Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?
Manu: When I started blogging back in 2014, there were lesser bloggers and fewer blogging communities. In recent times, social media has played a good role in maintaining the reach. Apart from being consistent and having good content, one needs to have a good follower base as well.
Ex: Can you give us an insight into social media platforms that only an Influencer can know?
Manu: Making posts on trending topics, creating posts that have a probability of going viral, and posts that contain any unique information which is not available anywhere else, also work effectively.
Ex: If you were stranded on an island, what are the 3 gadgets you’d take along?
Manu: Camera, as I love photography, a sports watch as it is a perfect and useful gadget to accompany any travel plan and, of course, a First Aid Kit.
A technology you wished you’d invented?
Manu: I always thought of making a device through which one can easily call or message someone without any network.
Ex: What’s been your favourite encounter with a fan so far? (DMs included!)
Manu: I usually get an appreciation for my blogs and photos. My favorite one so far is when a woman got inspired by one of my trek blogs. She contacted me on Instagram to appreciate me and she got so inspired that she took her first solo trip after getting motivated from my blogs
Ex: Social Media is known to expose vulnerabilities, with influencers being at the epicenter. How do you deal with the dark side that comes with the medium?
Manu: Everything in this world has its pros and cons and so has Social Media. I always try to play safely in most of the scenarios. I use social media for the purpose it is meant to be, viz, to connect with the world and share my travel insights.
Ex: Social media trolling is seeing an upward rise. Do you think this only increases with the popularity of an Influencer? How does one tackle this situation?
Manu: No, I believe the popularity of any influencer doesn’t have anything to do with the increase in trolling. For me, the best way to tackle these situations is by ignoring them.
Ex: What does success mean to you?
Manu:For me, it means doing something that makes me happy, something that I am passionate about and something that I enjoy doing all day.
Ex: The first destination you want to travel to post-pandemic & why?
Manu: I would probably be going on Gaumukh Tapovan Trek in Uttarakhand, which is an excellent high altitude trek and known for its magnificent views of snowclad Himalayan peaks and massive Gaumukh glacier (Source of river Ganges).
Ex: What are the difficulties that you face when you’re on a solo trip?
Manu: If something goes wrong or any unfortunate thing happens, there should be someone along with you so that you feel confident at that moment. Facing that situation alone makes solo traveling a bit scary. Apart from this, solo traveling is sometimes more expensive than group travel, as you cannot share things, be it a room or a taxi.
Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?
Ashi: If I have to name just one, I’d say that people on the digital platform have become a lot smarter than they were earlier. They know what content is actually good and what is not.
Ex: Can you give us an insight into social media platforms that only an Influencer can know?
Ashi: CRITICISM. I always quote this whenever I am asked this question. It gets hard at times to get through it, but once you do it,there’s no stopping you.
Ex: What would be your calling in a parallel universe? (Alternate career options)
Ashi: I think I’d be at a post somewhere related to Journalism as I am a graduate in the same field. If not that, I think I’d probably be in the teaching field.
Ex: If you were stranded on an island, what are the 3 gadgets you’d take along?
Ashi: My phone, My camera and a power bank.
Ex: A technology you wished you’d invented
Ashi: Cliché, but I think the cell phone!
Ex: What’s been your favorite encounter with a fan so far? (DMs included!)
Ashi: I never miss a chance to connect to my audience and engage with them in whichever way possible. I think the sweetest thing was when someone from Agra travelled all the way to Delhi to meet my friends and I when we had kept a casual meeting in 2018.
Ex: Social Media is known to expose vulnerabilities, with influencers being at the epicenter. How do you deal with the dark side that comes with the medium?
Ashi: I think you will get used to it. If you give in, you give in. Nothing can help you. But the moment you decide you are stronger than all this, there’s no stopping. That’s what I did.
Ex: What does success mean to you?
Ashi: If you have the power to make yourself and the people around you happy, you are successful.
Ex: Do you think Influencer Marketing is a fad? Where do you see this space in years to come?
Ashi: I think the social media game is here to stay. At least for the next 10 years I don’t see anything surpassing it. Its very powerful and engaging.
Ex: The first destination you want to travel to post-pandemic & why?
Ashi: DEFINITELY LONDON! It has been on my bucket list for a long time now. I think it’s time to tick it off.
