Family portrait with shona @sayanigupta between shots on the set of #4MoreShotsPlease (trying to find non-spoiler photos with @banij but I can’t!) This was ‘bring your Soufflé to work day’, because, you know, working moms 😂✌🏼❤️ We didn’t have a cast and crew screening for @4moreshotspls S2 (because, you know, pandemic) so I’m sending out massive love and cheers to the fabulous, generous, Uber talented girl gang.
Man, this season is...something. L.I.T. The antidote to all the dire news, but still complex and entertaining and all heart.
Love y’all and raising my glass to all of you @rangitapritishnandy @nupurasthana @nehapartimatiyani @devikabhagat7 @misschamko @sayanigupta @shibanidandekar @iamkirtikulhari @maanvigagroo @banij @aasthasharma @reannmoradian
Humbled to have been part of this ride.
#futureiafemale #4moreshotspleaseS2 @primevideoin
Family portrait with shona @sayanigupta between shots on the set of #4MoreShotsPlease (trying to find non-spoiler photos with @banij but I can’t!) This was ‘bring your Soufflé to work day’, because, you know, working moms 😂✌🏼❤️ We didn’t have a cast and crew screening for @4moreshotspls S2 (because, you know, pandemic) so I’m sending out massive love and cheers to the fabulous, generous, Uber talented girl gang.
Man, this season is…something. L.I.T. The antidote to all the dire news, but still complex and entertaining and all heart.
Love y’all and raising my glass to all of you @rangitapritishnandy @nupurasthana @nehapartimatiyani @devikabhagat7 @misschamko @sayanigupta @shibanidandekar @iamkirtikulhari @maanvigagroo @banij @aasthasharma @reannmoradian
Humbled to have been part of this ride.
#futureiafemale #4moreshotspleaseS2 @primevideoin
Inter-species junction. Jackfruits make awesome baby-sitters 😅
🙏🏼 deep bows to our frontline workers. In India and everywhere.
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UPDATE: I’m very political but choose not to indulge my politics during a humanitarian crisis. This is a repost of a tweet by a DOCTOR in India. Please don’t post political views- even ones I am aligned with- here. The polarising discourse emerging from India is toxic and draining from both sides. Use your own platform to vent your anger and anguish. Let’s be clear, the current government has a frightening amount of failings. But this is not about that. This is solely dedicated to celebrating frontline workers in India. Yes, the administration has failed India, the negligence and lack of support for citizens is monstrous. There is a an indictment of the governance that led to this situation embedded in the words. If you can’t see it, we don’t see language as a subversive weapon in the same way 🙏🏼 my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost someone they love during these devastating times.
.
Via @shunalikhullarshroff1
Here’s the other thing that happens when one is quarantined at home with the (gulp) mumps and the babies are with @dipikablacklist and I am forbidden to get close to them but privy to a private trial of the sweetest saris sent all the way from Kolkata by my khub mishti little sister @aakanksha.a
You both have turned my mamoni into a teensy-weensy mashima ❤️
#thoothoo #mamoni #mishti #SouffleSwag
Thank you @b.u.n.n.y.p.u.p my little boddhisattvas love all their gifts, though this is their favourite. They’ve seen mama floating around on set and at home in robes, now they have their own lockdown swag.
That’s me at 47, free and unfiltered. Do we have the courage to be seen as we are? I did not when I was younger. Not everyone will recognize your worth, but love your skin and the stories it tells, your experiences, your essence- know your worth woman!- and the world will reflect back your radiance. (And if it doesn’t, fuck it. You’re lovable and perfect regardless)
Thanks @binapunjani for clearing the way for more of me and less hair to hide behind 🙏🏼
#unfilterme #ClosetotheBone
Via @bombaytimes:
‘The actress says she wanted to share her story to clear the myths around surrogacy. “I wanted to share our struggles and triumph. Having been open about my cancer journey and receiving so much unconditional support, sharing this moment of happiness feels right. Hopefully, our story can give hope to others who are struggling to have kids. Life throws you both challenges and miracles, and I’m unspeakably grateful for my miracle daughters,” she said. So, what plans does she have for her girls in future? “I will teach my girls to be resilient, strong, open, and that they can achieve anything they set their hearts on. There are no boundaries, except the ones in our minds and children have no idea of what they can and cannot achieve. Bringing up the next generation to be kind is the greatest chance we have for a better future. I can’t resist whispering in their tiny ears — ‘The Future is Female’,” she asserted.’
