Vogue IN 08.2021

TREND

1986 1993 2002

2012 2016 2018

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12 5

Oh, Christy!

GETTY IMAGES The OG ’80s supermodel Christy Turlington Burns reminds us
that natural beauty is always better

1. Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real Magnet Mascara, Black, 1,440 2. e.l.f Cosmetics Primer-Infused Bronzer, Constantly
Bronzed, 700 3. Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution, Pillow Talk, 3,150 4. L’Oréal Paris Color Riche Moist Matte Lipstick, Blaze

of Red, 750 5. Pixi Correction Concentrate, Brightening Peach, 1,190 6. Dior Addict Lip Maximizer Gloss, Holo Pink, 3,400

www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 101

What’s age got to do with it?

Makeup doesn’t come with an age limit. So why do we restrict ourselves from the colours it once
added to our lives as we grow older? Sneha Mankani explores the ways to fight the fear

102 VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 www.vogue.in

FOCUS

M y love for bright, happy “Makeup was never about covering up. Beauty
makeup ensued like it did is a transformative tool, allowing us to choose
for most little girls—spell- the version of ourselves that we present to
bound, watching my the world. Women should embrace only what
mother twist open a molten gold tube to empowers and emboldens them”
reveal the most gorgeous shade of red I’d
ever seen, and applying it to her lips. My —A NASTAS I A S OAR E S
lipstick collection today is inherently in-
REBEKAH CAMPBELL. STYLED: JAIME KAY WAXMAN. HAIR: SHINGO SHIBATA. MAKEUP: LAURA STIASSNI. MANICURE: NORI spired by hers, then. At 61, though, her looking for coverage that doesn’t feel der product adheres. Then, take Brush 7B
choices are scarce, or so she thought. It weighed down, applying it first to the areas and the deeper shade of the Brow Powder
took my undying conviction for her to let of the face that need the most coverage, Duo. Apply product from the arch to the
me touch her face with my makeup entou- then blending it out. tail, working in the direction of the hair’s
rage that I hand-picked for her, complete natural growth. Then load Brush 7B with
with concealer, shadow, brow product, EYE NOTES the lighter shade of Brow Powder Duo and
mascara and the rest of the crew. As she apply to the front half of the brow, working
looked at her reflection in the mirror, I Soares’s trick to give the illusion of wider toward the arch. Use the spoolie end of
could tell she missed this feeling. eyes? “Use a cream-coloured pencil (but Brush 7B to blend. Next, go in with Brow
never white) on the waterline.” Follow Wiz and create individual hair-like detail
Getting makeup right as you age can be with a dark brown or grey matte eyeshad- throughout the brow and in areas of
a tricky feat. As collagen production di- ow at the base of your lower lashes to out- sparseness. Top with Clear Brow Gel.” Re-
minishes, your skin’s texture changes, re- line the eyes. The finishing touch is two or member to always be light- handed.
sulting in dryness, dullness and lack of three coats of mascara on the upper and
elasticity. But instead of leaving that which lower lashes. “The contrast between the LIP TALK
once brought you joy behind as a memory light colour inside the eyes and the dark
of the past, focus on formulas that work for smoky eyeshadow will give the illusion of Sometimes as we get older, our lip line
your skin and align with your authentic wide-set eyes,” she explains. Her three- loses some of its crispness. “To help fill fine
self. “Reach for base products that are hy- point highlighter rule is: “Use it in the in- lines in lips, use a lip primer before apply-
drating rather than drying and medium to ner corner, right under the brows focusing ing your lip colour,” says Soares, to create
full coverage while still being lightweight,” on the arch area, and on the cheekbones.” structure and definition.
says makeup artist, entrepreneur and To conceal circles under the eyes, use a
founder of Anastasia Beverly Hills, Ana- peachy corrector before the concealer. CHEEK SHEET
stasia Soares. You might remember her as Shimmery eyeshadows aren’t just a teen-
the lady who changed how we look at our age dream. Soares suggests using them “Bronzer, blush, and highlight are all im-
brows. At 64, with three decades of work only on the mobile lid (before applying portant for adding all-over warmth, di-
behind her (and a lot more in the pipeline) concealer) and avoiding the lower lash mension, and glow,” says Soares, who sug-
Soares can inspire anyone at any age to line, where they have a tendency to settle gests using lightweight, buttery formulas
have fun with makeup. She tells you how into fine lines. And always prime first to that can blend seamlessly without enhanc-
to get it right at 50 or beyond. prevent fallout. ing texture. “Define your features with
bronzer by applying along the hairline,
PREP AND BASE THE BROW ROUTINE temple, cheekbones and jawline. Add a
natural flush of colour by applying blush to
“Your starting place should always remain The trick to creating natural brows is to the centre of the cheek and blend towards
the same—hydrated, prepped skin,” says subtly build dimension. Here’s Soares ulti- the hairline. Then apply highlighter on the
Soares, who uses a few drops of her nour- mate routine using her products: “Start top of the cheekbone, upper brow bone,
ishing Hydrating Oil when her skin feels with Brow Primer to make sure your pow- bridge and tip of nose,” she adds. n
dry. With foundation, she recommends

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VIEWPOINT

No, I don’t want to
age gracefully...

... I want to age with power,” says Norma Kamali, the 75-year-
old fashion visionary and author of I Am Invincible. The New
York-based designer writes on the joys of growing stronger,
holistically, with each passing year and the freedom that comes

with respecting your mind and body at 50

O n my 20th birthday, my clear about ageing with power. And in do- concentrate on self-love and care. Sleep is
mother wished me a big ing so, I will be living my purpose. My ex- 50 per cent of the pie of sleep, diet, and ex-
‘Happy birthday, Norma,’ perience as a female entrepreneur with 53 ercise. It restores the mind and heals the
and announced it’s all down- years in the fashion industry, to this day body, each and every day. A healthy diet is
hill from here. I literally cried tears. I just the sole owner of my company, enables me the best source of the nutrition we need to
didn’t want it to be, and I didn’t want to be to speak with authority. I have over seven fuel our mind and body, and food can be
old like my mother. At 20 years of age, I decades of life experience and five decades medicine, while the wrong food can make
started to want to resist ageing, and I know of experience as a designer and business- you sick. A consistent exercise plan keeps
I am not alone in this. The anti-ageing, woman to share the advantages of experi- us strong, flexible and inspires self-esteem.
anti-wrinkle propaganda machine has us ence that comes with age. I know more By the time we reach 50 we are ready for
all fearing the ageing process—we are now than ever before. I am involved in all change. It is a powerful marker in every
afraid to be aged out of the dating field, our aspects of my business and I have a long woman’s life. We may have been aged out
jobs and our marriages. The beauty indus- game plan for the future. of the dating market, a job and even a mar-
try promotes the belief that staying young riage, and all of that represents good rea-
can be achieved by looking young if you “How do I visualise the plan for the sons why people don’t like to say their age.
use products that promise to reverse the future? With the help of a healthy lifestyle Being aged out is real and it can start early.
ageing process. We know that this is not and its three pillars—sleep, diet and exer- By the time you are 50, you may have expe-
achieved with promises. Ageing with pow- cise. While we can’t control our genetic rienced the feeling of not feeling relevant.
er is done holistically. The ageing popula- disposition, we can control lifestyle prac- This fear and apprehension should be the
tion is the last demographic not protected tices and do the best for our mind, body motivation to reinvent yourself. Reinven-
by political correctness and I believe the and soul, and have a long game plan. The tion is like shedding the skin from your life
time has come to look at ageing with a new stress in our lives in this day and age, com- before, and how we transition through this
lens. At 75, I feel qualified to talk loud and pounded by our devices, social media and sets us up for the rest of our lives.
a challenging environment, requires us to
“As I headed towards my 50th birthday
I remember sitting in my beautiful home
occupying a beautiful townhouse that is

104 VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 www.vogue.in

COURTESY NORMA KAMALI part of the Woolworth Estate. The walls of THE UNSTOPPABLE 50s warehouse, including over 20,000 original
marble carvings, the cherry wood library Norma Kamali ageing design samples. I donated my books and
and the gorgeous ceilings of the music with power and purpose music collections and freed myself.
room were all restored by me with love. I’d
filled each room with an eclectic collection ahead, and at the time she sent me to “Twenty-five years later, I continue to
of antiques and art. From the curved mar- Chennai. As I sat under the stars with my live a minimal life. I only own what I actu-
ble staircase entry to the observatory look- friends in Chennai, having the most deli- ally use. There is nothing just for decora-
ing up at the stars at night, this was pure cious dinner, I was gifted another chart by tion. I have been free to design and create
beauty. As I sat in the library sketching my a special man the following morning. I sat ideas that are relevant to the time and
collection, I stopped and sat back in awe of with this magical soul who moved me with place and plan for the future. This age
the beauty surrounding me, and in that his wisdom and reinforced my commit- opens a wonderful door, free of fluctuating
moment, I decided to sell everything. The ment to divesting myself of my posses- hormones, obligations to others and the
extraordinary collections in this beautiful sions. He was poetic, kind, brilliant and freedom to be the reinvented you. Eat less
space all had too much influence on my helped me clarify my purpose in this life- and eat healthily, try intermittent fasting
creativity. If I was going to move forward time. I returned home and not only sold to give your digestive energy system more
with new ideas, I needed to let go. I needed my home but auctioned all of the posses- rest and recovery. Practise good sleep hab-
a blank canvas and to let go of my posses- sions in it, as well as everything I had in a its in the form of rituals to prepare for
sions that were clearly possessing me. sleep. Include a caffeine-free day with
meditation to reduce stress so when you
“I had scheduled to visit a wonderful as- put your head on the pillow (try silk) you
trologer friend for my annual birthday set the tone for a good night’s sleep. Move
chart. She told me during the reading that every day, try the same time daily—put the
I would be wanting to free myself of my time for movement in your calendar so you
possessions. I was shocked at how she don’t allow anything else to take its place.
knew what I had just decided. For each of
my birthday charts, she sends me to the “Now, your lifestyle can support your
best city for the best chart for the year purpose, exhibited and fulfilled in your new
invention. Enjoy ageing with power—the
best birthday gift you can give yourself.” n

