She faces each day with her trademark wide smile, despite having ridden the rollercoaster that being diagnosed with ovarian cancer brought in its wake. Seen earlier this year in Sanju and Lust Stories, Manisha Koirala has come to terms with the changes that have occurred in her mind, body, lifestyle and social circle. Shraddha Jahagirdar-Saxena pens her story — in the actor’s own words.
The worst things — health and relationship breakdowns — have peppered my life. What I have learnt, especially after this illness hit me in 2012, is that I have the choice to decide how to take things that happen to me. To give you one example, I have a beautiful terrace upstairs. I returned to my home in Mumbai from Nepal (where I am from) to find it ruined and all my plants destroyed. I broke down. But after a couple of days, I realised that perhaps something good could come out of it. And now I have decided to build a yoga room there.
Prior to being afflicted with cancer, I did not care about my health. I led an unhealthy life and was a workaholic. If I focused on something, I needed to do it to the last detail. But that attitude can sometimes backfire; for we need to have a sense of balance. We women are not trained to look after ourselves — either we are always looking after our families or concentrating on our work. Now, I request every woman, including my mother, to focus on herself first. Stop doing stuff for your kids, husbands and everyone else. Only if you are okay can you do things for others.
I have redefined the term ‘selfish’. Looking after oneself is important and this includes both the physical and emotional aspects. It is okay to be sad. We are multidimensional beings. The emotional aspect matters a great deal to me. It pulls me down and manifests itself in my body. So, I now emphasise that it is perfectly fine to prioritise yourself. I also believe that one size does not fit all. You have to discover — and walk on — your own journey and take control yourself.
Denne historien er fra September 2018-utgaven av Verve.
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Denne historien er fra September 2018-utgaven av Verve.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Making Amends
This generation’s penchant for thoughtless consumption gets Madhu Jain roiled up, and she wonders if nature is getting its own back for our missteps…
Diamonds With Provenance
In keeping with the company’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility, Anisa Kamadoli Costa, chief sustainability officer at Tiffany & Co. and chairman and president at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, enlightens Shirin Mehta on the efforts that make the jewellery giant an industry leader in transparency
SARTORIAL ECONOMICS
Sisters Tashi and Tara Mitra demonstrate to Akanksha Pandey how deviating from the mainstream can bend the way we think, live and dress
NOTES TO SELF
An anthropomorphized tiger’s perspective, a viscerally worded futuristic interpretation of loss, a critique of performative activism, a meta reflection on the earth’s crises. Told through different lenses, Janaki Lenin, Indrapramit Das, Keshava Guha and Roshan Ali’s stories — written exclusively for Verve — attempt to make sense of the fraught reality that we exist in today
The Eternal Optimist
As Generation X and xennials grapple with fully transitioning to conscious living, young millennials and Generation Z are leading the charge to reverse human-caused environmental damage. Sahar Mansoor, founder and CEO of the Bengaluru-based zero-waste social enterprise Bare Necessities, has a simple overarching philosophy: consume less and stay positive. Verve gets deeper into the mindset of the action-oriented earth advocate
Redemption SONGS
Indian music festivals have been demonstrating a refreshing sense of responsibility in terms of their ecological impact. Interacting with stakeholders who strive to make these large-scale events greener, Akhil Sood investigates the reasons behind the improved attitudes of audiences and the increase in corporate support.
earth hour
Crafted using nature’s elements, these dials draw inspiration from the many heterogeneous materials and hues around us.Verve turns its lens onto a mesmerising few
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Children are holding adults accountable for both the grim future they are facing and the toll this is taking on their mental health. Madhumita Bhattacharyya initiates conversations with families of young climate activists and observes the extent to which parenting has changed in the face of catastrophe
NATURAL JUSTICE
Most of us are only just waking up to the urgency of climatic action. When the stakes are so high, what can individual action solve? Mridula Mary Paul, an environmental policy expert, is proof of the tenacity needed to effect systemic change. It’s not glamorous, and the rewards are few and far between, but that doesn’t stop her from aiming big, finds Anandita Bhalerao
Along For The Ride
Navigating Indian streets as a woman is hard enough. But what is it like while riding a bicycle? Bengaluru-based Shreya Dasgupta, a regular cyclist, speaks to five urban women about the pros and cons of this increasingly popular means of transport.