Images @aligphoto
MUH @jomakeupartist
PR manager @bazinga_ent
Those va-va-voom days. Pre-kids. Truthfully- enjoying this current phase as much if not more than the one that came before.
@natashamoor
Image @ines.laimins
Mango-licking good. My Soleil Rani’s tutorial on the correct Alphonso appreciation etiquette aka dive in.
State of mind.
Posted @withregram • @thecoolhunter_ Sliding Zeus @wannerstedt
What will my Souffle make of this time? I try to make it clear, mama has internalised the source of her joy : the process of thinking and reflecting on life. How do I ensure they see the human family’s connection to nature and each other is sacred and immutable behind the masks?
. .
Two different realities coexist during this pandemic. One is physically, politically & economically devastating; while the other is a forced period of reflection which has already born fruit in the form of reminding us we’re one human family, connected with nature and each other
– Marianne Williamson
@melissashoesindia #littlefeet #stronghearts
Its our first birthday 🎉 and we had the best morning with mausi @preetasukhtankar and mausa #SK who dressed us like maharastrian mulgis. We love all our presents from all our friends. By the way, what does sharing is caring mean? Because mom keeps repeating this annoying phrase every time I take my presents back from sissy?!
#SouffleisONE #HappyBirthday #livewellandprosper
#Souffle (my twin daughters) will be three soon. Chances are the Eastern European chocolate coated biscuit cake my mother served for my third birthday will not be part of the celebration. But there will be candles. No puffy sleeved frocks but a strong possibility of uneven bangs as well.
My daughters’ 2nd birthday is coming up. The ability to rejoice during difficult times is the hallmark of the human spirit. My husband has told me childhood stories of bombs falling during dinner parties in Beirut, where the guests would dive under the table and toast each other once they emerged and the danger had passed. We all have it in us to celebrate life’s contradictions. And here’s me at three ✌️ I can still taste the crunch of the first bite of that layered Polish biscuit cake. Lao Tzu once said: what is childhood but the memory of particular tastes?
Just wanna say: thank you for all the love and appreciation, bro!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 we’re nothing without an audience that ‘gets it’
Repost from @4moreshotspls using @RepostRegramApp – bro :’)
#FourMoreShotsPlease
Repost from @bongeats using @RepostRegramApp – 💔
For Saraswati Pooja today, given a choice amongst money, pen and book, Sufi grabbed a pen with alacrity and Soleil surprised us by reaching for a book on Rumi. No matter what path they choose, I pray my girls are blessed with the gift of love, moonlight, possibility divine communication and the light of knowing.
Outfit @goodearthindia #hatekhari
Samara Kapoor wants to thank everyone for your touching and vociferous support of @4moreshotspls S2. Truly. Here she is on the set, baring her diva-ness and letting her jewellery down between takes. And another pose, all melodramatic and veiled up. Seriously though- thank you for appreciating all our efforts, and supporting stories by women and content with a female gaze 🙏🏼 (been waiting a looooong f*cking time for this to happen 🤟🏼)
@pritishnandycommunications @primevideoin
Kids are hazardous to your health.
And that’s all I’m going to say.
Look at me
says the world with a harlequin grin.
A man is carrying his shards on tv
for dumbstruck viewers
who forgot to change the batteries
of the remote.
On another screen
Mara resurrects in calligraphic roars
a cauldron of violence and pelting chants,
as a river of tongues-
all pink, unfurled and un-iridescent hued-
bay for the Dream House.
We watch a covenant collapsing under its awnings
like cardboard dreams
in the thousands.
And here,
in another mandala of grief,
we are synthesizing green
as we lay the keywords on a quiet side street
like elephant bones.
Ducking, dodging, adapting
whatever comes next-
What’s after ‘safe distancing’? And how’s a ‘brave new world’ to march
when there’s not enough oars
enough tablecloth to hide your children,
enough gold and grain
for every hand to sow.
On this carnal expedition
there’s not enough.
Not enough for every body, it seems.
Look at us, look at us
as we make flags of the weak
bind our knuckles with washclothes
our knees with toilet paper.
Illicit citizens are chewing up our bricks
they call from under buckets and masks
and your children’s cookies too.
Meanwhile a satellite confirms
the fire is coming
Kalki is coming.