— As told to Sneha Mankani

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“I ALWAYS FEEL PROUD OF
THE AGE THAT I CAN SEE
IN MY HANDS, BECAUSE
I KNOW THEY’VE LIVED,

LOVED, LOST”

MY BEAUTIFUL LIFE

This is me ‘Oh, no mum, I love it. Don’t be so boring!’
When I look at photographs of myself, I do
Academy-award winner Kate Winslet look like I have mud on my lips. So yes, I
on appreciating your face, the changing wish I could go back and change that.”
shape of your hands and neck, and the
importance of eating seeds as you grow A MEMORY WITH MUM

older. By Sneha Mankani “My late mother was there with me when
we went to the Academy Awards and I won
TOM CRAIG. FASHION DIRECTOR: NATALIE HARTLEY. HAIR: NICOLA CLARKE. MAKEUP: LISA ELDRIDGE/STREETERS. SENIOR STYLIST: EMMA HARGADON. PHOTO ASSISTANTS: ALEX F WEBB; MAYA SKELTON; GUY A s I’ve gotten older, I know grace and a commitment to being well, an award for The Reader. We had a very
ISHERWOOD. SET STYLIST: ALEXANDRA LEAVEY/THE MAGNET AGENCY. DESIGN MANUFACTURER: STELLA MCCARTNEY; JAMES PERSE that true beauty comes from feeling healthy and taking care of yourself special day before the Oscar ceremony,
your heart, from the love of is very important.” where we got facials and manicures togeth-
your family; it comes from er. It meant a lot to her to have that mo-
kindness and the world around you.” Trust THE ART OF STAYING ment because I’m one of four children and,
Kate Winslet to define beauty in a way that WELL I think, for any mother who is raising four
touches you deeply. For her role as a detec- kids it’s very hard to have one-on-one time
tive in her latest series, Mare Of Easttown, “If I’m honest, I wish I had more time, like with each. Honestly, when I look back on
she refused to let the director edit out a most of us. I always kind of admire and my childhood, I probably didn’t have that
‘bulgy bit of belly’ in a sex scene; she also envy those women who can have a whole much one-on-one time with my mum and
made sure not a single line by the side of day to themselves where they make beauti- so, suddenly, there we were as two grown
her eye was erased in the show’s promo ful, healthy smoothies, take a long bath women still able to experience a lovely,
poster. The thing about Winslet is, she’s and read a book. I’m never able to switch luxurious moment that we certainly never
too real—not just in the characters she em- off enough. I try to eat balanced diets that would’ve had when I was younger and she
bodies (we dare think Rose from Titanic include a variety of healthy foods. I don’t loved that. It was special.”
or Clementine from Eternal Sunshine Of eat any meat and dairy, which helps keep
The Spotless Mind were figments of our my body feeling fresh and awake. I do my THE SKINCARE
imagination)—and she’s not afraid to best to stay out of the sun and I drink a ROUTINE
speak her truth, despite the pressures that huge amount of water...just some simple
come with being a Hollywood superstar. but important things. I try to drink clean “I always take off my makeup. In the
And as L’Oréal Paris’s newest ambassador, juices a couple of times a month, so I might morning I brush my teeth and wash my
Winslet is ready to add a touch of truth have a day where I have a lot of celery, cu- face with very cold water. I use an SPF of at
and realism to your beauty routine. Listen cumber and lemon juice, but I only do that least 15, even in the winter. I use the
to her. twice a month for a whole day. I like the L’Oréal Age Perfect Cell Renewal Cream
feeling of freshness it gives me—and it every morning; it’s very rich but isn’t thick
ON AGE AND ITS MANY definitely makes a difference to my skin.” and sticky. I don’t wear makeup in the day-
LAYERS time but I might put on a little bit of lip
IF I COULD GO BACK balm, sometimes a tiny bit of mascara. At
“You can’t defy your age. Learning to not AND CHANGE A THING night again, I wash my face with warm wa-
deny it as well, and allowing the natural ter—always only with water at night—then
ageing process to happen, is something “Oh my gosh! I went through a phase I’ll use a night serum. Sometimes I use
that I do feel okay with. We are very lucky when I was about 14 where I didn’t have— Weleda Skin Food around the T-zones; it’s
today that there are products that support like most of us—any money at all for cos- a really simple brand but it is very moistur-
the skin as it changes. I notice it chang- metics and somehow figured out that if I ising. That’s it. And lots and lots of water.
ing...the skin on my neck and hands is took my brown eyeliner pencil and blend-
changing, but I don’t mind that because ed it with a little bit of lip balm, it would JOINING THE LADIES
my hands have lived so much life. I always make for a pretty decent lipstick. But It OF L’ORÉAL
feel proud of the age that I can see in my looked like mud—it looked awful. Mother
hands, because I know they’ve lived, loved, would always say, ‘Oh darling, please take “I admire that L’Oréal does not test on ani-
lost. Approaching the ageing process with that muck off your lips’ and I would go, mals and that the brand cares about what
women have to say. They really listen and
do so much to support women as their skin
changes. It feels wonderful to be an am-
bassador in a long line of extraordinary
women, all saying the same thing, walking
in the same direction and standing >

www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 107

MY BEAUTIFUL LIFE TOM CRAIG. FASHION DIRECTOR: NATALIE HARTLEY. HAIR: NICOLA CLARKE. MAKEUP: LISA ELDRIDGE/STREETERS. SENIOR STYLIST: EMMA HARGADON. PHOTO ASSISTANTS: ALEX F WEBB; MAYA SKELTON; GUY ISHERWOOD. SET STYLIST: ALEXANDRA LEAVEY/
THE MAGNET AGENCY. DESIGN MANUFACTURER: STELLA MCCARTNEY; JAMES PERSE
“I LIKE MY FITNESS
ROUTINE BECAUSE I
DON’T DESIRE TO HAVE A
PERFECTLY TONED BODY. I
JUST WANT TO FEEL FIT”

together. This is the time when women
want to feel a sense of unity, support, kind-
ness and compassion in one another and I
can feel that happening with L’Oréal.”

RED-CARPET
EXPERIMENTS

“I try not to repeat red-carpet looks be-
cause it’s such a fun experience to go on a
red carpet. I loved my look when I went to
the Toronto Film Festival in 2015. I was
there for my film, The Dressmaker, and my
skin was a little bit tan. My hair was freshly
coloured a strong blonde and I felt very
healthy. I think I had been doing a lot of
yoga at the time. It was just a fresh, glow-
ing look with big strong eyes. Whenever
I’m shown an image from that event I’m
always slightly amazed that it was even
me. I’m like, ‘Wow, I look really good
there!’ And that’s a good feeling.”

KATE OFF-CAMERA active and be outdoors—a lot of cycling up any extra oestrogen in the body and
and swimming. I do three long Peloton getting rid of it. If you have too much oes-
“I’m just like the rest of us. I haven’t made rides per week—maybe 45 minutes to one trogen it can create inflammation in the
any adjustments to my face. I try to appre- hour each (about 24km)—a little bit of face and the whole body.”
ciate who I am, be happy and make the gentle yoga twice a week and sometimes a
most of life. It isn’t always easy to do that, bit of barre cardio. In general, I’ll exercise A 2021 LEARNING AND
especially when you’re busy juggling a lot four times a week.” A MESSAGE FOR YOU
of things. And in the last year, we’ve all had
to deal with the hell of the pandemic. But I EATING MINDFULLY “My mantra at the moment is stay positive,
try to keep a positive mental attitude and we’ll get through it. My advice to women in
that feeling comes out in the way you “I eat a huge amount of chia seeds and their forties is don’t be too hard on your-
look—in your eyes, the skin.” sunflower seeds, almonds, almond butter, self, you know? You’ve achieved so much
green vegetables, and a lot of salads. Seeds already. Celebrate who you are. Life is too
HOW TO ENJOY are very good as you get older, for binding short.” n
A FITNESS ROUTINE

“I really like my fitness routine at the mo-
ment because I don’t have to put a lot of
pressure on myself. The thing is, I don’t
desire to have a perfectly toned body. I just
want to feel fit. At the age of 45, I like to be

108 VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 www.vogue.in

JUST IN

On a fresh note Hermès Twilly
d’Hermès Twilly
The secret to lifting your mood is right under your Eau Ginger EDP
nose, according to Christine Nagel. The perfumer
tells us about the brand new, playful iteration of the (85ml),
Hermès Twilly fragrance family. By Avanti Dalal 11,500

C hristine Nagel is the rstborn rounds fragrance. To create one what’s on the outside counts
of her family, but the latest ol-
factive instalment she just cre- like Twilly Eau Ginger, Nagel as well. In this case, the
ated is de nitely the third child.
“In my family, there are three children and had to work without any com- square acon with
the third doesn’t need to ask for any per-
mission, does things naturally, and is al- mercial concerns or con- rounded shoulders is
ways more mischievous. The Twilly family
is like a tribe, and Twilly Eau Ginger is the straints. “We are at the heart painted a sunny yellow,
third born,” she says. It calls on fresh gin-
ger root, peonies and cedar to create a of Paris, in a place which is and a silk ribbon adorns
complex scent that feels spicy, oral and
woody all at once. It isn’t just a faint whi really beautiful and inspiring the neck of the bottle.
either. There’s an explosion of candied gin-
ger that is derived from the fresh root, as for creation,” says Nagel about Christine Nagel The white stopper was in-
compared to the dry root that most per- the place where she can produce creased in size to look like a
fumers have used in the past.
something that no one has smelled bowler hat, which Nagel says
SCENT SORY OVERLOAD
before. She gets to pick her own ingredi- makes it look “contemporary” and “amus-
Few beauty products carry the delicious
frisson of richness and romance that sur- ents, make her own blends and do it on ing” all at once. It all comes back to the

her own time—a privilege she considers liquid inside, though. “The peony bud is

the most important. “I take that freedom like a little ball—a bit like the bowler hat

with great joy because it allows me to go on the top of the fragrance—but when it

down a path where other fragrances can’t opens up, it becomes huge,” she says. Her

go,” she says. workshop looked like the site of “an Indi-

BOTTLED SEDUCTION an ceremony, with necklaces of owers
everywhere. I was just putting my nose in