Ex: What are the difficulties that you face when you’re on a solo trip?
Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?
Bruised Passports: The digital space is a lot busier now. Back when we started there were only a handful of content creators, pursuing their passions and sharing them with the world.
Ex: What would be your calling in a parallel universe? (Alternate career options)
Bruised Passports: I think Savi would be in academics – she loves literature and the visual arts. I would definitely own a small café because I’m passionate about coffee and the science behind it.
Ex: If you were stranded on an island, what are the 3 gadgets you’d take along?
Bruised Passports: My phone because it has all our favorite music, my camera to capture some (hopefully) unique memories of the experience, and my portable coffee maker … because priorities!
Ex: A technology you wished you’d invented?
Bruised Passports: Time Travel! We’re currently watching Dark on Netflix, so definitely time travel!
Ex: What’s been your favorite encounter with a fan so far? (DMs included!)
Bruised Passports: We prefer the term ‘readers’ because it feels like one large digital family to us! I would say it would have to be in Guayaquil in Ecuador – we met a really sweet Bruised Passports reader in the hotel elevator. Meeting a reader in such a remote place was so special and we ended up spending the evening together. Truly memorable.
Ex: Social media trolling is seeing an upward rise. Do you think this only increases with the popularity of an Influencer? How does one tackle this situation?
Bruised Passports: As you said, the dark side of social media is inevitable if you choose to share your life on a public platform. There is a line between constructive criticism and trolling that is easy to spot. And the latter is what is dangerous! In the beginning, trolls would heckle us. But the truth is it’s impossible to please everyone. Gradually we realized the mean or hateful comments are often a projection of people’s own insecurities. And learned to ignore them.
Ex: What does success mean to you?
Bruised Passports: We know the concept of ‘hustle’ is very popular these days. But success for us means something completely different – it means being able to live life completely on our own terms and prioritizing happiness and contentment in life.
Ex: Do you think Influencer Marketing is a fad? Where do you see this space in years to come?
Bruised Passports: Not at all. In fact, we think Influencer Marketing is the strongest marketing tool of the future and it will get much bigger in the years to come. However, it will become a lot more nuanced in the years to come.
Ex: The first destination you want to travel to post-pandemic & why?
Bruised Passports: Russia and Cuba have been on our wishlist forever. Once travel restrictions ease, we would love to visit those countries. But before that, we’ll spend some time exploring India – we are chalking out plans to visit Meghalaya and Gujarat later this year.
Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?
Barkha: The biggest change that I have seen is the increased demand for value out of content. If content does not have some form of value, it is outright rejected. This was not the case when I started off, it was relatively experimental then.
Ex: Can you give us an insight into social media platforms that only an Influencer can know?
Barkha: Analytics and trends on each platform are important to optimise your content. However, the one thing that I have realized over time, is that if your content is not a reflection and/or exaggeration of your true self, then it is not relatable to your audience.
Ex: What would be your calling in a parallel universe? (Alternate career options)
Barkha: I think my love for animals is well documented. So naturally, I’d be a Forest Ranger or a Wildlife photographer.
Ex: If you were stranded on an island, what are the 3 gadgets you’d take along?
My mobile phone, a solar-powered charger and I’d love to keep a reel camera, so I can document my days.
Ex: A technology you wished you’d invented?
Barkha: Time travel.
Ex: What’s been your favorite encounter with a fan so far? (DMs included!)
Barkha: It feels equally special every single time someone comes up to tell me how I made them smile or feel happy. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.
Ex: Social Media is known to expose vulnerabilities, with influencers being at the epicenter. How do you deal with the dark side that comes with the medium?
Barkha: To begin with, I appreciate constructive criticism, but when it’s not constructive, I have trained myself to not get affected by negativity too much.
Ex: What does success mean to you?
Barkha: To me success is that sweet spot when you are what you love, you’re doing it well (by your own and others’ standards) and you are truly happy within.
Ex: Do you think Influencer Marketing is a fad? Where do you see this space in years to come?
Barkha: Content and marketing has always been synonymous with each other. Right from radio, to new-age media; Content has been used as a means to market to viewers. As long as content is consumed regularly, I don’t think this is a fad. In fact, I think we’re just getting started!
Ex: What are the difficulties that you face when you’re on a solo trip?
