Katrina Kaif: “If You Want To Be Successful At Anything, It Has To Be A Passion”

During the covershoot for Cosmo India’s 25th Anniversary issue, one of the first things I noticed about actor, entrepreneur, and covergirl Katrina Kaif was her keen eye for every tiny detail... Katrina wasn’t just there to play muse to the camera—she was actively involved in the lighting, in how the set came together, in how her body looked at every angle, the way a lock of hair framed her face... 

It was later, when we met on a Zoom call for this interview, that I discovered some of the many layers that sit behind Katrina’s immaculate (and somewhat unapproachable) exterior. The fact that even in the face of deep exhaustion, Katrina is an incredibly charming interviewee, with a distinct tinkle in her voice (“It’s probably because of the delirium from being so tired right now,” she laughs). That this is a woman with remarkable drive, an indelible spirit, and a mind that is razor-sharp and astute. Or that, and this comes almost without warning, there is a beautiful, compelling vulnerability to Katrina that makes her so likeable, you want to hug her.

Given below are a few excerpts from the exclusive interview:  

1. Nandini Bhalla: One of the first things I noticed about you, during the Cosmo covershoot, was how present and involved you were. It is almost as if your mind was constantly whirring, always active... And yet, on the surface, you seem so calm and composed...

Katrina Kaif: [Laughs] ‘‘Yeah, I think your description is pretty accurate... My mind operates incredibly fast, at an almost alarming speed. I have to constantly remind myself that other people’s minds do not operate at that speed, and that I must give them time to really understand what I am trying to say.

But thinking so quickly has its pros and cons, and there are many downsides to it because it is important to take your time and to enjoy life... For me, that has been a significant discovery, to learn to stay in touch with my inner self through meditation... To find that place of stillness, that centre of calmness within myself. Because doing everything from the mind is great, but sometimes, you also just need to be in the moment and be able to enjoy it without thinking or planning for the next. What happens with constant mental activity is that you start thinking about the next thing, and are never truly present to enjoy what you have and what you already have achieved.’’

NB: I know you have been incredibly busy, the last couple of weeks...

KK: ‘‘Yes, there is a lot going on. These days, I am shooting a big action sequence for a Yashraj [Productions] film, and it has been extremely hectic but also so amazing... I am enjoying this film so much. And, of course, I am in the middle of promotions for Sooryavanshi, and
I think this is an exciting time for everyone because it is also about getting people back into the cinemas. It is so important to get that going for the entire film industry, you know, now that safety measures are in place, and vaccinations are in great numbers, and COVID-19 cases are under control... Now it is about the industry thriving, and that is what we have been focusing on. I think Rohit Shetty has really held on to put this film in the cinemas and we are all just counting down to the day...’’

Credits:

Photographs: Tarun Vishwa; Styling: Zunaili Malik;

Trench, Aniket Satam; necklace, Misho; Structured top, Amit Aggarwal; pants, Bloni

Artwork Courtesy: Himanshu Agrawal; Hair: Yianni Tsapatori at Faze Managememt; Make-Up: Maniasha at Faze Management; Production: P. Productions; Fashion Assistants: Humaira Lakdawala and Sneham Choudhary; Fashion Intern: Vrushali Sonawane

NB: Let’s talk about the tremendous success of your beauty brand—Kay Beauty. The products are so good... I use them all the time! I’d like to go back to the very beginning...what prompted you to launch your own beauty label? 

KK: ‘‘To be honest, make-up has been one of the greatest passions of my life! And whenever anyone asks me about Kay Beauty and its success,
I always come back to this—if you want to be successful at anything, it has to be a passion...it cannot be just a business. And if you pour passion into any business, I think you will succeed. A lot of people don’t know this, but I have done my own make-up for years—for my movies and songs. And, of course, I have also worked with some great make-up artists and picked up a tonne of tips and tricks from them. So I have gained the experience and knowledge about textures and consistencies; about colours and efficacy. Make-up was and is incredibly special to me. Some girls like bags, some people like cars or coffee, or whatever...for me, it has always been make-up.