The real stars of the fragrance universe are the owers to be able to recreate that fra-

the ingredients inside the bottle, but grance,” she says. ■

www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 109

Prime time

There might not be a miracle cream, a magic
elixir or a quick-fix product that will stop time

in its tracks, but diversifying your diet with
greens and bitter foods, and plenty of sleep, can

help the years go by slower. By Avanti Dalal

110 VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 www.vogue.in

HEALTH

FLORIAN SOMMET/TRUNK ARCHIVE; GETTY IMAGES W hen I talk about staying RAW ENERGY WSUIPPTOEHWRSFEUORPOSEDRS-
ageless, I’m not talking Expanding the
about anti-ageing or sim- number of fruits Esosa suggests adding
ply looking young. I am and vegetables in these to your diet
talking about achieving vitality, looking and your diet ensures
feeling amazing, and keeping your body good skin and Moringa: “It has 92 nutrients
disease-free,” says Esosa E, MS, licenced di- body health and 46 antioxidants,” says
etician nutritionist (LDN), certi ed nutri-
tion specialist (CNS) and behavioral coach, add bitter foods to your diet too. Esosa says Esosa, which makes it a panacea
Therawgirl.com, where she provides holis- that as people age, they usually have lower for reducing blood sugar levels
tic wellness consultations and programmes. stomach acid levels, which leads to malab-
In an e ort to teach people to take a proac- sorption of essential nutrients such as zinc, and supporting the liver.
tive approach towards their future, Esosa B12, manganese and calcium. She suggests Te : The protein-rich grain is a
has been learning from the best—reaching adding bitter herbal blends to your diet, great source of B vitamins and
out to men and women between the ages of especially those that contain gentian, di- revs up energy production and
70 to 100 years old—to get to the crux of it. gestive enzymes with betaine HCL or ap-
“I found three distinct habits consistent ple cider vinegar to trigger more acid pro- quickens metabolism.
among all of them: diet, elimination and duction and improve digestion. Camu Camu: This vitamin
lifestyle,” she says. C-rich supplement helps fight
“There are 50 di erent bitter taste re- inflammation and bolsters
PLANT POWER ceptors through the body that play impor-
tant roles in digestion and metabolism. immunity.
The common denominator among most of These bitter taste receptors that bind to
these people? They followed a plant-based bioactive compounds can have epigenetic aging stress well, we will be burned out
diet. Between Bernando LaPallo (who e ects, ultimately activating our DNA and experience more of the unsavoury hot
lived till he was 114 years old), Annette Lar- to help express optimal health potential,”
kins (an 80-year-old who is said to look like she says. ashes, night sweats and the inevitable li-
she’s 40) and a farmer that Esosa met in bido drop that happens as the hormones
Freetown, Sierra Leone, a diet lled with VEGGING OUT shift,” says Esosa. Declining oestrogen lev-
fruits, vegetables and tubers was the major els negatively impact your metabolism,
staple. “Plant-based diets are higher in an- As you get older, focusing on your sleep potentially leading to weight gain, and
tioxidants, which are important to slow and immunity is that much more impor- may a ect your cholesterol levels and how
ageing because they neutralise free radicals tant. In your fties, hormonal shifts to- your body can digest carbohydrates. She
(molecules with an uneven number of elec- wards menopause can occur. “The best says that consuming adequate healthy fat
trons), thus reducing their capacity to in- way to prepare for menopause is to sup- and adequate protein is a must, especially
port and regulate your stress levels. The when you’re supporting your body through
ict damage on our cells. Plant-based diets adrenal glands are the backup for the ova- these changes. When it comes to when you
give us more than adequate bre needed to ries during menopause and if we spent should eat, Esosa says, “Intermittent fast-
keep our colon healthy and naturally sup- most of our twenties and thirties not man- ing is a great tool to implement at this
port the body’s inherent ability to detoxify,” stage, whether it’s eating your meals with-
she says. It is not just your body—your in a moderate eight- to ten-hour window
brain gets the same bene ts too. Research- or taking one day a week to reset and take
ers from a 1997 study discovered that par- a break from eating altogether.”
ticipants who consumed one to two serv-
ings of green leafy vegetables daily Esosa also thinks that getting enough
experienced fewer memory problems and sleep and reducing stress is key. Her food
less cognitive decline. They also found that picks to make that happen? Magnesium-
participants in the study who ate greens rich foods like kale, mustard greens, turnip
twice daily had brains that were eleven greens, collard greens, sea vegetables,
years younger than those that didn’t. green beans, cucumber, bell peppers, cel-
ery and cacao, and foods that boost immu-
BITTERSWEET nity, like Vitamin C-rich orange, lemon,
FEELINGS guava, papaya, tomato, broccoli and Brus-
sels sprouts. ■
You already know that you have to lay o
the sugar—it attaches to proteins and pro-
duces harmful free radicals called ad-
vanced glycation end products (AGEs)
which damage the collagen and elastin -
bres around them—but you may have to

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WELLNESS TORKIL GUDNASON/TRUNK ARCHIVE

Good old days

Age is not just a number, but it tends to add to your list of problems. If you’re
looking to ‘cheat’ your body clock, longevity expert Dr Gil Blander may have some

answers to living longer and better. By Sheree Gomes Gupta
“There is a large
body of scientific
evidence that
connects the
mind’s health to
the body’s”

—DR GIL BLANDER

112 VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 www.vogue.in

ESSDEANITLIYALS “Priortise eating age-related conditions such as metabolic
whole foods, staying syndrome and diabetes. Optimal vitamin
Dr Blander’s key lifestyle active, getting D levels are also essential as it has many
factors to focus on post restful sleep and functions in the body, including a role in
the age of 50 for stronger managing stress” modulating inflammation, a mechanism
muscles and a better mood that may protect telomeres, a hallmark of
—DR GIL BLANDER ageing.”
“Incorporate antioxidant-rich
foods like fatty fish, berries by declining mental faculties, rising dis- Can we boost our immune system with
and dark leafy greens, as these ease risk and loss of vigour. According to a certain kind of diet?
mitigate inflammation and Dr Gil Blander, founder and chief scientif- “A single food won’t solely impact the im-
protect memory and cognition, ic officer of the personalised health perfor- mune system, but a balanced and varied
all of which are hallmarks of mance analytics company Inside Tracker, diet, daily movement, adequate sleep and
we can slow down the fundamental ageing stress management will contribute to opti-
ageing.” process and lessen its impact. The first step mal immune function. Commonly under-
is to know what you are working with. This consumed nutrients include calcium, vita-
“Move for 30 minutes a day, includes your blood biomarkers and DNA min D, potassium and dietary fibre. So you
five times a week, to maintain data. Here, Blander explains further. must include fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, dairy and legumes in your daily diet
heart and muscle health, as Why are blood biomarkers key to as they contain these essential nutrients.
physical activity prevents age- increasing longevity? Also incorporate lean protein sources like
“There are many biomarkers related to the chicken, fish, yoghurt and eggs into your
related muscle decline.” ageing process. Our research and data diet daily. These foods provide necessary
show a strong correlation between blood vitamins and minerals like vitamin D, vita-
“Maintain a consistent sleep glucose and age—a lower glucose level is min E, vitamin C and zinc, to keep your
schedule for 7-9 hours a associated with younger age and vice ver- immune system running smoothly.
night—sleep touches just sa. It’s also well established that lower cho-
lesterol levels, particularly LDL (low-den- Are there any specific hormones we
about every aspect of health, sity lipoproteins or ‘bad’) cholesterol, can should focus on as we grow older?
from the immune system to predict healthy ageing. Additionally, re- “Well-established research illustrates that
muscle recovery and mood.” search shows high inflammation levels, DHEAS in women decreases with age, and
measured by the biomarker hs-CRP (high- maintaining higher levels is protective
L ast November, six-odd months sensitivity C-reactive protein), relate to against age-related diseases because of its
into #WFH in Mumbai (a city anti-clotting and anti-proliferative proper-
in lockdown on and off since ties. It also helps improve energy, immune
early 2020), I came across a clip function, and bone and muscle health. In
of Jennifer Lopez’s incredibly powerful men, optimised free testosterone is vital
performance at the American Music for muscle building, strength and prevent-
Awards. At 51, the singer and actor looked ing age-related bone loss. They can in-
strong, showing off dance moves only crease free testosterone by focusing on
someone immensely fit could pull off. restful sleep and reducing stress when pos-
Lopez is not a rare exception—across pro- sible.”
fessions, be it business, sport or entertain-
ment, several men and women are redefin- Do you believe in a mind-body connec-
ing the perception of age and living their tion?
best lives no matter how old or young they “The body is constantly reacting to stress-
may be. ors, both physical and emotional. Regard-
less of the source, cortisol is released to
And while our prospects of living well trigger the ‘fight or flight’ response. Elevat-
into our eighties and nineties may have in- ed cortisol signals the body to reallocate
creased over time—thanks to advance- energy away from processes that are not
ments in medicine, science and technolo- vital to survival, and prolonged high corti-
gy—there has never been a more critical sol levels can impair bodily processes like
time in modern history to re-evaluate our immune function and digestion. So yes,
lifestyles. Ageing is a complex, multifacto- there is a large body of scientific evidence
rial process that starts in our cells, result- that connects the mind’s health to the
ing in a gradual decline of the larger sys- body’s.” n
tems in the body. It’s a time in life defined