Even a single cell can smell it.
Come, they call-
Take this pebble
throw it into the eyes of the Goddess.
See we are wrapping her in carnival clothes
making offerings of candyfloss and peanuts.
It’s the only way to pray.
It’s the hovercraft that will save us.
See us, see us
They call with holographic grins. -Lisaraniray @protestpoet
Image: @studio_medium
Who’s cuter? It’s a toss up. Remember this @maanvigagroo aka Siddhi-Piddhi ?
This was ‘bring your Soufflé to work day’, because, you know, working moms 😂✌🏼❤️ We didn’t have a cast and crew screening for @4moreshotspls S2 (because, you know, pandemic) so I’m sending out massive love and cheers to the fabulous, generous, Uber talented girl gang.
Man, this season is…something. L.I.T. The antidote to all the dire news, but still complex and entertaining and all heart.
Love y’all and raising my glass to all of you @rangitapritishnandy @nupurasthana @nehapartimatiyani @devikabhagat7 @misschamko @sayanigupta @shibanidandekar @iamkirtikulhari @maanvigagroo @banij @aasthasharma @reannmoradian
Humbled to have been part of this ride.
#futureiafemale #4moreshotspleaseS2 @primevideoin
Here’s a little weekend pick me up. Babies and puppies is a people pleasing combination – and why not? Does make you think : are inter – species friendships easier these days?
How sweet is this. 🙏🏼 #loveislove
Repost from @nino_spreads_paint using @RepostRegramApp – That Wedding Though.. Here’s some #umara art! ❤️I wanna see more @lisaraniray & @banij on my screen plz! @4moreshotspls #fourmoreshotsplease #4moreshotsplease #lisaray #banij #indianwedding #illustration #nino_spreads_paint #art #samarakapoor #umang #lgbtq #lovewins
@4moreshotsplease @pritishnandycommunications
Ever worn something you wish were grafted to your skin?
Well, that’s what I feel about Samara’s wardrobe in @4moreshotspls perfectly styled by @aasthasharma
MUH @bhavyaarora
#flamingoing
Dear @goodearthindia every time I wear one of your lehngas, the big people shower me with toys and sweets, so…thanks!
Let’s change up the track. Feeling in my power. Sexy and motherhood co-exist just fine, thank you.
Image @nic.gaunt MUH @natasha.moor @maximindia @manekaharisinghani
His quiet, electrifying performance in @asifkapadia1 The Warrior rendered me speechless. There was no role he could not make his own. But a little known fact, is I met Irrfan on the set of my first Hindi film #Kasoor. He played the opposing lawyer in a courtroom scene, and even in this small role he was impossible to ignore. ‘Well done’ he told me afterwards. He had removed his lawyer’s robe and walked with an even more dignified authority, though he was a struggling actor in those days.
He’s a once in a generation artist who set new standards in cinema in India and aboard. I feel irredeemably grief stricken, but in the end we need to celebrate what he illuminated for us on screen through his humane performances. I read that when he embarked on treatment for cancer he asked life to embrace him with the fervour of the lyrics of one of his favourite songs: ‘Lag jaa gale ki phir yeh haseen raat ho na ho, shayad phir is janam mein, mulakat ho na ho’
#IrrfanKhan #devastated #legend
Yesterday on the first day of Navratri we dressed up in our finery and invoked Durga’s blessings by learning a powerful mantra: Mahishasura Mardini Stotam. My girls are my solace, and the root and ground of my universe. Tat tvam asi: I see the other in myself and myself in others. We make up our own rituals and secret language. They widen my compassion and my senses during this turbulent time.
Thank you @deepikamehtayoga for sharing this powerful Goddess mantra that resonates in the deepest chambers of my heart, giving birth to NavDurga and all the divine beings inside of us all 🙏🏼
And….I mean how fun is it to just play dress up ❤️
Another awesome thing about female dominated sets like @4moreshotspls is how supportive everyone was when my babies came to visit. I could write a book on the challenges of being a working mom of twins and how badly we need a cultural shift in parenting and how we view mamahood…wait, maybe I will!
Thanks to all the fearless, fierce and beautifully flawed women on the set and off, who are just putting one foot in front of the other everyday, being unapologetically themselves. We can figure it out if we support each other…just like Dee, Siddhi, Maangs and Anjana.