Barkha: I honestly LOVE travelling alone. In fact I have been travelling alone since 2013, before I even imagined that this could be my work! Solo travelling is responsible for my love for discovering new places, meeting new people and experiencing new things. But yes, creating content is super tough when travelling alone. I know “can you please take my photo” in 23 different languages.
Ex: Tell us about a change you’ve seen in the digital blogging space since you started out your journey? How has this space evolved?
Larissa: When I started posting content on social media, I was 19. Facebook was a much popular platform, and I’d just started posting on Instagram. I’d say a lot has changed in the blogging space, for the best. From posting photos of things you’re passionate about, to getting paid for doing what you love, it’s been a boon to the creative minds.
Ex: Can you give us an insight into social media platforms that only an Influencer can know?
Larissa: Social media doesn’t belong to the weak-hearted. With all the fun and frolic, comes great responsibility. As rosy as it looks, creating content also involves days and weeks on planning. Most of us are usually multifaceted by conceptualising, directing, shooting, and editing our content in-house. That’s also the beauty of social media – it’s made me self-reliant, and I’ve learnt and picked different skills to be my own production house.
Ex: Social Media is known to expose vulnerabilities, with influencers being at the epicenter. How do you deal with the dark side that comes with the medium?
Larissa: I don’t deal with it. I ignore as much as I can, and simply block away. Although, sometimes it’s also important to call out haters and trollers, because I also feel it’s my responsibility to clear the trash out from the internet .
Ex: Social media trolling is seeing an upward rise. Do you think this only increases with the popularity of an Influencer? How does one tackle this situation?
Larissa: Like I said, with all the fame, comes great responsibility. I personally feel it’s wise to be careful with your statements and words you use. For that, one needs to be aware of all that’s happening around us, and also be sensitive towards various causes.
Ex: What does success mean to you?
Larissa: Completing my to-do list, and sleeping with the satisfaction of spending an ideal day – means success, at least to me. Success can be very subjective, so with that being said, I personally believe that successful days, one after the day, leads to a successful life.
Ex: The first destination you want to travel to post-pandemic & why?
Larissa: I would love to travel abroad, but given the situation, I guess it would be wise to move around in India, and maybe I’m all set to do a trek in the mountains.
This is our first proper cover-shoot since the pandemic and we were more than sure it has to be with this man, the one and only Sonu Sood who is a classic example of Good Karma, and proof that great things
happen to great people. Here’s an excerpt of our conversation:
I feel we have to take those risks. You can’t just be in your safe zone and sit at home and crib about what’s happening on the field
but you need to come out of your comfort
zones…
Ramesh: We have to start from your migrant-sending initiative of sending them back to their home? What triggered this thought…
Sonu: I felt these are the people who actually built our homes, these are the people who actually built our roads and today when they wanted to go back to their own homes and there was no one to actually help them so I just thought to put these efforts to get up, to get them back to their families. I just went on the field and it just happened and I could see the wishes of these migrants and their families. They finally got back and really went to their families so I think that’s something which is not planned, that’s something I’m not
trained to do but I was blessed to make this happen.
Ramesh:Did u ever get that thought in your mind, “It’s done
now”?
Sonu: It’s not done yet, as we’re shooting now I’m still getting calls. I think the field has changed first it was just a movement that started from Maharashtra to the other states then it started from Jammu Kashmir to Kanyakumari now there’s an international evacuation happening, we just did evacuation of almost 4000 students from Kyrgyzstan. Now it’s Uzbekistan,
Moscow, Philippines and other countries also, so I kind of feel like the responsibilities that are on my shoulders keep on increasing everyday and I’m glad that I’m able to keep up to those expectations.
Ramesh: What’s your brush with technology ?
Sonu: Of course without technology it’s not possible to do anything. You get 60 to 70 thousand calls every single day from all these people who are stuck in different parts of the world. So, you need these systems. Like I remember I started this toll free number to make it easier for all these people who need help and I think that’s how we could execute everything. When you have 7-8 lakh people with whom you are committed to bring them back to their homes so I think you have to program yourself, you need to have a team who
can put things together.
Ramesh: Any challenges you face while working from home and any tricks?
Sonu: I was actually on the field mostly for 15-16 hours everyday on the bus stop daily, so the work from home used to start at midnight from 12 to 4. That’s when you get connected through social media to all these migrants who are stuck so I would say the last 100 to 120 days have been very fruitful and very busy but I’m glad that we were able to execute many successful missions.