www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 113

THE LAST WORD IN TRAVEL MALDIVES
MAY-JUNE-JULY 2021 | 200 SPECIAL

INDIA’S 50 INSIDE
BEST VILLAS
The perfect INDIAN EDITION
staycations to book
THE HOT LIST
The world's best

new hotels
BEYOND THE

THEPLA
Gujarat’s little
known cuisines

Ffiarsmt ily
50 incredible experiences
with the kids across India

THE LAST WORD N TRAVEL MALDIVES
MAY JUNE JULY 2021 | 200 SPECIAL

INDIA’S 50 NS DE
BEST VILLAS INDIAN EDITION
The perfect
staycations to book
THE HOT LIST
The world's best

new hotels
BEYOND THE

THEPLA
Gujarat’s little
known cu sines

Ffiarsmt ily
50 incredible experiences
with the kids across India

Ffiarsmt ily
50 incred ble experiences
w th the kids across India

JACKIE NICKERSON EYEVIEW

Growing bolder

• Salma Hayek on living her dream
• Avani Rai photographs her mother in the

season’s comfiest offerings
• Dr Jane Goodall explains why she still

has hope for humanity

Abstract print
silk dress,
Roksanda.

Earrings, ring;
both Pomellato

At 54, Salma Hayek is playing a menopausal hitwoman, a Marvel superhero
and, in a strange twist, the clairvoyant who plotted the murder of the Gucci heir.
For the Mexico-born actor, who notches up life to equal part luck and grit, age is
a defining factor, but one that has only helped her grow, finds Priyanka Khanna

Photographed by JACKIE NICKERSON Styled by PRIYANKA KAPADIA & ANNABELLE HARRON

S alma Hayek is trending again. This time, her owl (yes, her pet owl) Kering
(named after husband François-Henri Pinault’s luxury behemoth that owns
Gucci, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta, amongst others) spat
up a hairball on Harry Styles. Hayek’s narration of the incident has since
spawned countless clickbait articles and memes, including a hilarious New York
magazine piece that delves into the karmic connection between Hayek and her pet.

Hayek laughs, deep and full-throated, when I bring this up. “I also have horses
and alpacas. I have little rabbits and chickens. The chickens are very funny, but not
very smart,” she says with an eyebrow raise, that impeccable comic timing coming
into play. “If you’re in a bad mood, just watch them, listen to their silly noises, the
way they walk. I have a very old horse, 38 years old…maybe it’s the oldest horse in the
world, I don’t know. I love animals, all of them.” >

117

This isn’t the first time that Hayek has spoken about the animal ferent,” she laughs, with that eyebrow raised again. Has it changed

kingdom she reigns over at her sprawling ranch. When we speak, with the streaming platforms? “Sometimes. They take more risks,”

she’s in London, Zooming from a sunlit corner of the home she she concedes. “But how many original films have you seen coming

shares with her husband and their teenage daughter, Valentina. from America that made you go, ‘Oh, that’s different?’” She paus-

The last time I interacted with the actor was on a balmy May night es. “Actually, there was an Indian film I really liked, with Priyanka

in Arles, in a cemetery of all places, for the curious staging of Ales- Chopra [Jonas], The White Tiger. Now that was different.”

sandro Michele’s cruise 2019 show for Gucci.

Of course, memories of fashion shows and in-person interac- LIVING THE DREAM

tions of that kind are distant. As writers, we have resigned our- In many ways, Hayek’s entire career has been predicated on being

selves to quarantine-style interviews where we discreetly note our individual. A successful soap star in Mexico, she moved to the US

subject’s settings through pixelated imagery—in this case, Hayek, to try her hand at Hollywood, garnering roles as extras before her

wearing statement earrings and a voluminous sleeved Saloni dress big break, opposite Antonio Banderas in Desperado (1995). But

in her favourite pink, has her hair parted in waves, is seated on an this didn’t come before countless rejections, often due to her Mex-

oversized armchair plumped up with a dog-illustrated (or is it a ican roots. “I didn’t want to be just a soap star. And it comes with

fox? I squint) cushion, in a tastefully done up room with grey walls a lot of perks, being a star,” she says, matter-of-factly. “I sacrificed

and plants—to illustrate our stories with as much nuance as an [the perks of stardom] to have the dream. Even if I didn’t make

in-person meeting. big movies, it was important to me to be a part of something that

THE YEAR THAT WAS I loved, which is the movies, even if it was on a smaller scale.”
And she’s made movies. Over 60 of

Hayek recovered from an early and seri- “I didn’t want to them. Frida, which she also produced.
ous bout of COVID-19 that she is only just be just a soap star. Bandidas (2006) with her best friend,
talking about, and the effects of which she Penélope Cruz. From Dusk Till Dawn
says have still not completely vanished. Even if I didn’t (1996) with George Clooney. Fools Rush
“My doctor begged me to go to the hospi- make big movies, In (1997) with Matthew Perry. Wild Wild
tal because it was so bad,” Hayek told Va- West (1999) with Will Smith, as well as
riety about her seven weeks in isolation. cameos in hit television productions like
She says that even today, so many months Ugly Betty and 30 Rock—all tiny affirma-
later, she isn’t feeling all that great, though tions for an actress who started her career

it’s difficult to tell. On Zoom, her preter- it was important in a language other than English, show-
naturally attractive face radiates a glow, casing her range as an actor that goes be-

and her conversation is animated even to me to be a part yond being just a bombshell. “I dream
through this waist-up box. hard and there is a sense of purpose or

She’s on a manic promotional schedule, of something that destiny. I’m good at following my intui-
thanks to three releases in 2021: the com- tion. There are also numbers, and num-

ic caper sequel Hitman’s Wife’s Body- I loved” bers don’t lie. I thought the industry was
guard (which released in June) with Ryan being stupid,” she says with a shrug. “The

Reynolds and Samuel L Jackson, in which reason I didn’t get a lot of parts is that I

she reprises her role as Sonia Kincaid; a was Latina, but I know there are 60 mil-

Marvel film, The Eternals (October), directed by Oscar-winning lion Latinas [in the US] so I understood they were missing out

Chloé Zhao, comprising a stellar cast including Angelina Jolie, on a huge market. I thought it was very narrow-minded, but even-

Gemma Chan and Kit Harington, is up next; and then, in a very tually, somebody’s going to do the math. It took a while, but they

meta moment, comes The House Of Gucci (November 2021) with got there.”

Lady Gaga, Adam Driver and Al Pacino. She’s also just shot her She takes a pause and continues. “It was a combination of the

very first Vogue India cover and is in the process of getting her things, you know, that you feel inside you and the things you know

dream film (which she scripted) greenlit, among other production in your head. Make the things that should work against you work

ventures. for you. As a woman, this is a virtue that we have to learn.” It

She won’t tell me more about the story she’s written, except that wasn’t just roles that she lost out on. Designers at that time de-

she hopes to direct it too. “Again, like Frida (2002), it’s ahead of its clined to dress Hayek, then an unknown: “I’m Mexican. I’m also

time,” she says referring to the Frida Kahlo biopic that not only very short, which doesn’t help with the weight and doesn’t help

earned her an Oscar nomination but also had her fight the pro- with the design,” she says candidly. “But you know, I was ingen-

ducers Harvey Weinstein (Hayek wrote a scathing op-ed on ious. I took chances. I met someone at Hugo Boss, who was the

Weinstein’s ill-treatment of her in 2017) and Miramax on every only connection I had, so I wore man suits for a while. Another

aspect, including the film’s release. time, I had on a very simple black dress and I knew all the other

“It’s always hard to sell things that are different or new. For girls were going to have fabulous dresses, beautiful jewellery. And

them, Frida was new. It was a period piece but it was different. In can I tell you something? Instead of giving me a complex and say-

this industry, they always say they want something different but ing that I don’t have the best dress or they don’t know who I am...I

they don’t want to do anything different to get the thing that’s dif- was like, I am fabulous. I painted some butterfly tattoos on >

118

Minidress, David
Koma. Earrings,
Pomellato

Kaftan dress,
Dundas. Bracelet,
Boucheron

Dress, Giambattista
Valli. Shoes,
Giuseppe

Zanotti. Bracelet,
Boucheron

121

Plissé organdy one-
shoulder dress,
Gucci. Earring, Boucheron.
Ring, Annoushka

Hair: Samantha Hillerby
Makeup: Nikki Wolff
Manicurist: Kate Williamson
Assistant stylists: Naheed
Driver; Farrah O’Connor
Set designer: David Konix
Production: Farago Projects
Visuals and bookings editor:
Jay Modi
Art director: Snigdha
Kulkarni

myself and I felt happy about myself.” She was happy then, and superheroes, you know, Marvel talk, and I couldn’t say anything!

seems happy now, with the world’s leading labels pretty much in I couldn’t be one of the guys in the conversation.” Then there was

her backyard, metaphorically speaking. “What did I tell you? I the cast (“I became friends with everyone. It was so nice to have

make everything work for me, I married the owner of a fashion such a diverse cast. It was a different dynamic. The American ac-

company. Now they have to make me the clothes. Karma for tors are great, but they don’t have the custom of going out to din-

them,” she laughs, that big laugh again, falling back against the ner. They like to go to bed early, to be at the gym at 6 in the morn-

armchair. ing. When you’re Mexican or Indian, you hang out, you finish your

This is Hayek in form. Over the hour and a half of our chat, meal, you keep talking, and you keep talking. I felt at home.”) and

these bon mots, always delivered expressively—with a laugh, a dy- finally there was the director. Hayek says that working with Zhao,

namic hand gesture, a lean forward to the camera—in a tone that’s who this year became the first woman of colour to win an Oscar

warm and confiding, like a friend advising the other, only serves to for filmmaking, was a highlight. (“I’ve only worked with three fe-

foster the commonly held belief that, with Hayek, what you see is male directors. There’s not many out there. I really enjoyed watch-

what you get. “If I am not frank, if I try to lie to you, you will know ing her process, her cleverness, how clear her vision was and how

immediately. I am not good at lying. I am a good actress, but not a relentless she was to fight for it. In a way, I feel safer [with a fe-

good bullshitter,” she tells me. male director]. I’ve not always felt safe in the hands of male direc-

REAL DEAL tors. There are certain scenes and certain aspects of playing a
woman that I feel they understand better. But maybe I’ve just

Being real extends to her on-screen life as well. In Hitman’s Wife’s been very lucky.”)

