Bollywood actor Neha Dhupia strives for excellence and passion in all her endeavours. Her journey from aspiring to join the Indian Foreign Services to becoming a popular actress has significantly contributed to her persona. She has transformed challenges into opportunities, emerging as a source of inspiration for hundreds of women. As an actress, model, and beauty pageant winner, Neha Dhupia stands out as an extraordinary woman who effortlessly brings simplicity and beauty to everything she touches.
She was currently invited to a private event organised by YFLO FICCI for a conversation with their members. Looking forward to speaking with young women entrepreneurs, Neha Dhupia told CE, “It is about having a conversation about everything important. When you come to a room filled with people of similar outlooks in life and those are the same people who look up to the things you have to say or share your journey with, it is very flattering. What inspires anybody on stage is the people they are talking to. I always think that the combination of being a woman and being a young entrepreneur is one that you don’t want to mess with.”
In an exclusive interaction with CE, Neha Dhupia explained her views on being ‘bold and beautiful’: “I don’t know if there is a definition because it is ever so changing. It is a mindset. For me, bold means being confident and uninhibited, embracing everything you stand for. The beautiful part is relative, things of beauty to me, may not be the things of beauty to you whereas there is beauty in everything; it is how you look at it. For me, the definition of bold and beautiful when I was much younger would have been completely different. It revolved around: hey, you have got a fit body and you’re out in a bikini. But now, I am getting older (I just stepped into my 40’s), and I look at life differently.”
Offering words of inspiration for women who see her as a role model, she shared, “Firstly, I feel honoured that something like this is happening, and various women look up to different role models. I’m pleased to be someone many women admire. My earnest request to everyone is to prioritise self-love and pursue personal goals. Life is fleeting, especially your prime years. Therefore, believe in yourself, chase your dreams, and live authentically. It may sound basic, but it stems from personal experience. Looking back, I wouldn’t change anything. Perhaps, I’d learn a bit more about technology because, during my school days, I underestimated its importance. Despite minor changes, I am still myself. Altering even a fraction of my past would have led me down a different path. I am content and happy with where I am today, which is a culmination of many years and experiences.”
Responding to her source of motivation to just keep going, Dhupia said that nothing holds her back, everything keeps her motivated. She emphasised that she does not get affected by success or failure and only strives to give her 100 per cent professionally. “I don’t think the balance comes when you ask the question about how you find the balance. Balance is not within 24 hours, the balance could be found within two months or three weeks. It is ever so changing in your life. For me, striking a balance when I wasn’t married or when I did not have kids, was all about making sure that I spent time with my friends, I went to the gym and dedicated time to reading and stuff, then went back to work. I have always been very family-oriented; I have always made time for my family and always understood their importance. Not only are they a bouncing board but they are also like your voice or reason, they are your place of betterment and your happy place. You need to go back and visit your happy place to go back into the jungle every time,” she said.
A proud mother of two, Dhupia said she has embraced motherhood with open arms. “I have had two kids under three years of age and I wouldn’t do anything any other way. I wouldn’t change anything about my life because today I have both of them. I have reached a point in the series of things that I do. To have these two beautiful children (knock on wood) and of course, my husband,” she said.
In conclusion, Neha Dhupia told us her definition of success: “I think to be able to go to be happy and worry-free and have gratitude for the things you have achieved in life. Success for me doesn’t come from one place. Even if I met somebody at the airport and they said: hey you said this on a television show and it changed my life forever. For me, that is success, one person at a time, one thing at a time, one project at a time and also taking time off and realising that all of this including loving your family and self-love is important.”