Ramesh:What came to your mind while you were doing this? Did you ever think to stop and step back and not take the risk?
Sonu: I feel we have to take those risks. You can’t just be in your safe zone and sit at home and crib about what’s happening on the field but you need to come out of your comfort zones and be on the field to help these people go back to their
home and I’m glad that I was able to take this mission successfully.
I think it’s a new beginning, I would say it’s a new life, everything is not just about followers. It’s about the people who love you, the way people expect things from you, the way people rely on you to give you responsibilities.
Ramesh: Do you invest in startups ? We know you have a bank of properties but what about business and startups that you are invested in
Sonu: You know I’m in talks with many startups and I feel wisely startups are having a bright future and of course you know out of 10 startups that come up everyday only one or two actually get to be in their successful zone. So, I would say to all those people who are investing in all those startups or trying to do new things, it has to have a right backup and someone who is able to upgrade every single day. I feel we have young minds who are working towards a new world. I just want to wish them all the best and just keep shining always.
Ramesh: What motivates you to workout from home during lockdown, any
fitness apps that you use?
Sonu: I think fitness has always been a part of my life it;s not something that I do for a film. I always believe that there are only 22 hours in a day for me to work on my fitness. And no, I don’t use any apps, I do it on my own.
Ramesh: Are you an avid reader? What kind of books do you read?
Sonu: I used to read books but now lately we are all into gadgets. I think the
concentration has gone so low that we just want to switch from one to the other.
Ramesh: Are you a social media addict?
Sonu: I’m not a social media addict but I only use social media to connect with people. Whether you talk about Twitter or Instagram, I just want to stay connected with people, that’s my way of choosing social media.
Ramesh: Your Instagram now has 5.2 million followers but before your act of good karma where did you stand?
Sonu: I think it’s a new beginning, I would say it’s a new life, everything is not just
about followers. It’s about the people who love you, the way people expect
things from you, the way people rely on you to give you responsibilities. I get
calls from parents, I get calls from all age groups that you’ve saved the lives of
our kids, you’ve got them from Moscow, you’ve got them from Uzbekistan and all these countries where these people were stranded in really bad shape so I think I’m going to stay with their families forever. All these followers and likes are all temporary but the real followers and real likes are something that you want in real life. I feel those are the real ones.
Ramesh: How to not get bored of your workout routine?
Sonu: When you think it’s a part of your life. When you get up in the morning you brush up your teeth and go to work, I think fitness is also something like that which comes to you automatically. I always believe that there are only 22 hours in a day and the rest two hours are only for fitness.
Ramesh: Do you have a role model when it comes to health & fitness?
Sonu: I started working out seeing Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. I
think they were our superheroes, they inspired me to stay fit and now I would say I inspire myself everyday.
Ramesh: What is that one mistake that people often do when it comes to
fitness?
Sonu: They try to bypass things, they try to reach their goals faster and those are temporary goals. They do it for one project or maybe a movie, even the actors. I think it has a major toll on your body. It’s very important to make fitness a part of your project, not do fitness for a project.
Ramesh: One unique gadget that you purchased recently?
Sonu: I bought wireless airpods from Apple.
Ramesh: You are a real life hero and set examples to many who blame the
system and the world , the most genuine compliments that you received?
Sonu: I think the people naming their kids after me is very very special, keeping their shops after my name is very special. I think all this love will stay with them forever and that’s something which you can’t put in words.
Ramesh: Will politics be your playrole someday?
Sonu: Not really, I’ve been out from politics from the past 10-12 years but I think as an actor there are still miles to go I need to do a lot of things but till I achieve my goals as an actor I don’t really have any views on politics and what I can do as an actor still a lot of politicians couldn’t do it so I’m very happy in my space.
I always believe that there are only 22 hours
in a day and the rest two hours are only for
fitness.
Quickes
1. If you had to invent any tech what would you otp for?
I would like to invent something that can boost you, that can charge you. If you don’t feel like working out or you don’t feel like doing something, that gadget or app will charge you to give your 100%. I think that’s something I would love to invent.
2. One thing you can miss your workout for?
I only missed my workout when I was helping the migrants and that was 7 to 8 days when I didn’t do any workout and that was the first time I ever did in my life. I didn’t have any time when I was on the roads and have been missing my workouts but seeing those people smile getting back to the family was kind of a booster for me.
