Asmita Sood has wowed the audience with her performances. She was recently seen in a music video with Bollywood megastar Akshay Kumar. Here, we catch up with Asmita Sood, as she talks about her love for craft.

My journey…
I started my career in 2011 with Pantaloons Femina Miss India. I was a finalist and after that I started getting offers for films. I never did a formal training in acting. A lot of offers were coming my way so I thought of giving it a try. It was quite an experience, facing the camera, displaying emotions on screen. That is how my journey started and after my first film I got a lot of offers in South. I have done eight films in South and also, I am working in a web series.

Dancing is my passion…
Kathak is a very beautiful form of dance and I enjoyed my three years of training in Kathak. I enjoy acting and dancing equally. In fact both go hand in hand. If you can portray your emotions in dancing well, you are good in acting too. And I cannot really choose any one over the other. But yes, I am more involved in acting right now than dancing because of my commitments.

Success for me is…
Success, according to me, is a place where you find satisfaction. Success cannot be monitored with money or fame for that matter. It comes internally. When you feel satisfied internally then you always stay happy with whatever you are doing. You might have seen people restless and depressed at the peak of their careers. So, success for me is when you are content, professionally and emotionally.

It was always my dream…
I remember I was staying in Delhi. One day I saw huge hoardings of a big brand everywhere. I wished to be on those hoardings and billboards one day. I did my first shoot with a brand called Uninor. I was very nervous and excited for that shoot. I didn’t know if it was released till much later. One day, a friend called me and told me that he saw my hoardings of Uninor brand. I was very elated that my first ever shoot got me on a billboard.

Love for me is...
Love for me is a very deep and sacred emotion. It drives a human being every single day. It’s a feeling we should always value. I believe it’s the purest form of emotion.

Failures teach me...
Failures in life teach us a lot. They help us to mature in life and teach us not to expect anything from anybody and forget where we have come from. It teaches us to handle situations in future.

Criticism along the way…
As an actor there is a lot of criticism that come along your way. You need to know that everybody is going to have an opinion about how you look, how you behave and how you should conduct yourself. I try to understand that person’s perspective and why that person is saying such thing. Also, I try not getting offended.

Fitness mantra
My fitness mantra is to make myself fit and regular with my workouts. Yoga, Pilates, swimming or gym, I try to take my time out and do one or the other form of workout. Apart from that maintaining a healthy diet is also very important. I try to maintain my carbs and vitamins. I take supplements to fill up for any deficiencies. Also, I drink lots of water and green tea after every meal. Mentally, I try not to get affected by my work and keep a healthy environment around myself.

My alternate career choice
Wedding planner

My favourite memory as a child
I have a lot of memories of my native place Shimla. I remember me and my friends used to go out to play. Climbing trees, walking in the forests, plucking berries are my favourite memories.

Things you love most about yourself
My positive attitude and how I try to be level headed each time. I am a very positive person and I like to look at the bright side of the things always.

My makeup routine
I do not put too much makeup on casual days. A little concealor, eye shadow lipstick and mascara works well for me.

Favourite scent
Elie Saab for days and J’adore by Dior for evenings.

On your speed-dial
My Mom, Dad and my two best friends are on my speed dial

Favourite cuisine
Italian and home cooked food is my favourite. I always have a chocolate in my bag and I love black coffee

Favourite destination
I am an avid-traveler. I recently went to Norway to see the northern lights and that tops my list.

Book character you would like to play if it was turned into a movie 
I would love to do a fictional movie someday in life. I have grown reading books like Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Aladdin. Any of these Disney princess, I would love to enact one day.

Your spirit animal
My spirit animal is a horse. Because it symbolizes strength and power

Things bought from the first paycheck
My first paycheck was a very small amount. I bought a lipstick for my mother, something in stationary for my brother and a t-shirt for my dad

Binge-watched series
Game of thrones, Sherlock, Stranger things

Future projects
I am currently working on a series at Alt Balaji ‘Dil hi toh hai.’