Bodyguard, she had her character, Sonia, be rewritten as a hormo-

nal 50-plus woman struggling to get pregnant. “They thought I HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

could look younger because it is an action-comedy, so they wanted She’s also been lucky in love, she says, and that’s why this decade

me to play a 40-year-old. How do guys get has been her most fulfilling. “I’ve spent 15

to do action in their seventies?” So Hayek “Why should we years with my husband and it’s still really
pushed back. “My proposition was that let them give us good. Still making each other laugh, still
one of her conflicts is that she’s menopau- understanding each other well. I’m really
sal and no longer able to have children. an expiration proud of my marriage and of my children.
They were like ‘That’s not funny.’ I said That’s not very common, for the love to
everything in the world is funny, you need survive, to thrive. In your thirties, in your
the humour to endure it.” twenties, it is always difficult to find true

That she approaches every obstacle with date? I think love. You have more choices. It’s easier to
an eyebrow raise is clear. And in an indus- love somebody younger. To have it in your

try that venerates youth, this move is ballsy. there is a lot of fifties is an amazing gift.”
Talking about it so freely is what makes In the next decade, she hopes to be a

Hayek not just an anomaly but an im- sexism when it step-grandmother. But for now she’s navi-
mensely admirable one. “Why should we gating Valentina’s teenage years and the

let them give us an expiration date? I think comes to age” constant divide between a tech-forward
there is a lot of sexism when it comes to generation and their often digitally phobic

age. They give us a lot of deadlines that they parents. “She gives me a lot of advice, she’s

don’t have, such as [the idea that] after a very opinionated,” says Hayek. Valentina

certain age, you lose your beauty or nobody will want to marry you. also did her makeup a few days prior, she tells me, rolling her eyes

It’s incredibly unfair. I wanted to make this character, who is strong, affectionately, an elaborate, multi-step routine. “I do it in a differ-

fierce, beautiful, sexy and ready for adventure because women my ent way, of course. I apply and run, but they have their tutorials,

age, in their mid-fifties, can still be that.” you know,” she puts her hands up in surrender.

And the fifth decade of her life has been exactly that. The fact Though, you’d be hard-pressed to tell, given her most recent

that she’s playing a superhero at 54 is not a situation that even Instagram photos. Hayek is a few pounds heavier, for her role in

Hayek, with her big dreams, could have predicted. “When they The House Of Gucci. She’s decided that this is a time that she’s

called me, I thought they were going to say, ‘Okay you are gonna not going to give in to the pressure to look a certain way. “At

be in a Marvel movie. You play the grandma!’ Then I find out I am some point, I have to give myself a break. What I can get away

a superhero, and Chloé [the director] tells me that I’m the leader. with now is expectations. I told you before that you have to use

And I ask, ‘Is it because I’m older?’ But no, there’s no age. Ajak is what works against you and make it work for you. It [the

not human, so that was really cool,” she says. The Eternals, she weight] is not going away. That was stressful, because I couldn’t

says, was an experience like none other. First, there was the fact get into my clothes.” She leans forward, conspiratorially. “So you

that she was sworn to secrecy. “You want to call your mother, fa- know what I did? I went shopping and bought a new size. I

ther, friends from school in Mexico. You want to tell your husband think I can get away with having extra weight and people forgiv-

and daughter immediately, ‘I’m gonna be in a Marvel movie.’ You ing it more because of my age. I take that privilege. And it’s less

want to tell your stepchildren. I was on the set of Hitman’s Wife’s stressful when you get into clothes and say, this is the new me

Bodyguard, and Sam Jackson and Ryan Reynolds were talking for now.” n

123

LAY

OF THE

LAND

To channel the homeliest of closets deeply rooted in comfort and craft, we
look to the creative pairing of mother-daughter duo Gurmeet Sangha Rai and

Avani Rai. What transpired on a lazy afternoon at Chinar Haveli, their family
home near Delhi, is a female gaze on motherhood, time and age. As Gurmeet,
thoerlawdaytcohfitnhgehheordukisainelo,gtgdruaovemeilssfrbothomernht—haoellsnaeorcfwhtheitsehohbfoeamaujhetaysrhoaekthibtasu, cialton,rpeinetrecrhgienngeorantiaonjhaulla

Photographed by AVANI RAI Styled by PRIYANKA KAPADIA

“My mother approaches life with an incredible
amusement and self-assuredness”

124

SACRED SPACE

“I am an introvert but
I am complete within
myself,” says Gurmeet. As
a conservation architect,
she works with natural
materials that find reflection
in a wardrobe steeped in
natural linen, silk and cotton.

Kaftan dress, ‘Malie

GREY MATTER

“This expression is who I
am, how I see myself.” Silver
jewellery brought back from
heritage sites around the
country pepper the muse’s
wardrobe. Each piece tells a
story through time.

Swing overlay shirt, Antar-Agni

WALK A MILE

“I like shooting in harsh
light, it creates textures and

shadows that ‘magic light’
can’t,” says Avani. Here, she
captures her mother taking an
afternoon walk in her home
which blurs the boundaries
between indoors and outdoors.

127

COMING UP ROSES

Floral patterns, earthy tones and
jewellery that becomes part of
personal history are elements that
ground the conservationist’s nature-
inclined wardrobe.

Silk jacket, kurta, trousers; all Kshitij Jalori

128

POINT OF VIEW

“My mother is very aware
of spaces as places of

personal identity,” says
Avani. While working with
built heritage, Gurmeet has
learnt to patch people and
their stories, much like the
interwoven surface texture

jacket she wears here

Patchwork coat, Studio Medium

SWING BY

“Avani showed me references of
women in miniature paintings
for this image. She really
sees me as a classicist, and I
inhabited that role here for her.”
Drapes in harmonious colours
paint a portrait of a lady lulling
into a delicious afternoon sleep.

‘The Whirling Dance’ dress, overlay,
pants; all Sunira. Bangles, Ritika
Sachdeva

130



CAT’S CRADLE

“The first thing I do as the sun
hits my bedroom is look for my
adopted pet cat. I pick her up and
put her over my shoulder, almost
like a drape, and she stays there a
while as I stroke her like a baby.”

Cotton silk chanderi kurta, matching
trousers; both Ikai by Ragini

Ahuja. Bangles, Ritika Sachdeva

132

CLEAR VISION

Drapes, of varying lengths and forms
dominate Gurmeet’s wardrobe. The
intergenerational shawls, scarves
and chunnis are used by Avani to

loosely tie around her head while she
photographs. “In my mother’s religion

[Sikhism], covering your head is a
show of respect,” she says.

Silk Kimono robe, AK-OK. Kurta, Kshitij Jalori

ENTER HERE

For the moulder of materials, a foundational
closet is built on the kurta. The timeless
tunic is paired with varying bottoms, like
experimental dhotis and palazzos.

Kurta with brocade yoke, pants; both Payal
Khandwala. Sandals, Bombay Brown. Bangles,
Ritika Sachdeva

Hair and makeup: Deepa Verma
Assistant stylists: Naheed Driver; Jaishree Chhabra
Talent: Gurmeet Sangha Rai
Visual and bookings editor: Jay Modi

ALL ROADS LEAD HOME “My parents
Two hours from Delhi is Chinar Haveli, had colonial
a farmhouse haven among lush foliage. tastes. I bring
Built with natural materials including a vernacular
lime mortar, the 15-year-old home
is made by hand and melds Western expression,
concepts with Indian karigari and Avani’s
generation
is focused on
more universal
human values”

135



From saving chimpanzees to saving the planet, whether it’s on global panels, through
youth-action groups or via a home-grown podcast, Dr Jane Goodall is a relentless

and tireless champion for a conscious and better future. She shares her life’s work and
learnings and tells us why there’s cause for hope. In this unprecedented and cynical
age, she might be the icon we need, finds Shahnaz Siganporia

GETTY IMAGES D r Jane Goodall points to a window that I can almost favourite humanitarian, conservationist and primatologist hasn’t
spy in the corner of her Zoom rectangle. “We have a only been enjoying the pastoral calm of her childhood home. “First,
big garden out there. The tree I used to climb as a I was frustrated. Then I thought, let’s do some good. Together with
child, to be closer to the birds, is still there.” Back then, a little team from the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) in the USA and
the mighty beech in the back garden of her home, in Bournemouth, the UK, we created Virtual Jane. I thought it was ‘busy’ travelling
England, was her playmate, in whose branches she read and whis- 300 days a year...but that was a piece of cake. Virtual Jane has been
pered her schoolgirl secrets. Their relationship has evolved over the busier than I have ever been—I haven’t had a single day off!” She
years and decades. The usually globetrotting, planet-saving remotely oversees all the good work being done by the 25 chapters
87-year-old has spent most of the last year and few months (ever (including the recently launched India chapter) of JGI across the
since the pandemic) at her family home. And every day since, she world. Dr Goodall has completed season one of her first podcast,
has enjoyed a quiet lunch under the shade of her old friend. “I have the Hopecast, which received the 2021 Templeton Prize, and has
my sandwich and I’m joined by a robin and a blackbird. They come used every digital tool available to continue her environmental ad-
and sing to me,” she says with a smile. But Dr Goodall, the world’s vocacy and fight the climate crisis. >

