The Barracks and the Beautiful

01 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by sitanshi talati-parikh in Features & Trends, Interviews (All), Publication: Verve Magazine

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Anuja Chauhan, Anushka Sharma, Army Background, Bollywood, Gul Panag, Interviews: Cinema, Milkha Singh, Neha Dhupia, Nimrat Kaur, Priyanka Chopra, Tarun Tahiliani, Verve Magazine

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

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

17 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by sitanshi talati-parikh in Interviews (All), Interviews: Cinema, Interviews: Cover Stories, Publication: Verve Magazine

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Interview, Priyanka Chopra, Verve Magazine

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

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.

Power Women 2013

19 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by sitanshi talati-parikh in Interviews (All), Interviews: Business, Interviews: Cinema, Publication: Verve Magazine

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Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Verve Magazine, Vidya Balan

Published: Verve Magazine, Annual Power List, Feature, Power Rush

Kareena KAPOOR
32 POWER SIREN
A fiery mix of impeccable genes, experience and natural talent have kept Kareena Kapoor Khan going strong years after contemporaries have lost steam. The zesty Poo from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham has matured into a seasoned actress who can carry films with her massive screen presence, proving that an actress in a serious relationship doesn’t lose out on the popularity scale. From holding the weight of a movie like Heroine that suffered from poor scripting, to adding punch to a light movie like Ekk Main Aur Ekk Tu, from playing a defining character role in Talaash to becoming attached to the male-dominated 100-crore club movie successes, she has proven that nothing can shake her and she can juggle multiple roles. Not to mention, having had what has been pegged by a Wall Street Journal blogger as ‘India’s wedding and social event of the year’ – a power wedding with beau, the Nawab of Pataudi, Saif Ali Khan last year. In association with Globus, she is the first Indian actress to launch her own line of clothing. Voted India’s Hottest Woman by a glossy and recently ranked one of India’s most influential women, she has also co-authored two fitness books and last year, her own memoir, The Style Diary Of A Bollywood Diva.

METHODOLOGY: None. She has been pegged as an ‘instinctive actor with emotional intelligence’ who refuses to rehearse for her roles preferring to rely on spontaneity.

COMING-OF-AGE ROLE: Chameli, a sex worker in Chameli (2004). It defined her as a versatile actress with depth.

TRACES ONLINE: None. Despite buddy Karan Johar’s desire to get Kareena Kapoor on Twitter, she has steered clear of any social media and most media in general.

FRAGRANT CAUSE: Jean Paul Gaultier Classique perfume, her all-time favourite.

Nina LATH GUPTA
48 POWER HEAD
The National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) saw a dramatic change after Nina Lath Gupta came on board as managing director. With a slimmer, restructured team that harps on transparency and accountability, the NFDC shies away from government and bureaucratic stereotypes. Determined to ensure that the NFDC produces films that will make cinematic history, but big production houses won’t touch, Gupta has been breaking new ground. Recognising the need for development of good writing, they set up the Screenwriters’ Lab, under the NFDC Labs. Their home video label, Cinemas of India, saw reruns of all the DVDs they have released to date. The Film Bazaar, which runs parallel to the International Film Festival of India in Goa is an incubator of talent, with art-house films (including South-Asia films) regularly getting picked up for the festival circuit from there. In real terms, the NFDC saw a dramatic leap in turnover from Rs 12 crores in 2006 to Rs 255 crores in 2011- 2012 under her leadership, turning a struggling enterprise into a dynamic and profitable one. Last year, The Hollywood Reporter featured Gupta as one of the 12 outstanding international women achievers in the field of entertainment, and she regularly speaks at film festivals across the world, while also being on the jury of the Venice Film Festival (2010).

BIGGEST CHALLENGE: “The ability to keep pace with the times, of being able to constantly adapt according to the needs of the time and ensuring that our activities are in tune with the requirements of the talent and creative pool we work with.”

STRONG PERSONALITY TRAIT: “Unrelenting perfectionist.”