And so, when the opportunity came with Falguni [Nayar] and Nykaa to set up my own company, it felt like the biggest gift. Falguni is such a visionary...without her, I could not have done this; without her, it would have been just a dream that would have remained unfulfilled. And then there’s our CEO Reena Chhabra as well...she is just ruthless in her pursuit of excellence when it comes to creating the perfect product. Like,
I would sit with her and say, ‘This is too thick or too thin or too oily or has silicone in it’. And Reena would come back with a whole lot of new products and say, ‘Now try this!’. She would be at it, tirelessly. And now, it brings me so much joy when girls come up to me saying that they love the Kay Beauty Kajal or Kay Beauty Lipstick...it makes me incredibly happy to hear that! 

I get yelled at by my managers because they are like, ‘Katrina, we know this is your passion and we know you love it, but it’s also a business. Can you operate it like a business and work with invitations and budgets, etc?’ But I just don’t see those numbers, you know? I only feel the passion.” 

NB: A lot of people don’t know how involved you are in creating the Kay Beauty collections... 

KK: ‘‘I know exactly what I want, and I am very clear about the kind of formulation I want to put out there. Because I apply make-up on my own face, I know what it means when a product is the right consistency and formula. Of course, Reena is the expert who will go out there and make that happen. Without her, I can’t do it. So it is a team effort.
I remember when I wanted to launch the first Kay Beauty campaign, and it was going to be an expensive campaign... I told Falguni what I wanted to do, and she didn’t even bat an eyelid because she saw that I was coming from a place of passion, and that this was my vision, she just went with it. Both Reena and Falguni are equally enthusiastic about Kay Beauty, and we are here to build a business and a world of make-up that not only performs, but is also inclusive. I want Kay Beauty to be about different women who represent different things, which is why I am so passionate about representation in the brand campaigns. We are always featuring diverse people, and when I look at them, I can see that there’s an aspect to them which I don’t have. I know that I might have something else, but I don’t have what they do, and I love being on Kay Beauty shoots because they are one of the most wholesome experiences that I have had in my life. Because I am surrounded by all these incredible girls and boys, with such great energy, and I see them for who they are. And in that moment, we are all a team—we are like a voice that’s coming together to say something. It is just us expressing ourselves and not being restricted by how we are supposed to look or be. We have just come together to create something fun and that is such an incredible experience.‘‘

Credits:

Photographs: Tarun Vishwa; Styling: Zunaili Malik;

Trench, Aniket Satam; necklace, Misho; Structured top, Amit Aggarwal; pants, Bloni

Artwork Courtesy: Himanshu Agrawal; Hair: Yianni Tsapatori at Faze Managememt; Make-Up: Maniasha at Faze Management; Production: P. Productions; Fashion Assistants: Humaira Lakdawala and Sneham Choudhary; Fashion Intern: Vrushali Sonawane

NB: The movies, the company, the community...how do you manage to do it all?

KK: ‘‘Honestly, it has been tricky. When the Kay Beauty train took off, it added a lot of work to my day and how I spent my hours. I was not prepared for that, to be honest. And even today, finding balance is a major priority. It was and is a major shift in my life. I am lucky because my partners Falguni and Reena are equally passionate about the business, and they really know their game and their job. And that brings me satisfaction and relief because there is so much work and passion behind it. 

But I won’t mince my words—there’s a tonne of hard work that has gone into building this beauty brand. A tonne of hard work! That’s why I will say it again—if it is not a burning passion, don’t do it. Because it requires that much of you to be in it.’’

NB: What is the greatest life lesson you have learned?

KK: ‘‘In life, I have learned never to depend on others for your happiness because they may or may not deliver. I don’t believe another person is responsible for your joys. That sense of happiness has to come from within, it has to be held in your own hand. Life is going to throw all sorts of things at us. We are going to have ups and downs; good days and bad days. And while we can’t always choose our experiences, we can choose our responses. And that is my endeavour, to hold that claim of happiness and contentment within me that is not based on the actions and responses of people around me. 

In life, sometimes you will succeed and sometimes, you will fail. But the goal should always be to get back up on your feet and try again. There are days when I am incredibly stressed and will fail miserably at holding my centre and calm. And then I will say to myself at the end of the day, ‘It’s all right. We are only human’. But I will try and get back on that horse to remind myself that the intention is to always find that calm and peace, even in hectic moments. That’s all we can do, right? Be clear with our intentions...’’