Describe yourself in a hashtag
#Alive
3.Your workout playlist includes?
I love all kinds of music, it keeps on changing.
Message for our readers
I just wanted to say only a few words :
Like, Share & Subscribe:-)
Leaping forward moment by moment and Tan Tana-ing her way to the top, Taapsee Pannu returns to add her exclusive charm on the Exhibit cover once again. While at that, we revelled in a lot of nostalgia – catching her between shots as she touched her makeup and she bowling us over with her bold aura. But like she said, February wasn’t too far away when we shot her first. So we wonder has anything changed at all?
Well, by the looks of it, it was long enough for Taapsee to become absolutely fit, do multiple films, have a big release under her belt that I’m sure you all know about and mark her “here to stay” spot in Bollywood, too. The last time was an intense conversation about Bollywood, Taapsee as an individual and her strong tech game. So this time, we decided to ask her a bunch of strange questions. But the undaunted Taapsee answered like a Queen and we expected nothing less from this intelligent actress who has been ever so smart in her film choices just like the Hyundai Verna she poses with that’s equally intelligent in design and style.
We took a little tour inside Taapsee’s mind, and it was more entertaining than the Netflix show you’re going to watch today.
Ex: When we shot you in February cut to now – what has changed since we spoke last? Taapsee Pannu: I have reduced a few inches! Apart from that, I’ve had an interesting change over in terms of the film that I’m doing and something totally different coming up. It’s a very good, upbeat phase of my career. Actually from the time I shot for Exhibit the first time, there has been a very interesting up-phase of my career where people have started noticing me much more, not only in terms of the roles and films I’ve been choosing and doing but also beyond films that I’ve been doing. Everything has been going extremely well without a plan.
Ex: You are on a roll and we’re super excited about seeing you in Judwaa 2. How was your experience working in it? TP: It was a very different experience from what I’ve done so far but it wasn’t a new experience because I’ve been doing that kind of big, glamourous films in South. It’s just that in Hindi it’s the first time I’m a doing a film of this scale with all glamour and fun. So that way it is new, I’ve done it after a really long time. It felt nostalgic working with David Sir again because I started my career with him in Hindi so getting to work with him again is a big back to square one kind of a feeling. It actually felt like a continuity coming back to the set because a lot of people are same behind the scene when it comes to David sir.
A lot of different co-stars but the same set. Even the choreographer Ganesh Acharya has been doing the Oonchi hai buildings to the Tan Tana Tans and he choreographed Chashme Baddoor and he’s back here. So there were a lot of deja vu moments being on a David Dhawan set. I think I had my moment of being a quintessential Bollywood heroine – you get to wear the best of clothes, the best dances and be the Diva. So it’s like I had to go through those entrance exams to finally be the Bollywood Diva. It was like a picnic or like a gift you get when you’ve done well where I could just enjoy and be like royalty.
Ex: Tech and Fashion – what do you think of this unique relationship? TP: When you talk about a person who bends towards Technology, we very rarely care about what Fashion is because we’re so into what technology about, what’s new, what’s coming up, what can be changed and rebooted. But when it comes to gadgets, they need to be extremely in sync with Fashion because it becomes a part of your look. So gadgets need to be in sync with Fashion, I feel. That’s where Fashion comes in Technology.
Ex: Who is your fashion role model and why? TP: It has always been Kate Middleton. I’ve always seen her as a fashion inspiration.
Ex: What’s your go-to Fashion trend? TP: Actually I don’t follow trends; it’s more like what you are comfortable in or what you can carry with confidence or with which you can make your own style statement. I don’t keep track of trends actually, my stylist does it for me. I’m very bad at keeping up-to-date with what is going on in the Fashion world right now.
Ex: Name the worst fashion blunder you made. TP: When I went by someone else’s fashion sensibilities, feeling nice about what I was wearing just because I thought that person was better than me. It turned out to be a big blunder because I was not comfortable, it didn’t match my sensibilities and I wasn’t carrying it well.
Ex: What is the best learning you have had as an actress? TP: Just forget that there is a camera. A lot of times people act for the camera, I used to do that too. The moment you forget that there is a camera, you’ll become a better actor.