ABOUT THE JOB: “It begins with a love for the movies. But gradually that passion grew with an increasing awareness of the immense power that the motion pictures have in influencing individuals and thereby society. This in turn created a consciousness of the immense responsibility that filmmakers carry.”

2012-13 WAS ABOUT…“Initiating Phase II of NFDC’s growth and taking small steps in the direction of setting up platforms that aim at last mile connectivity for good cinema with audiences.”

Pankaja THAKUR
42 POWER FILTER
The chief executive of the Central Board of Film Certification or the Censor Board of India has headed tough decisions on ratings and cuts in Indian cinema, leading to resentment from many and approval from some. She’s in the unique situation of being damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Movies that go through with stringent censoring give rise to social questions like – ‘are the recent atrocities against women a throwback to violence in cinema?’ Movies that face savage cuts or ‘A’ ratings get a rise out of the filmmakers. While there have been altercations on films like 2011’s blockbuster, The Dirty Picture (which withstood 52 cuts) and Ashwin Kumar’s documentary, Inshallah, Football (2010) which got an ‘A’ rating, she’s taken tough decisions on international films as well, such as The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011), which didn’t end up being screened in India. She was one of the panellists to object to Sheila Ki Jawaani (the song from Tees Maar Khan). ‘I would not like my daughter singing, “I am too sexy for you,” as the lyrics of the song go, but we cannot bring in our personal value systems while making decisions.’

ALTERNATIVE CAREER: As a bureaucrat with the Indian customs agency, she has headed assignments like one involving screening baggage at the Mumbai International Airport.

DEFINITION OF POWER: “The freedom to make choices and the ability to take decisions for oneself and for others.”

BIGGEST CHALLENGE: “To keep myself and others working with me motivated. With fixed salaries and time-bound promotions the drive to improve is difficult to generate.”

A WORD OF ADVICE: “My advice to all new civil servants is to begin their day with this prayer: God give me the ability to change things that I can, The serenity to accept things that I cannot change…the wisdom to understand the difference between the two.”

WAYS TO RELAX: “I meditate and listen to music.”

Roshni NADAR MALHOTRA
31 POWER HEIRESS
The only daughter of Shiv Nadar, chairman of the $6 billion-listed HCL Group that includes HCL Technologies and HCL Infosystems, is all set to take over as chairman after her father retires. Currently, she is CEO and executive director of the corporation and is a trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation, managing the latter’s philanthropic initiatives. She drives Vidya Gyan – an initiative that provides free education to people from underprivileged backgrounds and is on its way to open a third school. Planning to steer clear of a corporate role despite her impending appointment, the Kellogg School of Management alumnus wants to concentrate on the philanthropic activities.

FAMILY TIES: Married to Babson (US) alumnus, Shikhar Malhotra, who founded an auto retail venture, and is now the chief executive of Shiv Nadar School. They have a son.

CREATIVE PURSUITS: Is a trained classical musician.

ALTERNATE CAREER: Has an undergraduate degree in Communications, majoring in radio, television and film from Northwestern University (USA) and has worked briefly as a news producer for SkyNews (UK) and CNN (America).

LANDING GROUND: She lives in New Delhi.

Mary KOM
30 POWER WINNER
Five-time world boxing champion and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships, Mary Kom belongs to the Kom tribal community in Manipur. She is the only Indian woman boxer to have qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics, and returned with the bronze medal. The recent Padma Bhushan (Sports) awardee has also been ranked as No 4 AIBA World Women’s Ranking Flyweight category, while locally she has been felicitated with a host of awards like the Padma Shri (Sports) and Arjuna Award (Boxing). Her personal story of rising to great heights in an unconventional sport from a simple beginning has led to a Hindi feature film being made by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, on her life, with Priyanka Chopra essaying her life.

ON REACHING HIGHS: “I am a strong believer in ‘Apna karm karo, fal ki chinta mat karo’ (Do your work without worry about the result). Thank you so much for giving me such an honour; I will keep working harder and harder to take the Indian flag to new highs.”

