Elli Avram: A Closet Drama Queen

The elegant and demure Greek-Swede import is actually a closet drama queen and is ready to take on everything Bollywood has to offer, but on her own terms. Heres her Maxim debut.

- Meher Bajwa

Who is Elli Avram?

Mysterious. Everyone I’ve ever met tells me they can’t read me. And I’m a girl who can surprise you, a lot.

You actually have quite a long name...

Well, my full name is Elisabet Emily Granlund Avramidou. My father’s Greek and in Greek culture, children get their names from the father’s parents. So my name—Elisabet—is from my paternal grandmother. That’s the tradition. Grandlund is my mom’s surname and I use it as my middle name. Avramidou is my father’s surname. I have Emily as part of my name too—that’s my mother’s godmother. But then you tend to get a nickname and mine has always been Elli. If someone calls me Elisabet I feel awkward—I’m not used to people calling me that.

You’re half-Swedish and half-Greek. How has that shaped your personality?

I’ve grown up in two completely different cultures. Greeks are super strong and family oriented. It’s a lot like Indian culture, to be honest. We’re very much into each other’s lives and we all live close to each other. The Greeks are more orthodox, I guess. Today, Swedish people are very chilled out and openminded. I have learned to see the world in two ways and I think it has given me a broader understanding of other cultures. I think it has also made me wiser. That’s also the reason why I have been able to adapt to India so quickly.

What was growing up in Sweden like?