137

AGE OF ACTION Slowing down isn’t an option for the octogenarian. If anything, GETTY IMAGES
she’s in a hurry to do more—be it trying to raise awareness or
But Dr Goodall won’t have it any other way. “For me, the silver funds, or simply getting people to do their bit to save the planet.
lining is that I have been able to reach millions more across the Her ultimate goal is to make humanity realise that we are part of
world. But that’s on a personal level. I also hope the pandemic the natural world—on which we depend for clean air, water, food,
serves as a wake-up call for us to change for the better.” She flits and life as we know it—and for us to protect and restore the bal-
often from ‘I’ to ‘us’. She might begin in her backyard but it isn’t ance that is required. “I see what we call biodiversity, which is a
long before she takes the giant leap into life at large, covering both nasty, scientific term, and which for most people doesn’t mean
the human and natural world. For Dr Goodall, this is humanity’s anything. I like to call it a tapestry of life. Every time a species be-
big moment of reckoning. “We brought this pandemic on our- comes extinct, it’s like pulling a thread from that tapestry. Eventu-
selves by disrespecting animals and nature. We have created con- ally, it will hang in tatters. But what we depend on is healthy eco-
ditions where it’s relatively easy for a pathogen, like this virus, to systems, a healthy tapestry. If that tapestry is in tatters, the
spill over from an animal to a person. We clearly need to establish ecosystem collapses. That only hurts us. We are not immune from
a new relationship with our natural world, as well as a new and extinction. Seriously, there’s this window of time and we must
more sustainable economy.” take advantage of it. We must get together and take action. How
do I keep going with all this doom and gloom? Because I’m flip-
While the will-we-or-won’t-we will only be answered in time, ping obstinate. I’m not going to allow the Trumps, the crusty old
Dr Goodall warns and reminds: “There are some just waiting to CEOs and the old boys in the oil and gas industry to win.”
get back to business as usual. But we need to remember that we
are on a planet with finite natural resources. In some places, we’re OUT OF AFRICA
already using them up faster than nature can replenish them.
We’re also on a planet with a growing human population, even if But how did the little girl obsessed with her tree, the Doctor Dolit-
eventually we’re told it’ll slow down, it’s not going to be for some tle books by Hugh Lofting (“There was no TV back then”) and her
time. And finally, we’re on a planet where so many of us lead un- dog Rusty (“My hero, who taught me that animals have personali-
sustainable lifestyles, consuming much more than we need. If we ties, minds and emotions”), become not just the world’s foremost
carry on with ‘business as usual’, I wouldn’t want to imagine what chimpanzee expert but a symbol of real hope for many of us across
it would be like for my great-great-grandchildren. But we’ve been the globe? “I was all of 10 when I dreamed that I would grow up,
given this precious window of time to turn things around.” go to Africa, live with wild animals and write books about them.
Everybody laughed at me. ‘How will you do that?’ ‘Africa’s far
The pandemic is a lesson we need to learn from, and Dr Goodall away, you don’t have money.’ And of course, ‘But you’re just a girl.’
has her plate full. On one hand, she has her advocacy and the in- Yes, we didn’t have money and I was a girl,” she recalls the taunts
stitute. On the other, she’s working on the Jane Goodall Legacy that young girls with big dreams have to often swat away.
Project, where she’s building up an endowment for her larger goal
of conservation. “I won’t always be here to go and give talks to en- At barely twenty-something, she was invited to Kenya by a
thuse people in different countries—some countries really rely on friend. “I saved money by working as a waitress. Once I was there,
me right now to go and give lectures to raise money for them—but I heard about Dr Louis Leakey, who was the then curator of the
my life’s work will carry on as long as I can.”

138

“How do I keep ber one, listen to them. Because maybe, you get to better under-
going with all stand where they’re coming from. Or maybe they’ve got a point
this doom and that you hadn’t thought of, which will help you as you try and ef-
gloom? I’m flipping fect change. Number two, don’t be aggressive with them; commu-
nicate. Number three, try to find something to connect with, some
obstinate!” common ground. Like, ‘Oh you love dogs? I love dogs.’ When you
find something that you both can relate to, start off with it. If you
Natural History Museum. I think he was really impressed because find a weak spot, don’t argue with them. Don’t try and get through
I had read every natural history book I could. He gave me this in- to the brain, you’ve got to reach the heart. And the simplest way of
credible opportunity, to live not with any old animal but the one doing that is by telling stories.” Going back to the very basics of
most like us—chimpanzees.” She found herself studying the chim- human communication, of listening, engaging and storytelling, is
panzee community at Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, Dr Goodall’s not-so-secret tool of diplomacy, learnt as much from
where she did her most path-breaking work, even as she took on her decades of advocacy as from her mother.
the basic tenets of academia and scientific study. To start with, she
named her ‘subjects’. They weren’t specimens one, two and three; GENERATION THEN, NOW, NEXT
instead they were Flo, Fifi and David Greybeard, with the latter
making it to Time magazine’s ‘15 Most Influential Animals That Her mother comes up often as we chat. Dr Goodall tells me how
Ever Lived’ list. David, she points to a framed picture of the silver- she was her greatest champion, right from the start. It’s her moth-
faced chimp on the book-lined shelves behind her, above a picture er’s words of wisdom that keep her going till date, and which led to
of her mother and beside a picture of Rusty, she tells me, was the her big-picture vision for JGI and the legacy she would like to
very first chimp at Gombe to have trusted her. Not only did her leave behind. “She always said, ‘If you really want to do this then
research challenge the idea that only humans constructed and you’re going to have to work awfully hard and you’ll have to take
used tools (chimps do too) and that not all chimps were vegetari- advantage of every opportunity. If you don’t give up, you’ll find a
an, but most importantly, she saw them as living beings capable of way!’ That’s the message I still live by, and now I take the same
personalities, not anthropomorphising them but understanding message to young people everywhere, particularly in disadvan-
them through close observation. And with that, she introduced taged communities, and so many have written to me or said, ‘You
science to empathy. “Empathy leads to ‘I think they’re doing this taught me because you did it I can do it too.’ I wish mum knew
because…’ Then you put on your scientific hat and say, ‘Okay, now how her message to me now helps children all around the world.”
I’m going to prove or disprove it’.”
She’s referring to Roots & Shoots, the global youth-led commu-
Whether academics or sitting across the table from anyone who nity action programme run by JGI, which started in 1991 with 12
will listen, be it timber moguls or talking heads, controversial or teenagers in Dr Goodall’s back porch in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania,
not, Dr Goodall, petite and polite in her signature turtleneck and and is now spread across 100 countries. The programme aims to
shawl, has taken on the establishment by going out there and en- “inspire and educate” young people to become compassionate
gaging. But in these polarising echo-chamber times, how does she citizens of the world. Each group of Roots & Shoots tackles three
manage to bring such disparate groups together? “Give people the projects that it identifies and chooses: one to help people, one to
benefit of the doubt. Maybe they honestly don’t realise what help animals and one to help the environment. Its India chapter,
they’re doing. Some people have never been to a rainforest or a headed by Shweta Khare, began in 2019, and while the pandemic
wetland, they don’t know the magic of it.” But there must be more has stopped Dr Goodall from visiting, she’s hoping to change that
to it. What is the Dr Goodall secret to breaking through? “I always once things stabilise more. The message is simple: each one of us
go back to the way I was brought up by my incredible mother. And makes an impact on the planet every single day. “Most of us have
the thing she taught me is that if you disagree with someone, num- a choice as to what sort of impact we have, be it what we eat, what
we wear or how we treat people, animals and nature. Unless you’re
very poor and then you simply have to do whatever it takes to
survive,” she explains.

It is in Dr Goodall’s interactions with young people that she
finds her hope, no matter how humongous the task she has at
hand of protecting and saving our planet—animals, nature,
humans et al. It’s what keeps her going, she says. “Alongside this
amazing intellect we have,” she’s quick to add. “We are coming up
with innovative solutions to combat climate change, like better
solar or wind energy. And individually, it’s all about how we live
our own lives and use our brains to try and make a softer ecologi-
cal footprint. Then there’s nature; she is so resilient, so strong. If
nature chooses, she will reclaim areas that we’ve absolutely de-
stroyed and all that’s on the brink of extinction can be given an-
other chance. And finally, the indomitable human spirit, the peo-
ple who tackle the impossible, which becomes possible because of
them. These are my reasons for hope.” n

139

Blouse, skirt; both , Pyer Tanima Mehrotra
Moss. Boots, The Row.
Earrings, Simon Miller FILMMAKER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR
& PHOTOGRAPHER
140 VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 www.vogue.in
Creativity wasn’t something Tanima
Mehrotra grew up around. As an

immigrant kid in Florida, she resisted her
artistic dreams until she had a job lined up
in corporate finance. A good salary, a safe
job—in her parents’ eyes, her future was
secure. A week before she would step into
the power corridors of corporate America,
Mehrotra took a trip to New York and fell
deeply in love with it. Days in, she swapped
the job offer for an internship with Rolling

Stone magazine and began chasing her
real passions, art and music, through
filmmaking and photography. It felt like
freedom, she recalls: “I always knew I was
deeply creative and passionate, but never
had an avenue to cultivate or channel it.
The only thing I could’ve predicted is that
I’d tell stories someday—that feeling has
remained the same, regardless of medium

or what stage of life I am in.”
Mehrotra’s storytelling would go on
to be physically printed onto the city she
fell in love with. She shot Lil Nas X’s first
portraits, which appeared on billboards in
Times Square in 2019. Iconic work that
she followed up by directing the music
video for Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Captain
Hook’ in 2020, which has amassed over
80 million views. She creates in a rapid
and seemingly unending frenzy,
from album covers (Dave East’s
debut 2019 studio album Survival) to
documentaries (2018’s City Girls: Point

Blank Period) and more.
But she goes out of her way to work
with South Asian artists, given that in the
US there aren’t many global superstars on
the radar yet, and consequently, many turn
to other cultures for influence. To play her
part in shifting that narrative, Mehrotra,
just three years old in the industry, has
already aligned with a label representing
South Asian artists. “With a culture
as rich as ours, there should be more
translation and spotlighting. I want to
create opportunities for talented people.
I really care about building visuals from
the bottom up because, in today’s media-
saturated world, visuals are equally—if
not more—important than the music
itself. I want to create cultural moments

within that space,” she says.