SUCCESS MANTRA: “You reap what you sow. Work hard, be disciplined, be grounded, be polite to everyone, share your experience with your colleagues and juniors.”

UNWINDS BY: “I hardly get a chance to relax, but whenever I get the time, I listen to music and enjoy quality time with my husband and children.”

A NORMAL DAY: “I get up early and do my daily morning exercise and training; then after breakfast, lunch and a rest, I go in for my evening training.”

BIGGEST CHALLENGES: “To keep myself physically and mentally fit and try to avoid injuries during training sessions and competitions.”

BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT: “Without any doubt, my Olympic medal. This medal has given me an opportunity to let the whole world know about Mary Kom, what she has done in her long boxing career. I hope my journey will inspire other upcoming talents.”

Shikha SHARMA
54 POWER BANKER
Awards spill out of her hat like rabbits do from a magician’s! And she managed to turn what could have been a windfall – ceding a possible CEO position at ICICI Bank to Chanda Kochhar after 29 years of service there – to a position of strength. The IIM-Ahmedabad alumnus has been the managing director and CEO of Axis Bank since 2009, and India’s third largest bank in the private sector saw a spurt of 30 per cent last year to $55 billion. She is bullish on growth, and if the recent stock price is anything to go by, people believe her story.

Since taking charge, she has more than doubled the bank’s network to 1,500 branches and 8,300-plus ATMs. The Transformational Business Leader of the Year (AIMA’s Managing India Awards), Woman Leader of the Year (Bloomberg-UTV Financial Leadership Awards), and Businessworld’s Banker of the Year’ has somehow also managed to squeeze into the Forbes List of Asia’s 50 Power Business Women, Indian Express’ Most Powerful Indians and India Today’s Power List of 25 Most Influential Women, all in 2012. This is the same woman who during her post-MBA placement wasn’t able to land a job until day 8 or 9. She was rejected by foreign banks which gave her confidence a drubbing.

IDENTIFIABLE PERSONALITY TRAIT: “Self-belief.”

FAMOUS QUOTE: ‘I want to make Axis Bank India’s JPMorgan.’

ADMIRES: Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan (US). Also looks up to Gandhiji and corporate leaders like Ratan Tata.

FAMILY TIES: Her husband, Sanjay Sharma, is the MD of Tata Interactive Systems. Her son is a part of a startup at Silicon Valley. She also has a daughter.

PERSONAL TIME: She has studied Hindustani classical music.

Vidya BALAN
34 POWER EMOTER
The moment the supremely talented actress became comfortable in her own skin, the entire world fell at her feet. Her success has not been merely accolades and awards, critics and popular appeal – though she has had those in liberal doses. Hers has been the power of taking a formula-driven industry and turning it on its head to prove that rules can be broken, and to make her choices game-changers. While she bagged several awards for her role as a pregnant woman in search of her missing husband in Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani (2012), post the spate of hugely successful author-backed roles, she has now been considered a ‘female hero’ – toppling the notion of a male lead in a largely male-dominated industry. Last year, not only did she marry beau UTV CEO Siddharth Roy Kapur, she also became the youngest recipient of the Prabha Khaitan Puraskar awarded by the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce for her attempts to empower women. In May, she was part of the jury panel at the 66th Cannes International Film Festival, taking the respect for her acumen and sensibility overseas.

UNWINDS BY: “At the end of every day, I sit on my balcony and watch the waves and think about nothing.”

LESSONS LEARNT: “Firstly, there are no rules. Secondly, anyone who tells you otherwise knows no better. Thirdly, and most importantly, have faith in yourself, if you don’t – no one will.”

IDENTIFIABLE PERSONALITY TRAIT: “Self-belief.”

GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: “I’ve begun to love and accept myself more and more.”

BIGGEST PASSION: “People.”

MOTIVATING FACTOR: “My love for life keeps me going, and my love for love keeps me going!”