For collaborations contact: Nanak Singh, Mobile: 9810040628

Rhea Chakraborty is filled with goofy charm and has a supremely confident personality. She does not allow the whims of business to fluff her confidence. She unmistakably knows how to win over the myopic world of acting and where her creative interests lie. She is here to stay with her body of work. Her next project with megastar Amitabh Bachchan titled ‘Chehre’ is all set to release this year. Here Rhea talks about life as an outsider in the film industry and her future projects.

Who is ‘Rhea Chakraborty’ in real life?
I am just a girl who loves eating, reading books, lots of physical activity – sports, MMA (Mixed martial arts), yoga. And as long as I get lots of time to spend with my family, I am all set.

How has your journey been in the Bollywood industry so far?
Bollywood has been the craziest journey – up and down and round and round!
But I have learnt so much and evolved as a person through this journey. I met some amazing people and met some people early on – who made me realize what not to become!

If not an actor, what would you have been doing right now professionally?
Well hopefully I would be an engineer, as I was all set to crack IIT entrances

One thing that you like and dislike about working in the industry?
Like – that every film unit becomes your family
Dislike – the unbelievable hierarchy and patriarchy

Which book character you would like to play if it was turned into a movie?
All the characters in Murakami’s books

Chehre, your next movie is set to release in 2020. What do you have to say about that?
I feel super excited about it. I got an opportunity of a lifetime to work with Amitabh Sir, Anu Kapoor Sir and the amazing cast. Learnt why the film industry became the film industry!

How was it working with Amitabh Bachchan in Chehre?
He is the epitome of humility , generosity, talent and is always looking out for everyone around him ! He is truly a legend.

One piece of advice you would like to give to your younger self?
Enjoy the ride, it gets better!

You started your career from television in 2009 and now you have recently worked with such big stars in your upcoming movie? How does that make you feel?
I honestly just go with the flow. I am really excited about 2020 as lots of new amazing things are lined up.

Who is one director that tops your list of working with?
Anurag Basu for sure

Your favourite work till date, as in your favourite character that you played?
Aisha in Jalebi

Was there any time when you felt as an outcast in the industry?
Only when I first started attending award shows and realized star kids get to sit in the front row just by birth and I will have to earn it!

Filmfare awards recently has been bashed about being biased? What’s your say on that?
Awards are a jury’s call and it is not my place to comment on it. It’s the audience validation that all actors are always gunning for and the viewers never disappoint when it comes to showering their love on deserving performances, this year was no different.

One movie role you wish you had done?
Honestly Gabbar in Sholay (could be made female in 2020)

Nepotism is a heavily discussed topic these days in Bollywood. Your take on that?
There’s no denying it’s all over, also in Bollywood, but the fact is that only the really talented star kids make it. Although they do get endless opportunities without much work.

Your favourite movie from last year?
Chhichhore

Things you splurge your money on?
Moisturizers, perfumes and food

Your favourite holiday destination?
Paris

Early bird or night owl?
Early bird

Heavy makeup look or nude makeup look?
Nude makeup

Beach or mountains?
Beach baby

Show you are binge watching right now?
Narcos and Big Bang theory

First thing you bought with your paycheck?
A watch for my mom

Heels or flats?
Flats

Your favourite quote?
Magic happens outside the comfort zone!

One thing without which you never step out of your home?
Earphones

One DIY home remedy you swear by?
Hair oil every sat – coconut almond and olive mixed with a little castor oil

One celebrity’s wardrobe you would like to raid?
Malaika Arora’s – specially her gym wear

Which Bollywood star has the best fashion sense?
Rekha Ma’am

One person you go for fashion advice?
My mom

Your fitness Mantra?
Train like a beast – look like a beauty

What do you expect of your future as for now?
I live in the present or at least try to. Future please be kind!

