil Chinapa wears many hats. At MTV, Chinapa has hosted almost every show the channel has aired. Chinapa and his company, Submerge Music, is known for having been instrumental in bringing the most prominent DJs to India and is credited to be a pioneer for EDM in India. Married to DJ Pearl, he also hosts a popular weekly radio show called Together.

NON-STOP DANCING IN IBIZA: ANISH SOOD

COOLEST PARTY LOCATION
Definitely Ibiza (the third largest Balearic island in Spain).

IT ROCKS BECAUSE
It has a phenomenal vibe. Clubbing drives the entire island’s revenue and everything around it is designed to ensure you have the best nightlife experience ever – with the scale of the clubs and lineups. It is a pilgrimage every serious dance music fan must make at some point of time in their lives.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS
The amazing sunrise and sunset views.

NON-STOP PARTY METER
I was at one party from 3 p.m. until 5 a.m., so that’s 14 hours straight!

MUSICAL NOTES
Different clubs play different styles, though it’s all primarily dance music, ranging from commercial and funky house to deep house and techno.

THE MOOD
Loud music, colourful drinks and a lot of pretty people everywhere.

COMPARABLE PLACES
I hear Las Vegas has now become the new Ibiza.

NOSTALGIC TRACK
The Keys by Matt John.

VISIT
June-September.

ALSO LOVE PARTYING AT
Shanghai for the super vibrant and diverse cultural atmosphere it has, Amsterdam during the dance event week and Berlin for its industrial techno clubs.

GETTING THERE
Fly into Spain on Jet Airways or any European carrier (with a stopover in Europe). From Madrid or Barcelona, the local carrier, Iberia, flies regularly into Ibiza.

Personal mantra: It’s all about stage presence and audience interaction.
Anish Sood, 23, has releases on labels around the world, playing over 70 gigs a year, selling out the biggest clubs and festivals including Sunburn, NH7 Weekender and Invasion Festival and performs alongside some of the biggest names in dance music. His debut EP Wanna Be Your Only Love was aired on Armin van Buuren’s A State Of Trance and a music video released nationwide on VH1. Hear him live 6th – 8th of this month at the Enchanted Valley Carnival, Aamby Valley City.

LIVE THE MOMENT IN WARUNG: DJ DEMI

REVERED PARTY SPOT
Warung (South of Brazil, just north of Florianopolis).

IT ROCKS BECAUSE….
It’s an Indonesian hut, warung, along the Praia Brava coastline with 3,000 of the most beautiful people spilling onto the beach, dancing like there’s no tomorrow. The open-air structure at the back of the venue is also in line with the sunrise with a breathtaking view. Not to forget the beaches, the food, the weather, the hospitable people. And hang-gliding!

MEMORABLE MOMENT
I was performing for their New Year’s Eve show, and I didn’t know that this night in Brazil is celebrated with everybody dressed in white, a superstitious belief to symbolise a fresh start, a new chapter, a new year. I’ll never forget the view that particular night when I walked into the DJ booth and was faced with a sea of white in front of me that stretched as far as the eye could see towards the horizon. I stepped up in view of thousands of people, dressed like the ‘grim reaper’.

NON-SPOT PARTY METER
A whole weekend!

THE MOOD
There’s a strong sense of ‘living’ in the moment especially in the southern regions of Brazil. At the same time, I’ve also felt at my most calm and serene state of being. There’s an infectious vibe that reverberates all around you.

NOSTALGIC TRACK
Playing Aztec Knights of the Jaguar at Warung reduced me and pretty much everyone in the club to tears.

VISIT
Anytime between November through March.

ON THE WISH LIST
A six-week music festival called Kazantip, which is held on the northern coast of the Black Sea in Ukraine near the Crimean peninsula. Everyone I know has come back blown away by the experience.

LOCATION DETAILS
Warung Beach Club, Av José Medeiros Vieira, 350, Praia Brava, Itajaí – SC, Zip Code: 88306-800. Phone: (47) 3348-7643. Web: Warungclub.com.br/en/warung

GETTING THERE
European airlines like Lufthansa will take you as far as Rio de Janeiro, after which the local TAM airline will fly into Florianópolis. Warung is approximately one hour by car from there.

Personal mantra: To give you what you want, not what you expect.
London-based DJ and producer, DEMI, has worked his way up from the open-air venues in Bali in 2000 to the milestone achievement of a Radio One Essential Mix with the SOS project; with two critically acclaimed SOS compilations Balance 013 & Ministry of Sound presents SOS; along with a sonic collage of the seminal deep house label, Alola Record’s rich back catalogue entitled Sounds like Alola Volume 2.