Exclusive: Shilpa Shetty talks about being a 24*7 mom and a business woman

She looks like a movie star with an eye popping curvaceous body, glowing skin and contented, bright smile. Shilpa Shetty seems to have achieved the balance of success and satisfaction through her multiple business ventures (jewellery designing and saree designing being the latest, to add to her line of spas), that acting at times, eluded her. A full time mother and businesswoman, she candidly says, ‘I feel like crying, you don’t know how much that means to me’ when you compliment her yoga DVD. Here’s the yummy mommy’s festive chat with Pinkvilla at her palatial Juhu residence.

I have been trying to catch up with you for some time, as you have launched a few business ventures. You have also stretched the concept of glowing during a pregnancy, to this perennial gorgeousness that you seem to retain. I find it difficult to believe that you juggle business and motherhood and still look this good! So what’s the secret?

Thank you! So very much! I think what you feel and are within reflects externally. I really feel very blessed that God has invested me with so many opportunities; I feel I am very fortunate. And also, the other reason for my happiness is my son (smiles).

We have seen your son and you together quite a few times, also on pictures posted on twitter. Being a 24/7 mom with businesses to handle, or being a movie star, what would you pick today?

I have picked it, made my choice (laughs). I love doing that; I am who I am because of that. I still continue to go on sets, wear make up for my ads, I endorse quite a few brands. But as soon as I reach home, I am as normal as every other mother. I am a working mom, but a full time mother and a part time professional. I feel I am fortunate that I have the luxury of choosing how much time I give to everything- be it my businesses, or a board meeting, I give time to whatever needs to be done, and try to do it well.

But to me, if I am in town, I pick up and drop my son to school always, there’s no question of choosing one of these. If there is say, a shoot close to his school, I leave the shoot quickly to pick him up. So I am dead tired at night most days, but I completely enjoy juggling these tasks. Raj and I both work so hard so that nothing comes in the ways of our Sundays. So we work like dogs during the week, and we really enjoy ourselves on our Sundays, and our holidays as that’s family time.

Shilpa, you have focused on jewellery design recently. How many ventures do you dabble currently?

I’ve lost track (laughs). This year, I have had two major ventures, Satyug gold where I have designed jewellery and my saree designing venture, SSK Sarees.
Satyug Gold is based more on Raj’s expertise than mine. I am just the creative person behind the jewellery designs; we didn’t focus on that aspect. Raj is into bullion trading, so pre Diwali that was our focus. Now, people have been asking for jewellery in the stores, so I am going to load up the stores with more designs. So far I created the evil eye line, of small neckpieces and earrings. But since there is demand for bigger designs, I will be concentrating on that post Diwali.

As for my saree line, they flew off the shelves in 20 minutes flat on a home shopping TV network! Now they have a whole new line ordered, as they had to take pre orders.

What really excites me, honestly, that whatever I am involved in, caters to the common man. Like the ‘Satyug mera gold plan’, a common man can buy gold for 50 INR a day, or pay for it in 1000 INR a month sized installments. That’s a very small amount today. Even my sarees, I priced them at 3000 INR and 2000 INR. Perhaps that’s why they sold out so quickly!

People find it hard to believe, that beyond my flamboyant and glamorous image, I can cater to the common man. My answer is, the masses made me. I have always catered to the masses, even while I was acting. While doing business too, I wanted to cater to the masses; I wanted to make gold and apparel accessible to them.

For some Bollywood personalities, dabbling into business means niche products or an occasional indulgence. But for you, right from your Yoga DVD to SSK Sarees venture, business seems to come naturally. Were you always interested in it?

No, it wasn’t planned or programmed on my part. I’ve always done things that I feel a passion for; I have not jumped into business ventures either just to make money, really. I am able to make money by cutting ribbons and making appearances, so I don’t need to take these risks. Business is a huge risk. Even my spas, I have 12 currently, and we will be expanding to 18 by the end of this year, so we are franchising. That too is a big onus. The money you make for all the hard work, really, is a pittance. But the joy you get is something else.

Each time you hear someone come out of Iosis, and say, thanks for the pampering, it’s sheer joy! We have spas in Lucknow, in Ghaziabad, in Raipur, and in these smaller cities and townships, people want to know how to be well turned out and to get pampered. I feel so happy my spa gives that chance.

So with my businesses, my deep down thought is, that people can buy a product or service from me, with trust. It’s not easy, maintaining quality. I have a great team doing the back end, which is a lot of work going on behind the scenes. I set a vision and they work towards it. It’s a lot of coordination but it’s very rewarding.

Conclusively, what does a day in Shilpa Shetty’s life look like?

It’s manic. I wake up sharp at 7:30 a.m. because I go and sleep next to my son. Then he wakes up, and the day begins till he goes to school. So now I have 5 hours in the morning to myself when he attends school, and I don’t know what to do with all the time (laughs). I have restarted working out regularly, as for the past 4 months, I haven’t been able to work out with all my business ventures.

I am also dedicating a bit of time to my writing in the morning; I am currently working on a book on nutrition and health. This is again something I am extremely passionate about. I really hope that someday, this could change some thinking about how we eat. I want to change people’s mind-sets about health- we go some wrong with some practices. There is too much knowledge and people go wrong in mixing up practices, like, something as new as 75 years ago, trends that replaced inherent goodness of Indian food and Indian lifestyle practices. For instance, why are so many people running after quinoa when we have brown rice right here? I believe in home grown food. People in the West are importing Indian food practices, yoga, Ayurveda and our lifestyle practices.

I have a son, and I would like to communicate the right eating and lifestyle habits for children too. I want to share my choices. I have a nutritionist on board to get all information right. What you eat reflects in your state of mind and your attitude.

I want to put these thoughts together in this book, and it reads like a self-help book. I don’t want to come across as preachy.

Watch Shilpa talk about her son and her business ventures here.

Meet Shilpa Shetty, Super Sexy Working Mom from PINKVILLA on Vimeo.