Vrinda GROVER
49 POWER ACTIVIST
Self-belief, conviction, and a strong sense of purpose define this human-rights activist and New Delhi-based lawyer. She has done extensive work on rape laws and women’s issues. Seeing harassment of women in public areas and in colleges, she became a part of a street theatre group and one thing led to another and she became a lawyer standing up for the rights of women and human rights in general, particularly for those who have slipped through the cracks of the system, not just the privileged lot. For her tireless efforts to change the system, brought particularly in the limelight with the brutal gang rape in Delhi, she was one of the three Indians who made it to Time’s 100 most influential people in the world.

POWER LISTER: “I don’t attach any significance to these ‘lists’. They view life through the lens of individual achievements. The credit for foregrounding the issue of violence against women and the changes in law and policy must be given to the collective struggle and strength of the women’s movements in India.”

DAY IN THE LIFE: “Each day is different, as I engage with human rights through many forums – the courts, campaigns, meetings, street protests and read, write and ruminate in my office.”

BIGGEST CHALLENGES: “Those tasked with upholding the rights of people, are violating them the most. Anger and despair are driving people to think that violence – à la death penalty – is a solution. The subversion of Indian democracy by corporate power and dominant communal forces. And of course patriarchy!”

Rohini IYER
31 POWER MOVER
You can’t get to most top Indian cinema celebrities without coming into contact with their publicist Rohini Iyer, who named her PR agency Raindrop Media after the song, ‘Raindrops keep falling on my head….’ This may prove that she’s a romantic at heart, but it belies the fact that she’s tough and intractable and manages one of the topmost agencies on her own steam. Her current roster of names includes Kareena Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Vidya Balan, Priyanka Chopra, Abhishek Bachchan, Ekta Kapoor and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Not surprising then, that Iyer has resounding clout in an industry she understands and navigates well.

POWER LISTER: “I’m constantly trying to push the envelope – and these honours are extremely encouraging.”

SUCCESS MANTRA: “Always listen to your gut instinct. Always stand for something you believe in.”

TIME OFF: “I don’t switch off…. But I make it a point to watch at least one movie a day and am an avid reader.”

FUTURE PLANS: “World cinema is still waiting. All I want is everything!”

BIGGEST CHALLENGES: “I love crises. It’s challenging to not lose your calm in the face of a crisis and that is what Raindrop thrives on.”

CAREER ADVICE: “‘Greed is good’ – to quote Gordon Gekko in Wall Street.”

IDENTIFIABLE PERSONALITY TRAIT: “Killer instinct.”

Saina NEHWAL
23 POWER PLAYER
The lithe Haryana-born girl from Hyderabad made her country proud with a bronze at the London Olympics last year. Valiantly holding her number two ranking by the Badminton World Federation for over two years, she is flying high, having bagged the Thailand and Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold, reclaimed her Indonesia Super Series Premier title and having become the second Indian to win the Denmark Open last year. NDTV editor, T S Sudhir, wrote An Inspirational Biography on the girl who watched badminton even from her pram, not to mention that primary school textbooks in Andhra Pradesh apparently carry a chapter on Nehwal. Last year, she became India’s highest paid non-cricketing sportsperson after reportedly signing an over $7 million three-year contract with a sports management firm.

STARTING OUT: “I would get up at 4 a.m. and catch a bus at 4.30 a.m. for the stadium 25 km away. I would skip the last two periods of school and practise till seven or eight. I often slept in the bus or even on the scooter. I have lost several racquets in autos.”

GETTING THERE: “Even while growing up I would love working hard. My body would hurt after workouts, but I loved the pain. I do not think that I have missed something in my life. I want to make myself so perfect that I will become World No 1. That is my target.”

PROVERBS TO PROVE WRONG: “Many Indians would say, ‘Padhoge likhoge banoge nabab, kheloge kudo ge honge kharrab’ (If you learn to read and write, you can be on top of the world; if you play sport, it will ruin you). I changed the proverb and proved that sports is a neglected field in India, where a lot more is to be done.”

LIKES TO UNWIND BY… “Sleeping and watching a movie.”

BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT: “I hope the Olympic medal is a big one, but every win is a win for me.”