CULT

Ayesha Chugh

DJ, PRODUCER,
CREATOR, RELATIONS &
MERCHANDISING MANAGER

AT SPLICE.COM

Ayesha Chugh grew up assuming South SPOTLIGHT
Asian women in music were either an
Anoushka Shankar or Abida Parveen. Beat the band
She never dreamed of them being DJs or
producers. And that’s why this Chicago- In a city that embraces contrarians but doesn’t provide
born, India-raised musician, who lives in handouts, meet five women of South Asian origin who have
Brooklyn, tells a story of diaspora through carved a space for themselves in New York’s music industry,

her musical journey. even as they remain audacious in their authenticity and
But reconciling cultures was difficult ensure that they represent. By Keshia Hannam
for Chugh. She recalls sticking out in high
school. She shares how on her return to
the US from India, she stood up whenever
a teacher entered a classroom (force of
habit). Her American peers thought she
was weird. Not quite fitting in saw her
spending hours on Limewire. Her love for
music stuck and led to a life in music as
a DJ and producer as well as a full-time
role at Splice (a music creation platform)
as the working creator’s advocate. Chugh
is keen on bringing more South Asian
expression to contemporary club music.
“I decided to incorporate the influences of
my culture into dance music. For instance,
in my latest EP Natural Phenomena, you’ll
hear bird sounds I recorded in Goa with a
field recorder. But you’ll also hear tablas
that I’ve turned into basslines,” she says.
Chugh also wants more space for people
in the industry who look like her. She adds,
“As a South Asian woman, DJ and music
producer, I am naturally a voice for more
inclusion in this part of the music industry.
I carry that intention with me into the
daily work I do with creators. I’m always
simultaneously working to make what
has traditionally been a very white-male-
dominated industry more welcoming to

creators of all backgrounds.”

Dress, Abacaxi Photographed by SABREEN JAFRY Styled by PRIYANKA KAPADIA

www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 141

Dress, Naeem Khan

Yelda- Ali

DJ, PRODUCER, STORYTELLER,
CREATIVE DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY

BUILDER AND AUTHOR

Smuggled out of war-torn Afghanistan
in her mother’s womb ahnodmrea, iYseedldia-nAli
Toronto in a faithful Shia
didn’t come to New York to chase her
dreams. She moved to the city to be a
wife. In her marriage she realised, partly
due to a religious upbringing, she didn’t
have a hobby. So, during her divorce
three years later, she started DJ’ing as
a creative therapy outlet—she held no
desire to become a DJ. But once she had
cultivated an inspiring community of
creatives through DJ’ing, Ali’s trajectory
was set as a community builder and
shifter of narratives. Since 2012, her
work has ranged from spinning gigs like
famed baseball player A-Rod’s retirement
party and art exhibits partnered with
Beyoncé, to NYE ball drops alongside Lil’
Kim. However, it was in the release of
Ali’s first single ‘Cuckoo’ in 2021, which
sampled ‘Choli Ke Peeche’—a childhood
favourite that she had performed as
a teenager in Toronto—that she felt a
different kind of alignment.
Because Ali grew up watching
Bollywood, learning English from
Lauryn Hill, dancing at Afghan and
Arab weddings and memorising rap
verses in many languages, integrating
her roots with her reality—particularly
as an Afghan and Muslim woman—
became her goal. And she does so by
removing narratives of shame from
women in music. “I care about safety, I
care about mental health, I care about
opportunities for women, I care about
my Afghan roots. I want to add access
and awareness to these things wherever
I am,” she says. She founded the women’s
safety organisation Camel Assembly in
2015 and then Listening Party in 2017,
which brings artists together in music
studios to talk about mental health.
“Representation is a new privilege of
our generation (because of our parents’
sacrifices) and so we will naturally
witness a rise in the distribution of our
stories, sounds, and styles. I say this as
both a believer and participant.”

142 VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 www.vogue.in

Dress, jacket shoes; all SPOTLIGHT
Bottega Veneta Mahaneela

PHOTOGRAPHER, FILMMAKER,
DJ, AUTHOR & FOUNDER OF
COZY GLOBAL

Mahaneela is one of those people who
has endless good ideas and believes in
them all enough to bring anything to life
at any moment. Within a year of living

in New York, her first photo book,
Through My Lens, centring on black
and brown joy and featuring artists like
Raveena and Sampha, was launched at
Maison Kitsune’s flagship in the West
Village alongside her photos in large
format, mid-pandemic. Her work focuses
on diasporic history, music and culture.
Some of her collaborators include FKA
Twigs, Tyga, Denai Moore, Steve Lacy and
Adwoa Aboah, among others. Meanwhile,

her clients range from Apple and
Adidas to the Tate Modern and Toyota.
Mahaneela translates her global citizenry
(she’s Ghanaian and Indian by way of
Uganda, with a little Jamaican in there
too) into an inclusive vision and creative

partnership.
Mahaneela desires to keep creating
with artists across African and South
Asian diasporas and adding a sense of
respect for them and their craft. “It feels
great to know that I didn’t have to

fit in with the ‘norm’ that Western
media pushes onto us to reach
my goal of shooting a magazine
cover,” she says. Mahaneela
wants the world to know that
musical artists are artists,
and points out that while
many [black and brown
artists] operate in spaces that
are hugely popular, they are
often sidelined and not given

the pride of place they deserve.
“That’s how I see music and my place in
it, re-establishing that deep respect and
space given to white artists and returning
it to the people who made it in the first

place,” she says.

www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 143

SPOTLIGHT

Zainab Hasnain

DJ & SENIOR MUSIC MARKETING MANAGER FOR HIP HOP AT SPOTIFY

Zainab Hasnain got her first dose of life in New York as a 14-year-old, during a creative writing programme at
Columbia University. Though she grew up in Long Island and would frequent Broadway shows and visit the Rockefeller
tree during holiday season, it was after a pizza-eating, firsts-of-all-sorts, rat-infested summer that she fell in love with the
city. That set the tone for Hasnain, who believes that the true glamour of the city lies in the ability to survive its chaotic,
ever-evolving environment—and keep going. She would know, having lived the highs and lows through the lens of the
music industry. She began exploring the music scene as a 13-year-old who wasn’t allowed to go to house parties (‘good’
brown girl syndrome) and so would attend shows in Williamsburg instead, camping out at the Bowery Ballroom hours
before the show to meet her favourite artists. Then, as a struggling artist in her twenties, Hasnain became a full-time DJ.

Now, she’s an influential figure in music as senior music marketing manager lead for hip-hop at Spotify, where she’s
overseen the marketing of campaigns like RapCaviar Day 1 Club, and for artists like Bad Bunny, James Blake, Burna
Boy, Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion and more. “When I started, I was a lone desi woman navigating an intimidating
white, male-dominated industry. I know it’s rare to see someone like me in any of these spaces, so I’m a living example of
representation. I think the most important thing you can do to honour your roots is to pay it forward to your community
and acknowledge that it made you who you are. I’m a proud Pakistani and love everything my culture has given me.”
Hasnain is cognisant of the position she holds, both as a Muslim immigrant and a global DJ as well as a marketer at
the world’s top streaming service. As a woman, she’s honest that the industry can be discouraging—from sexism, to

harassment, to self-doubt—but that it all works to make you stronger and more self-assured if you fight for it.

Hair: Antoine McCants
Makeup: Amrita Mehta; Antoine McCants
Photographer’s assistants: Kendall
Bessent; Taylor Brown
Assistant stylists: Naheed Driver; Jillian
Hardeman-Web; Jye Leong
Retouching: Nadia Selander
Visuals editor: Jay Modi

Cropped cardigan, Danielle Guizio.
Trousers, Bibhu Mohapatra

144 VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 www.vogue.in

`150
PHOTOGRAPHED BY MANASI SAWANT

SEASON OF SPORT

India’s Most
Exciting
Olympians
The Best
Watches
Of 2021

FARHAN AKHTAR

POWERHOUSE

150

SEASON OF SPORT

India’s Most
Exciting
Olympians
The Best
Watches
Of 2021

FARHAN AKHTAR

POWERHOUSE

ndia’s Most
Exc t ng
Olympians
The Best
Watches
Of 2021

FARHAN AKHTAR

POWERHOUSE

How we rise

They shattered glass ceilings, challenged the boys’ clubs and held their own. They’ve taken
risks, persevered and transformed their lives and ours. Fifty-something and thriving, Aruna
Jayanthi, Vani Kola and Falguni Nayar tell Gayatri Rangachari Shah how they made it

ARUNA JAYANTHI

5 7, M D, L AT I N A M E R ICA
AND CANADA, CAPGEMINI
On leadership today…
How did you lead people across countries
and continents during the pandemic?
Relationships helped. Once you build
relationships with people, transitioning from
in-person to virtual is seamless. I know my
teams and their working styles well, so we
didn’t think of it as disruptive. Respecting
personal time helps. But the most
important thing for me was continuing
the organisation’s rituals. For instance, if
you have a sales strategy meeting once a
month and then head out for dinner after,
simulate the same online.
Were there changes at work you drove
as a leader that will continue in a post-
pandemic world?
I was always a flexible leader. I was never a
nine-to-five person for myself or my team. I
never looked at work time, I only looked at
work output. The pandemic reinforced that
need for flexibility as well as respect for our
people’s private lives and how they manage
their time. We are talking a lot more about
mental health and we will continue to do
so. People have different levels of stress and
anxieties. We have to carry on focusing on
the emotional well-being of our employees.
How do you stay positive?
I have never been a person who has not
been positive. For me, it’s a way of life. I
look forward to every single day. I think
about how to become a better version of
myself every single day.
Your go-to life lesson:
Discover the value of relationships. Stay
focused with your family, friends and
colleagues. Difficulties like the pandemic
will come and go. We have to learn to rely
on the people that are near and dear to us
and support one another.