One dearest memory of your childhood?
Eating ‘Gol Gappas’ with my mom and cycling

What is the toughest part of being an actor?
The uncertainty of the business

Cover Photo Courtesy: Gaurav Swan
Cover Hair and Makeup: Riddhima Sharma
Cover Stylist: Khyati Busa

Beyond the Mundane

She is a qualified fashion designer and not many people know that she is a fitness enthusiast! Comparison with her sister in the entertainment has never bogged her down. She cherishes the precious lessons that life has taught her and she doesn’t fret about small things. For Shamita Shetty, her best moments in the film industry are yet to come. With her upcoming international project ‘The Tenant’, she is keeping busy and is looking forward to the start of a new web series early next year. Here is a candid conversation with this style icon.

Please tell us about who is ‘Shamita Shetty’ in her personal life?
I am quite an introvert. I am fairly simple. I drive happiness from very simple things like spending time with my family and friends. I am someone who values her relationships in life and I don’t get perturbed by small things. I am a spiritual person and someone who consciously makes an effort to do what I believe is right. I do whatever little I can to make this world a better place in my way, in my little space. Also, I am a fitness freak!

What kind of films you would like to be a part of?
With so many OTT (Over the top) media platforms, people are really coming out and experimenting with something new in terms of subject and character. I am very interested in trying out more in the web space and in the meantime, I have a film releasing next year. It’s called ‘The Tenants.’ I am starting a web series early next year. But it’s too soon to get into details and talk about things right now. In the web space, I am really interested in doing more work.

How do you view your journey so far?
I have been in the industry for 19 years now. I have learned a lot, and there have been a lot of ups and downs but that has only made me a stronger and a more spiritual person. As you grow older, I think you understand life better, which is only natural, because you have more experiences. But I do know I have a long way to go and achieve so much in life. But I look back at my life with utmost gratitude because I know my life has turned out the way it was meant to be. I may not have reached or rather done that much work I wanted to do in the film industry but on the personal front there has been so much in my life that has only made me grow and made me a better human being!

Did you always want to be a part of films?
No, I was not one of those kids who always aspired to be an actor. I came from a business background. So, I always thought I will grow up and help my father with business but I think I was more creatively inclined that’s why I did fashion designing which led me to do an internship with Manish Malhotra. That kind of naturally brought me to the industry because my sister was already a part of the film industry. As I started working, the more I realized how I love being a part of this creative scene. But I never wanted to be an actor. Like I said, I was always an introvert and a very shy child. So, performing in front of a lot of people, I never thought I would have the courage to do.

What are the things that excite you or make you happy?
Spending good quality time with my family, friends, going on a holiday with them, good food and good dessert makes me really happy! If I manage to bring a smile on someone’s face and do something small for them, that makes me very happy. Also, I love going to the gym and workout.

Going back to the time, you received some coveted awards for your debut in Mohabatein. How was the experience?
I never gave any importance to awards as such. It was just a debut award. But it didn’t make such a difference honestly!

Has the entertainment business changed the kind of person you are, over the years?
Like I said, on the personal front there has happened a lot that made me a stronger and better person but in my career there have been many ups and downs. When I entered the industry there was always a comparison, which was a lot of pressure to put on any person. It made very difficult for me to cope with certain situations. But all well because I think they were just the experiences that I had to go through and no harm is done, if it has made me a stronger person. I think it was very small compared to other lessons of life. I don’t fret about the small stuff.

You did a web series too. What prompted you to do it?
I did a web series two years back and well it’s huge now. There is so much more that is offered to actors on these new platforms you are witnessing today. I always wanted to work in the web space.

Who is the biggest influence in your life?
My sister!

Who do you turn to for advice during the low phase in your life?
My family and I have really good friends. I am blessed to have them in my life.

What, according to you, is the best thing about acting?
You get a chance to portray different characters, experiment with different personalities. That is the best thing about acting. And, for a creative person it’s such a beautiful thing to be able to express their creativity. It’s a beautiful feeling.

Tell us about one role you enjoyed working on the most.
My role in ‘Zeher’ and also the new film that’s coming out ‘The Tenants’.