Taapsee PANNU – the Tech Freak
Ex: Tell us the techiest fact about yourself. TP: That I’m still one of those teenagers or kids who get excited when they see a toy. I still spend 24 hours non-stop whenever I get a new gadget in hand. So I get very excited with my new gadgets.
Ex: The latest gadget you’re trying your hands on? TP: New Macbook Pro
Ex: Best tech you own? TP: Being a traveller, I’m very proud of owning a GoPro because I feel like I don’t need anyone to take my pictures anymore and take some really cool pictures.
Ex: A gadget you can’t wait to get your hands on? TP: I need to get some new Wi-Fi speakers for my place which I can connect to my TV, my phone or computer.
Ex: Favourite App? TP: Right now I’m trying some courier app which can help me deliver couriers without going to a place.
Ex: Thoughts on AI? TP: I want AI to tell me which picture or video out of the lot is better because I always get confused.
Ex: Favourite feature in a phone? TP: That I can multitask in between my mails, calls, messages and pictures.
Ex: A gadget you wish is invented? TP: Time machine.
IF-
Ex: You could live in any era what would it be? TP: I would probably want to go back to 90s. There’s some nostalgia about, that time.
Ex: You were the President for a day what would you do? TP: I would give myself a National Award.
Ex: You had to be stuck on an island, 3 things you’d have with you? TP: I don’t want my phone at that point (laughs). I would want a boat but not to go back home, but to go exploring, a small sleeping bag because I live to sleep and my GoPro!
Ex: You could have one superpower? TP: Travel in time.
Ex: You could master one instrument- Flute TP: Your life was a book, the title would be- Live life Queen size.
THAT ONE-
Ex: Country you’d like to visit? TP: There’s not one. I need to visit many before I die. But the one country I’m really looking forward to seeing is Caribbean because there are so many islands! I want to get stuck on one of the islands there.
Ex: Thing you can’t live without? TP: I think I can live without anything. I’m not over-attached. I know the art of detachment.
Ex: Person who makes you starstruck? TP: Sam Clafflin, Andy Murray and Robert Downey Jr.
Ex: Sci-fi character you wish comes to life? TP: I want all Avengers to come to life. My personal fav is Iron Man. He should come to life and I should get to meet him.
FAVOURITE-
Ex: Movie? TP: I’m a huge X-men fan so it has to be the X men series.
Ex: Cheat food? TP: Chole Bhature or cake.
Ex: Quote? TP:“Jo hota hai ache ke liye hota hai aur acche logon ke saath hamesha accha hota hai” – that is something I always tell myself whenever I feel a little down or out.
Ex: Cocktail? TP: I’m a hopeless teetotaler. I can’t even tell you the difference between any type of alcohol.
THE BEST
Ex: Piece of advice given to you? TP:“Suno sabki karo apni” – by my dad.
Ex: Gift you have given? TP: I think I give the best gifts to my sister. I give her gifts without her knowing it’s a gift. She gets free trips to Goa, she gets everything sitting at home be it holiday or the best of restaurants to go to or the spas.
Ex: Pinch me moment? TP: I still don’t believe it has happened when I had dinner sitting next to the President of India. I saw Pink next to him and then I went and sat next to him to have dinner.
Ex: Inspirational movie? TP: Chak de India.
We’re sure you never got asked this but-
Ex: What makes you judge a person the most? TP: Just the sense of conversation, how that person strikes a conversation.
Ex: What song are you listening to on loop? TP: A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
Ex: Your spirit animal? TP: Tiger
Ex: Best and worst pick up lines said to you? TP: Some of them are very lame like, “Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk by again?”
Ex: Funniest person you know? TP: My sister.
Ex: An animated character you love the most? TP: All the three Powerpuff girls.
Ex: Weirdest hashtag you’ve read? TP: There is one I made which is called #IDon’tKnowHowToUseFilters because I try to use them and I make it worse at times. So I just say #NoFilter because #IDon’tKnowHowToUseFilters.
For no reason at all:
Ex: Worst habit? TP: I eat my nails and the skin around it.
Ex: Priciest thing you’ve splurged on? TP: I don’t spend on anything as much as I spend on my travel.
Ex: Funniest thing you’ve read about yourself on the internet? TP: When I started my wedding planning company people just didn’t understand that I was not the one getting married.
Ex: Ideal first date? TP: It will be either in the middle of the air while skydiving or underwater while scubadiving.