146 VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 www.vogue.in

VIEWPOINT

VANI KOLA FALGUNI NAYAR

5 7, FO U N D E R A N D M D, K A L A A R I CA PI TA L 55, FOUNDER AND CEO, NYKAA
On keeping at it... On pursuing your dreams...
The venture capital world has historically had very few What made you start a new career at the age of 49?
women at the top. Do you see yourself as a trailblazer? While I was leading investment banking at Kotak Mahindra, I
Others may see me that way, but I don’t. I don’t feel I have met many entrepreneurs who truly impressed me. I saw the
achieved anything impossible. I have simply focused on doing need for a multibrand retail format in India that would give
what I enjoy doing. But along the way I have ignored those consumers easy access to beauty, with a guided and educative
who told me that I couldn’t do it. approach. In 2012, I decided to take the plunge.
How did you tackle the gender biases women so often face In 2012 the start-up ecosystem in India was nascent, but
in male-dominated industries? you convinced investors to support Nykaa. Your advice to
With humour. Change what you can, accept what you can’t founders today?
change, but don’t get distracted from your purpose. Our It’s all about a strong business model. Investors show faith
actions can bring a change in attitudes. You are what you in thought-through scalable business ideas with a clear road
believe you are, so ignore the bias and keep at it. map for the future. I think that patience, commitment and
How do you understand your role in the world of start-ups? consistency is required, but most importantly, believe in your
Founders only need capital if they’re inspired to create. And to idea and stick to it.
nurture inspiration and opportunity is where I come in. Your go-to life lesson:
What inspires you? The name Nykaa comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Nayaka’ and
Human potential—the inner journey into our self that is inspired by a message to all women—that one must pursue
manifests on the path to achieve our purpose in life. Once I their dreams. Decide what makes you happy and make choices
decide to do something, I simply focus and remove all doubt that will allow you to achieve your goals. Don’t be afraid to lean
and distraction and get on with it. in. Make choices based on your passion. If entrepreneurship is
Your go-to life lesson: the journey you’re embarking on, think long-term and have a
If you have patience and endurance to stay in the long run, plan that extends up to at least five years. Entrepreneurship is
reaching your goal gets easier. It’s the sprint to success which not easy, but the rewards are immense. n
takes a harder toll than you realise.
www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 147

Shooting star

Determined, strong and focused, 19-year-
old para shooter Avani Lekhara has

battled adversity and is now on a mission
to win gold for India at the Tokyo

Paralympics, finds Sheree Gomes Gupta

148 VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 www.vogue.in

SPORT

GO FOR GOLD medal at the WSPS World Cup in Al-Ain, paraplegia,” she recalls.
Avani Lekhara UAE, in March and several gold medals at The nightmare continued when no edu-
the first para-national shooting champi-
has been onship held at the Manav Rachna Shoot- cational institution would accept her and
practising ing Range in Faridabad, Haryana. “I was she had to be homeschooled for two years.
relentlessly disappointed for a while when the Para- “I was very angry with my condition and
and is all set lympics got cancelled last year due to barely spoke to anyone,” she says. Despite
for the Tokyo COVID-19, but then I decided to look at the physical and mental pain, Lekhara
Paralympics the bright side—I had one more year to pushed through, eventually obtaining ad-
practice,” she says. mission at the Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 3
I t’s 3pm when I ring Avani Lekhara school in Jaipur. During the summer vaca-
for our interview. The para TAKING AIM tion, her father took her to a shooting
shooter has already finished her range in Jagatpura to watch players per-
mental training exercises, yoga Lekhara’s enthusiasm and positive form and doubled it up by giving her a
and meditation, an hour-long physi- attitude belie the severe mental depression biography of India’s star shooter, Abhinav
otherapy session and three hours of her and agony she’s had to overcome to reach Bindra. That set her on her career path
daily morning rifle shooting practice. this stage of zen. She wasn’t born with a in 2015.
Later in the evening, she’ll shoot for two disability. Growing up, dancing was her
more hours at the 10m digital target she first love. “I participated in all my school STRIVE TO WIN
had installed at her home in Jaipur when competitions and won several prizes as
India went into lockdown last March, and well,” she reminisces. At the age of 10, Of course, the initial days were tough—
at some point in the day she’ll catch up however, she met with a life-altering there was no ramp at the range, causing dif-
with her reading for the BA LLB degree accident that left her paralysed waist- ficulties in running the wheelchair, which
she’s pursuing at Rajasthan University. down. “I had injuries on the L1 level of my incidentally was not according to the
“I’ve always wanted to become a judge, and spinal cord and was in the hospital for norms, and she didn’t have her own gun
my shooting has actually helped with my three months as a result. I even underwent and shooting kit either. Within a year of her
studies as well—I am more focused now,” surgery, but doctors were of the view that professional debut, however, Lekhara
she says. there is no treatment for traumatic jumped from school to state, to national
and finally, to international champion-
The 19-year-old is currently training for ships. 2016 was a particularly exceptional
the Tokyo Paralympics, scheduled to begin year for her. She won a gold medal in the
this August. She will be participating in 10m air rifle at the state and national para
four events: the R2-10M Rifle Standing shooting championship and silver at her
Women, R3-10M Rifle Prone Mixed, R6- first para shooting World Cup in Al Ain. “I
50M Rifle Prone Mixed and R8-50M Rifle was very stressed looking at the senior com-
3 Position Women. “My dream is to win a petitors, but I played with full determina-
gold medal for India,” says Lekhara, who tion, vigour, zeal and confidence,” she says.
started this year on a high, winning a silver
For someone who has dealt with
adversity early on in life, Lekhara has not
just battled hard but she continues to strive
to win. “All these achievements are a bless-
ing from God and due to the support, love
and encouragement of my parents. My
mum comes with me to every tournament,”
she says. What keeps her going? She strong-
ly asserts: “I know it seems hard sometimes,
but never give up. Time is the biggest heal-
er. If you are passionate about something,
just go for it. Even if you fail, you’ll learn so
much from it. Many told me I would never
be able to shoot, let alone win competitions.
But I drowned out that noise, put in the
hard work, and here I am today.” n

www.vogue.in VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 149

T here’s no way to know what the sprawl- Clockwise from top: The
ing homes of Pushpanjali Farms, near swing atop Art Deco flooring
Delhi international airport, are like till by KG Tiles is the Shastri
you actually enter the gated community. family’s favourite unwinding
But driving down its serene lanes, there’s farmhouse zone; A Hanuman mask
after farmhouse displaying a range of sensibilities, scoured on a trip to Varanasi;
from Gothic to Art Deco to modern. Here lies well- At the entrance is a stone
ness expert Mini Shastri’s home, tucked in a corner, jali with rhomboid patterns,
revealing nothing beyond its tall, metal-slatted gates. handcrafted by craftsmen
from Jaipur and implemented
What is undeniable is an aura of calm. Setting the by Manish Bhatnagar
tone are the carefully preserved remains of an old
monument that resemble a mini gumbad, and pea-
cocks it in and out of its arched entrance. When the
gates open, there’s a daisy-lined garden, bougainvil-
lea-wrapped trellises, tall concrete slits and a small
water body leading to her glass-ensconced home. All
very Wordsworthian. So naturally, I expect one big
this-is-how-it-came-together story.

But right o the bat, Shastri tells me she has no
signi cant stories about the striking, light- lled
home she shares with her husband Diwakar, chil-
dren Devika and Kartikeya (their eldest daughter
Gayatri lives in New York) and their three dogs,
Luna, Caramel and Cookie. What exists, though, are
many smaller, memorable stories. An anecdote
about how she found the two intricately carved
wooden columns, which occupy pride of place in the
living area, in Sri Lanka. Another about how she
created her version of a courtyard indoors, replete
with a palm tree. And a third one about her rigorous
search for buttery kadappa stone that makes up the

ooring of the area where she does her havans,
which are an intrinsic part of her practice.

CALMING CORNERS

These may seem like stories about the house but they
are as much about Shastri, the founder of the yoga
studio Om Yogashala in Delhi, and her beliefs. Also
a product development consultant with Paro, a
holistic wellness brand from the Good Earth stable,
Shastri’s home is a re ection of her passion for well-
ness along with all things Indian and sustainable.

Spread over 10,000sqft (the farm is two and a half
acres), the home is an eclectic space where concrete
walls and a high, wood-slatted ceiling sit comfortably
with lithographs and framed phulkari from Quetta.
Traditional elements abound, but their presence is
softened by a strong minimalist air, the starting point
of which is that the home is split into two levels—the
open-plan ground oor with the living and dining
area, and the top oor where the bedrooms rest. The
living area has several seating nooks, though the ma-
jority of the space is dedicated to the modernist area
by the replace, dominated by earthy tones. Sur-
rounding it are smaller corners, like the family-fa-
vourite near the stairs, where a glass window over-
looks a sofa and a swing hangs atop Art Deco tiles. >

150 VOGUE INDIA AUGUST 2021 www.vogue.in