What have you learnt from your failures? 
I believe everything in life happens for a reason. You have two choices; either you let it make you weak or a stronger person. Luckily, for me I have always been a strong person, driving strengths from my failures and never wanting to give up. I have a very strong backing in term of my family and friends, who don’t allow me to give up when I am experiencing a really weak moment. I am so grateful for that. There is always life at the end of the tunnel. Experience from your failures and learn what you have to and move on from that situation. You can’t let it pull you down forever and make you give up on life. There is something more to life. You have to keep moving on.

What is love according to you?
Love is like oxygen

A co-star in your wishlist?
Meryl Streep. I think there is so much I would probably learn from her or work at an international platform.

How do you unwind at the end of a long day?
I get into my Pajamas and watch a little bit of TV, Netflix or Amazon Prime. I watch something funny at night that will make me laugh like Big Bang Theory, Friends, The Middle because it so important to sleep at the right frame of mind. Then, you wake up with the same frame of mind. I make an effort to work like that.

Which directors you’d like to work with in future?
Mahesh Bhatt, Aditya Chopra again, Vikramaditya Motwane, Anurag Kashyap, Nitesh Tiwari

Your favourite memory as a child?
Simple moments spent with my family because we don’t get to do much of that. Life was simpler. I miss those moments like going out for an ice cream with my father. I cherish those moments.

What do you love most about yourself? 
I think I am someone with integrity and I would not give that for anyone.

Your makeup routine? 
I don’t do makeup every day. I just wear lipstick everyday and do my eyebrows a little. That’s about it.

Your workout routine?
I weight train about 3-4 times in the week and a little bit of cardio maybe twice a week.

Favorite scent?
Chance by Chanel

Favourite cuisine
Japanese

Who is your spirit animal? 
Cat

Favourite holiday destination
Maldives

The first thing you bought with your own paycheck?
I don’t remember. I just remember giving it to my father who used to take care of all the finances.

What TV shows do you binge watch?
Big Band Theory, The Crown, The Vampire Dairies, Homeland, The Middle, Originals.

One thing you never get tired shopping
Bags and shoes.

Is there any dream left to be achieved?
There are so many. I haven’t achieved my dreams! I would like to do more work in the industry and I would like to give back to the society, make a difference in some way.

What are the things you look for in your significant other?
I look for integrity, honesty, sense of humor, compassion and intelligence.

Before you start working for others, work
for yourself and on yourself

Sujata Setis

Based in UK, London, Sujata Setia, is a multi-award winning photographer. Sujata has received immense recognition for her impeccable and out-of-the-box photography. Hereí s a tete-e-tete with this incredible Indian origin photographer.

How did your interest in natural and family photography develop? Please tell us about your journey.

Photography almost fell into my lap. I was a radio jockey back in India and moved to the UK (10 years ago) after marriage. Here, I struggled for five years to find a job (which never came through as my qualifications in India held no value here) and somewhere within me a loss of confidence started to make home. I felt lost and confused and the only way I could express myself and my battle with depression was via a visual/creative medium. Thankfully at some point my husband had gifted me a camera and I started to photograph my seven month old daughter with it. I believe, it is here that my interest in photography developed. There’s one thing I have realised over these years of dealing with my internal demons that I had nothing to lose. Life had given me this incredible blessing in the form of my ability to be creative so I decided to make the most of it and started offering photo shoots to my friends and family to build my portfolio. Once I did that, there was no looking back. Onwards and upwards!

Your photographs are unusual and unique, please discuss about your vision of photography.

Photography has been my way of overcoming my internal demons. It has been my medicine, my blessings, and my only voice. And it is through photography that I express my life’s entire journey. What you see there is what the narrative of my life is. I started this journey by expressing the beautiful relationship my daughter shared with my dog (son) – Mustang. When we lost Mustang suddenly one day, I tried to overcome that loss by photographing other babies and animals and hence created a series with newborn babies and newborn animals/birds images. My next project was a series of images of mothers, holding their babies in a natural setting, and that came from me wanting to recreate the beautiful relationship I shared with my daughter just when she was born (as I was never really able to chronicle that relationship since I wasn’t doing photography back them.) My latest series of grandparents and grandchildren came from the need for me to overcome the loss of my own grandmother. For me photography has been my triumph! Triumph over setbacks, over battlesÖ over the challenges life has thrown at me. It’s my way of smiling back at life and saying ‘Thank you. It has all been incredibly beautiful so far’.

