This piece is about that woman who presents a firm belief in being optimistic in life. This is none other than Shweta Khanduri who is like that zesty mountain breeze, cheerful, vibrant, and always full of life. Her roles in movies like The Judgement Day, The Cottage to Sharma Ji ki Lag Gai speak volumes about her versatility.
For her, it is all about believing in oneself and in one’s talent and recognizing one’s true call in order to accomplish their dreams because the sparks of that dream ignite in our hearts for a reason. It is her heart of gold and stardust soul that makes her beautiful. The Voice of Woman recently had the opportunity to have a spirited conversation with this graceful lady who revealed about her journey, her secret to flawless skin, and why it is essential to have perseverance in life.
Interview with Shweta Khanduri
Here are the great answers from Shweta Khanduri on her interview with VOW
Do you remember how you got your first break? What did you learn from the initial days of struggle?
I have an uncle who really used to see me doing a lot of cultural activities such as dance and sports and everything and he used to encourage me a lot.
Then I won the title of Miss Uttarakhand when I was in college. At that point, he gave me a show.
I had no idea that I would be doing anything like that. I had a show at that time which I did for a good four years. This show was known as Uttarakhand Darshan for Doordarshan.
I used to travel every month from Pune to Dehradun to shoot for that. And I think because of that show my fluency in Hindi became so much better and also my ability to memorize any scripts improved in an exceptional manner.
The script of that show used to be very long which required me to memorize it by heart and I used to do that the entire day and then went to shoot at night.
The problem was there used to be no teleprompter during that time so if you make one mistake you have to start shooting a particular episode all over again from the beginning.
This thing used to be very stressful for me but I am thankful for that show, for now, I can learn any script very promptly and it is no longer a big challenge for me.
This is what I learned from my first show that I was a part of which still plays a big role in my career.
Which career path would you have gone with other than acting?
I would have chosen to become an army officer for sure if I was not to be an actor because I come from an army background. I was pursuing my graduation to get into the army.
What is Shweta Khanduri fitness mantra?
My fitness mantra is to listen to your body and give that one hour of workout to your body in whichever form you prefer. You like doing pilates, go for pilates, you prefer cycling or running.
My body always indicates to me when I am done with the weights and it is not suitable to continue with that anymore instead it is time now to do functional training.
I have developed the ability to understand that and cater to the needs of my body accordingly. If you feel like yoga is perfect for you just do yoga. Remember to listen to your heart and body, work accordingly and you will be happy for it.
What is the secret behind your flawless skin?
I would give credit to my mom and dad and yes I come from the mountains so because of the environment we naturally have a fair complexion and good skin.
This is like gifted to us. Also because of harsh weather and sun rays I do follow my skincare routine and ensure that I clean, moisturize, and apply a good sunscreen to my face properly.
This is extremely important. After this process, I apply my makeup. I try not to put a lot of makeup on those days when I am not shooting.
What are the hurdles that you faced as a woman in the entertainment industry?
According to me, hurdles are present in every profession. I think the biggest hurdle in the entertainment industry is to get the right break.
Everybody here aspires to get that right break and works very hard to achieve that. I think we all have faced some kind of hurdles here or there when we enter any kind of industry.
It is not only specific to the entertainment industry but everywhere. This is because when you are new to a particular industry it takes time for you to make an identity and position of your own. So I think this is applicable to every field and not just the entertainment industry.
As a woman how difficult is it to manage your home and career?
I think now I realize that it is very difficult. Now due to the lockdown, I have to do all the household chores as my mom is not here. She is in Dehradun.
I really appreciate all her efforts and the way she used to take care and manage her home and office simultaneously.
As a gorgeous woman and celebrity, you can often be objectified. How do you deal with such attention?
I do not have time to think about all that, to be honest. If someone wants to do it let them do it. At least they are thinking about me and I think that is alright. People do that almost everywhere and objectify women in various ways so it does not bother me at all.
We often hear that celebrities follow a strict diet. Is it true? How do you manage it?
Yes, it is true that we all follow a strict diet for healthy living. It is not because we are actors or actresses.
No, not at all. I think everybody should follow a healthy diet. We who are in this profession follow it extensively as we are aware of the results that it yields
Who is your celebrity crush in Hollywood and Bollywood?
See I am a hardcore Bollywood girl. I have a crush on many Bollywood actors but my favorite childhood crush whose place was never replaced by any other actor is Gerard Butler.
I just love the way he looks, I love his intensity. Like I just admire him a lot. I do not know why I love him so much or have a crush on him to this extent but I just do.
If you were given a chance to be a superhero what type of power would you and what would you have done with it?
I want to have so many superpowers but one specific superpower that I want to have is to know what the other person is thinking as in what he or she has in her mind.
I think it will make my life so easy. I just want to know what they are thinking and then accordingly I can do whatever I want to do. So this is the power that I would want because, with it, I can also change and alter people’s decisions.
How are you taking care of your skin amidst the lockdown?
I am taking good sleep, drinking a lot of water, and doing everything that is healthy. I am also trying to keep myself very positive because that shows on your skin.
What message would you like to share with the youngsters aspiring to be an actor through the VOW?
The first thing that I wish to tell everyone is, do not run away from your home to fulfill your dreams to be an actor. Please don’t do that. I came here with my family with the support of my parents.
I am aware of the fact that a lot of families do not support them but you should at least try to convince them because they are your parents and no one but you alone can convince them if you wish to.
And if you gain your parent’s support while pursuing your dream I am sure that will give you loads of additional confidence.
Also, there are many who leave their studies in order to become an actor. Ideally, I would suggest not doing that as well. I also came here only after finishing my graduation and my specialization.
So please definitely work on your talent. You know when you have it in you so do not be a rebel.
But at the same time, you should have the power to convince your parents and the power to have a lot of patience because you do not become an actor just like that. It is only the lucky ones but patience is the key to success.
Any special message for your fans that you want to share through VOW?
What I want to say right now is to request from the core of my heart that not to take the lockdown lightly and do not go out of your home during this period unnecessarily.
It is not only very unsafe but also an extremely serious situation. Please stay indoors and stay safe and healthy. Just go out only for essentials and please sanitize properly as it is crucial and a need of the hour.
Take care of yourself. Please keep your mental and physical health in a proper state, be happy. See the good things, engage yourself in learning new things because digitally you can learn a lot of things.
I acknowledge that not everyone is in the perfect mental and physical state to learn new things so just sit down, relax, watch movies, binge watch series, be happy, and take good care of yourself. And know that I love you all guys.
Shweta Khanduri, we love you too. We wish you all the success and happiness that you deserve.