Purva NARESH
38 POWER TALENT
Trained Kathak danseuse and award-winning short filmmaker, Purva Naresh wears many hats. She juggles between being a writer, director, and producer of Aarambh, a theatre group that produces musicals, plays and short films and holds down a day job as head of production of motion pictures for Reliance Entertainment while also choreographing and designing costumes for stage. She has written Afsaneh: Bai Se Bioscope Tak, and has adapted stories of Ruskin Bond for A Special Bond 1 and 2, while her feature film credits include Hanuman, Kisna: The Warrior Poet and Krrish. She swivels between earning wins and nominations at the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META), and earlier this year she was the recipient of The Laadli National Media Awards (Best Drama) for her play Ok Tata Bye Bye. She was invited to give a reading of the play at The Royal Court Theatre, London.

POWER IS: “The ability to take and execute my own decisions.”

SUCCESS MANTRA: “Keep calm and carry on.”

UNWINDS BY: “Jogging, dancing, reading, watching a movie or a play.”

A NORMAL DAY IS: “Hectic. Impossible. Promising….”

BIGGEST CHALLENGES: “Time management and my impatience.”

BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT: “When my mother finally approved of my play, after I did seven!”

Pernia QURESHI
27 POWER ENTREPRENEUR
Post experience in New York, the fashionista and stylist moved back home and landed her dream job of dressing up beautiful women in couture. Not content with that, she capitalised on the market space and took it a step further by launching her online store, Perniaspopupshop.com. Last year she managed to get top-line designers to give her rotating capsule collections to showcase and purchase directly from her store, and has also launched her own collection online along with the popular names. Aisha (2010) was the first Hindi feature film she styled, which brought couture to the forefront of Indian cinema. And the trained Kuchipudi dancer made it to the cover of Verve’s best-dressed list last year.

POWER IS… “To be able to do exactly what one wants to do.”

SUCCESS MANTRA: “Hard work, conviction, a great attitude and passion.”

UNWINDS BY: “Eating good food and hanging out with friends.”

A NORMAL DAY: “If I’m in Delhi, then I spend the first half dancing (Kuchipudi) and the second half working (office, shoots and meetings).”

BIGGEST CHALLENGES: “Finding sincere people to build a team for work. I think I have done a good job but it was tough.”

CAREER ADVICE: “Be prepared to work 24/7.”

IDENTIFIABLE PERSONALITY TRAIT: “Honesty.”

Priyanka CHOPRA
30 POWER BEAT-MAKER
Fame is a funny thing. It brought India’s Miss World to the top echelons of stardom as a beauty pageant contestant, as a movie star, and now the talented actress has an international music record label to add to her list of credits. In July 2012, Chopra became the first Hindi movie actor to be signed by an LA-based entertainment and sports agency. Her first album is set to release this year and she debuted her first single In My City with rapper Will.i.am, which was launched on NFL’s Thursday Night Football after being unveiled in India. In last year’s Barfi!, she essayed the role of Jhilmil Chatterjee, an autistic woman who falls in love with a deaf-mute man. Here we find a powerful actor: Priyanka’s glamorous screen persona disappears and Jhilmil’s character comes alive. Possibly one of the reasons that Sanjay Leela Bhansali has chosen a mainstream actor like her to portray Mary Kom in the latter’s biopic. And PC’s own peripatetic story forms the first chapter of an Environmental Studies book as part of the curriculum in a reputed Bengaluru CBSE school.

CELEBRITY LIFE: “I am being watched all the time. Even simple things like scratching my nose will get captured in all their glory!”

PERSONAL LIFE: “The only thing I guard very carefully is my personal life. It’s never been a question of hiding any of the relationships, but more about keeping them away from public glare. I’m not comfortable opening the doors of my private world for the world to see….”

ON HER OTHER LOVE: “I can’t think or function without music. My van, my room, my car are always blasting music, so the five minutes I get, become my chill-out zone. And besides my family, that’s the one thing I find time for.”

PERSONAL QUIRK: Her DVDs are all labelled and numbered.