How do you decide your concepts? What inspires you?

Life inspires me. Fearlessness inspires me and so I photograph children and elderlies often; anywhere between those two ages, we are just so damn scared of everything in this world. What will the neighbours think of me? What will the woman sitting next to me in the train think of me? What will the boss think? As adults we are just so scared to live.
For concepts, I look around and extract narratives from my own childhood and that of my daughter’s and then transpire it into my images. The first step to creating a great concept is to write down on a piece of paper, what story you want to narrate. I always come up with a storyline. Then I write a small caption to go with that story and based on the emotion that caption holds, I select my models, location and light of the day. The final image then just follows. For example, for the grandfather giving a flower to the grandma images where it said ìCan you lend me just another lifetime? So I can make up for the days I forgot to make you laugh!î It was the caption I wrote first before I shot the image. That just helped me know very clearly what emotion I wanted to focus on in the visual narrative.

Please tell us about the series you recently posted on social media, photography of old and young generations together.

This series came as a result of me wanting to recreate my childhood and my time spent with my own maternal grandma and my paternal grandpa. They were the two loves of my life. I started creating this series as an ode to those times spent together.

How did you find your signature style and your advice to those looking for their own?

I do a lot of personal work. For me photography is like bringing up a child. I not just do this work as a profession; I also focus a lot on doing my personal project, which I do just for myself and not for the purpose of making money. That is where I started developing my style from. Because when you do your personal projects, you don’t have the pressure of delivering anything to the clients as per their needs. Everything is your own. It is your story, your choice of models, your choice of clothing and so whatever comes off that personal project will be 100 percent yours. That’s the place where ‘personal style’ starts to take shape. And that would be my advice to everyone looking for their ‘style’. Before you start working for others, work for yourself and on yourself!

How do you plan your shoots, is the concept decided on the spot or do you plan it prior to the shoot?

My concepts are never ad hoc. I always write down my shots on a piece of paper beforehand. Then I go to the location a day in advance to create a practice version of those shots and then on the actual day of the shoot I recreate them again. This helps me make sure that I am leaving no place for error because truly, magic is not coincidence. It is never coincidence, magic is calculated risk!

Do you feel you have evolved as a photographer?

Yes

What latest equipments do you use for the photo shoots?

My main camera body is Nikon D800 and I use several lenses including 70-200 f 2.8, 135mm f2DC, 85mm f1.4, 50mm f1.4, 35mm f.14

How can one tell a story in images?

By actually feeling it first. If it is your own story and not something you are copy pasting from someone else’s work, then it will be incredibly simple for you to narrate it in images. Empathy is the most essential skill set any storytelling photographer must have.

Toddlers are difficult to deal with during photo shoots, how do you manage the situation?

I’ve always told my students that children have a limit of maximum 45 minutes to withstand a shoot and that’s the time I take maximum photographs with them. It is important to have them well fed, well slept and in close proximity to their mothers so that you are able to photograph them. Without these three requirements fulfilled, toddlers don’t enjoy the photo session and it is important that they enjoy what they are doing.

What is a perfect picture according to you?

There is nothing such as a ‘perfect picture’. It is an art form, a feeling and feelings are incredibly subjective to be put into boxes of ‘perfection’.

Some tips for the beginners

Be fearless, experiment with your art, do not fear investing in learning from someone you admire and spend time creating images just for your creative satisfaction.

Your favourite photographer

Steve Mccurry

Your most memorable photoshoot experience so far and your favourite clients.

All my shoots are special. I get to hear so many beautiful stories every single time. Just a week ago I photographed this beautiful elderly couple by the beach in Ireland. Their son told me later (after the shoot got over) that they had sold their home 15 years ago and have ever since then been travelling the world together in a camper van and wherever they go, even today, they hold hands. I loved photographing them.

What is your philosophy of life?

Only focus on what’s beautiful.