Ex: Most romantic thing someone can do for you? TP: If he just lets me be without expecting anything from me in return. Just not expect me to always be nice or sweet or be active or do something for him. That is romantic enough for me.
Ex: You always travel with? TP: Phone, wallet, keys, earphones.
Ex: Secret talent? TP: That if need be, I can act really well in real life also.
The unapologetic, mesmerizing, model turned actress whom we have known long enough to recognize her from her debut in Jannat which was the biggest hit of that year, Sonal Chauhan.In an exclusive interview with Krishti Khound, she walks us through how she cruises through summer and what goes in her head about her fitness routine.
Ex: Hi Sonal! Over the decade of your stardom, you have always striven to convention churning out memorable performances. How do you look back at it now? SC: Honestly, it is so overwhelming and doesn’t feel like it’s been so long since I got my debut film in Bollywood and went to South Africa to shoot for Jannat. The movie was so well accepted by the audience that it all feels like a dream from the day I moved into the city and started my journey as an actress. It was definitely a huge accomplishment that I am extremely proud of. I also had an amazing experience in the Southern film industry as it gave me an opportunity to grow as a performer. I look forward to performing challenging roles, I am hungry as an artist. The love and the recognition I have got so far from my fans and the people across makes my heart warm. I hope that the journey continues for a very long time.
Ex: Being a part of Bollywood, what were the challenges that came along your way? SC: The biggest challenge for me was being an outsider who had no connection in the movie or the glamour industry. I come from a very conservative Rajput family my dad who was in the services. Absolutely nobody to ask for guidance. The initial journey was definitely a tough one, it wasn’t as if I began receiving film offers straightaway. The second challenge was that I am an introvert for which it was really difficult to ask for work since that’s how the industry works.
Ex: It might come to you as a surprise but your looks on social media have garnered the hearts of your followers and fans Do you have any tricks to keep up with the cool quotient in the summer? SC: That’s really nice to know. I am overwhelmed with the support and encouragement I get through my fans. Social media can take a toll on you sometimes but as far as my cool quotient is concerned, it’s the way I am. I don’t pretend to be someone else. I don’t have a social media team behind me I post everything by myself and that’s what connects to my followers.
Ex: Are you someone who gets bored too easily? Tell us how you cruise through your day? SC: On the contrary, I don’t get bored at all. I am somebody who can stay alone for days at a stretch because I am an introvert. On a day when I am not working, I make it a point to go to the gym, go out.
Ex: With a job like yours comes intensive travelling while juggling in between shoots, especially in the heat. How do you keep your cool? SC: A trick that works for me is ‘mind over matter’ even when I had to shoot in 50° and that is the biggest challenge of my job. To keep me cool my mantra would be to stay hydrated, protect my skin with sunscreen and eat light which basically means to intake a lot of fruits.
Ex: Fashion is experimental and revolutionary. What are the few summer trends that have kept you hooked religiously? SC: When it comes to summer fashion, I like clothes which help you breathe. My go-to look will always be denim shorts paired up with a white t-shirt. I prefer pastel shades, easy fabrics like cotton and definitely my sunglasses which are really handy when you talk about summer.
Ex: Are you into fitness and weight training? We’d love to know your thoughts about it? SC: Yes, I am big time into fitness and I do a mix of everything. It is important to keep yourself physically active in whichever way possible and I always maintain that. So in the summers, I hit the pool because swimming is one of the best exercises for the entire body and at the same time helps you beat the heat. I also like to do weights to keep myself toned, or dance for an hour or go cycling, and do yoga to keep my peace of mind.
Ex: How does Sonal Chauhan unwind her day? SC: I unwind by speaking to my parents, listening to music, basically falling asleep while binging shows on Netflix.
QUICKIES
What’s your cool quotient? It has to be my dry, dark sense of humour which offends a lot of people.
One travel hack? To travel light so that you can shop more and explore the place.
One food routine that you follow, especially during summers? A lot of hydrating drinks from coconut water to juices.
One thing that without which you cannot move out? Definitely, my phone.
One tech essential that helps you beat the summer heat? I would say Air Conditioner but those mini handheld electric fans are a blessing while on a shoot.
What are you most excited about 2020? If you ask about the recent future it would be my trip to Maldives that I’m planning.
