When you truly want something, the universe does conspire to make it happen: Vidya Balan

In Bengaluru to be a part of a launch that involves an aspect of her first love – the sari, actress Vidya Balan spoke to us about her connection with personal style over fashion, and also shared her biggest lessons learnt through her journey of self-discovery in her personal and professional life and the power dynamics she shares with social media.
‘Fashion is fleeting, personal style is eternal’
I have never associated myself with fashion because I think fashion is fleeting. For me, it has got to be personal style, because that is really an extension of who we are. I think all of us have an intrinsic style and we choose to wear what makes us feel most us, or rather, we are well turned out when we choose to wear what makes us feel most us. For me, style is eternal. Fashion is not something I really relate to.

‘Every year, on my birthday, my parents bought me a Kanjeevaram’
My all-time favourite sari is the Kanjeevaram. I have some. I think when I was 18, my parents bought me my first Kanjeevaram. And the deal with them was that for every birthday, they would get me a Kanjeevaram. For the longest time they did that, until a few years ago when I said, ‘now I feel like we need to stop’. Because I don’t really get a chance to repeat saris, and the work on them is very precious for it to be lying in my cupboard. Therefore, when I wear a sari, I make sure I ask everyone around me – sometimes it is for a cause or sometimes I just ask loved ones, friends, colleagues, - you know, if there is anything that you like that I have worn, because then I can just pass it on to them.
‘I feel my journey has been far easier than a lot of others who have not had family support’
I believe and I want others to know that when you truly want something, the universe does conspire to make it happen. So, let the universe do its job. Don’t wonder about the how - all of us have this dream but think – how am I ever going to get there. You don’t have to worry about that, things will lead you there. But hold on to that dream and do not let anything deter you from it. I went through lots of rejections in the early years of my career. I come from a non-film family, and I didn’t know whether I would ever be able to become an actor. But one thing led to the other. Of course, I have a very supportive family, and that I think is my greatest strength. My parents, my sister and brother-in-law and now Siddharth – they are like the pillars on which I stand. Therefore, I feel my journey has been far easier than a lot of others who have not had that family support. No two stories are the same, because no two individuals are the same, so I would say, embrace the uniqueness of your journey. Don’t look for a well-trodden path. Look to create your own. It may seem daunting, but I have this beautiful quote or mantra that I believe in - I feel that God has brought you to it, he or she will take you through it. So just let that play out for yourself.
‘My understanding of God has evolved over time’
While I do pray a lot, I don’t think I can call it religion. I do like going to places of worship. But I pray everywhere all the time. I think my connection, or my understanding of God has evolved over time. I feel there is a God in all of us, you know, that I am probably discovering. Though, I also enjoy the rituals; I have my own set of rituals and I do enjoy them. Every day starts with lighting the diya, and offering prayers, offering flowers, listening to MS Subbalakshmi’s songs - I have grown up with that, so that gives me that grounding I need.
‘I dictate my relationship with social media’
My personality on social media is different from how I am seen on screen. The thing is, I love comedy. And on screen I am not getting the chance to do that. So, I am using Instagram to actually fulfil that desire. However, I do not take social media seriously. I understand that it is very powerful, but I give it the power. It does not give me power. I believe that nothing has power over me. I dictate, for example, how much people know about me. I dictate my relationship with social media. I think that is something that I have realised, and I find that very useful. I also don’t read comments – so if you are saying good things there – great; if you are not saying good things – great.
You can take someone out of India, but never the Indianness out of them: Aparna Thyagarajan

Aparna Thyagarajan, the founder of Shobitam says, “My sister Ambika and I grew up in Delhi. On her second birthday I designed a skirt for her from an old sari. I think that was really the genesis of Shobitam. Through the years, Ambika would perform at dance events, and I would make her lehengas. There has been no fashion training or anything. We just used to make our own clothes - you design something, make it, wear it. I got married, moved to the US, but as they say, an Indian goes out of India, but you can’t take the Indianness out of an Indian. So there, I used to find Indian clothes, Indian décor, Indian food as a means to be connected to my homeland. I used to love creating fusion clothes. It just got to the point when we thought, how much are we going to hoard for ourselves. Let us have a creative outlet, where we launch a brand and lets see where it takes us. We launched Shobitam on International Women’s Day, because we were also really committed to the cause of women. Our first order was from France, and it was not even an Indian.