"I always knew I didn't want to do just one thing in my life," says Vasuki Punj, asserting her mantra for living, seated in the artfully decorated living room of the plush central Delhi home she shares with her husband, businessman Mickey Punj.
It's been a long day of shooting, yet Vasuki, with her long and lean frame, effortless beauty, bouncy curls and charming manner, is the very picture of poise. Over the next hour, she lays bare the nitty-gritty's of her interesting life and the many roles she's played thus far as a model, former Miss India, lawyer and co-founder of legal tech firm Rainmaker, actor in movies and web series, as well as entrepreneur and co-founder of popular gelato brand Frozen Fun.
"I started modelling when I was in college. I thought it was fun for a while, but I got over it quickly, so I went on to pursue my master's," she says, beginning to explain her opening statement. "When I participated in the Miss India pageant, I was in between jobs for about six months, and it seemed like a great opportunity. I won the title and went to Brazil to represent India, but after that, I returned to New York to practise law. This went on for over a decade, and after a while, it became more of the same thing."
"In 2017, an opportunity came my way, which made me branch out into acting. A friend was making his directorial debut and asked me to act in it. I had no acting experience but ended up having a blast and got bit by the acting bug. So I went to the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York to study acting," she shares with candour.
After returning to India, Vasuki indulged her newfound passion by acting in films like Dhokha and Runway 34 and web series like Crash Course and Thinkistan. Even while establishing her acting career, she simultaneously embarked on a passion project by launching Goa's famous gelateria, Cream Choc, around the country in the new avatar of Frozen Fun.
This story is from the January 2023 edition of Hello! India.
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This story is from the January 2023 edition of Hello! India.
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