Special shoutout to #mirakamummy our amazing DOP @nehapartimatiyani who awes me with how she balances motherhood while repping in the demanding, male dominated field of cinematography. Love you!
@4moreshotspls @primevideoin @pritishnandycommunications @devikabhagat7 @misschamko @rangitapritishnandy
Repost from @pritishnandycommunications using @RepostRegramApp – Easily the most wanted bartenders in town. @banij @lisaraniray
#fourmoreshotsplease #season2 #nowstreaming on @primevideoin
#bts @sayanigupta @iamkirtikulhari @maanvigagroo @nupurasthana @pritishnandy2018 @rangitapritishnandy @4moreshotspls
My everything.
#HappyAnniversary
Our in-house poser is just getting warmed up in sustainable kids brand @nimbukids
We love local, female founder led brands that promote sustainable, heart strong designs. This Rakhi outfit grows with #Soleil. I hear one day my girls will not consent to be dressed up by mama. Quelle horreur. That’s why it’s an all out campaign to inculcate them with an appreciation of pre-loved, ethical and collaborative consumption.
#slowfashion #collaborativeconsumption
And I’m awash with appreciation of my tribe of dynamic, inspiring women.
Challenge accepted from my shona @sripeepul
Delhi.
As an individual with compromised immunity due to the maintenance therapy I’m on for my condition, just can’t take a chance with the appalling conditions in Delhi.
If Beijing could clean up its act, what it’s gonna take to clean up our nation’s capital?
MUH @kiran_chhetri92 New Delhi
But your solitude will be your home and haven even in the midst of very strange conditions and from there you will discover all your paths
.
Rainer Maria Rilke
This Mother’s Day, I want to share a message with all the ‘children’ in the world. Mothers are the frontline workers of our hearts and homes. They often do so much for their kids silently that it goes unrecognised. So let’s celebrate those uncelebrated hours and express love to them by sharing one of our treasured memories with them under the #RadoTimelessMoments and Rado will surprise a few moms with a small token of love in the month of May. Remember to tag your precious memory with #Radotimelessmoments and I can’t wait to see them! Happy Mother’s Day. Stay safe, stay healthy! @rado #rado
Shubho Mahalaya 🙏🏼
Now we understand celebrating together is a privilege, we savour every moment; in particular the snacks and adda with friends like @aninditaghose and the walk to the park after, to watch butterflies in the sun.
Sufi and Soleil wearing @fabindiaofficial
Me: @nicojournal
Happy #RakshaBandan from Sufi
Outfit @fabindianews
This photo from a year ago popped up to remind me of the day #Souffle got their OCI cards. They charmed the entire Indian consulate in Hong Kong and I believe a small dance party broke out. Grateful to be Canadian-Indian-Singapore based 🙏🏼
Morning shenanigans in Mumbai 💥✌🏼
Sufi wearing @elfinhouse.in 100 % organic crepe cotton
Soleil wearing @lovetheworldtoday.in mindful, festive bandhini
Mama in @ritukumarhq
In the middle of a pandemic we have found each other. Love laces us together while faith mobilises our hearts. Next time, I hope we learn the lessons and avoid the crisis.
These were taken by @ankitchawlaphotography in our Mumbai home. I miss my home. I miss India.
Very proud moment for the Ray-Dehni clan as #Soufflé gets their OCI cards to become official citizens of India. We are not a jingoistic family but India is the land that has nurtured me, watered me, and where we as a family, have deep roots and strong emotional connections. We identify as earth citizens, who have lived and worked all over this beautiful blue marble, but belonging to India – Ma Bharat, whatever you want to call it- is fundamental to our sense of home and identity.
#thankyouIndia #JaiHind
‘Life is a good teacher and a good friend. Things are always in transition, if we could only realise it. Nothing ever sums itself up in the way that we like to dream about. The off-center, in between state is an ideal situation, a situation in which we don’t get caught and we can open our hearts and minds beyond limit’ – Pema Chodron .
Learn to stay still. That is what will save you – from Fall Baby by #LaksmiPamuntjak
.
Yes. Yes. YES – Samara Kapoor 🤣✌🏼
Image by @shraddhabachani MUH @shraddhabachani
Piglet: How do you spell love?
Pooh: you don’t spell it. You feel it. -AA Milne
To this, most beloved quote I would add: ‘You feel it. You write about it.’ Meet my daughters Sufi and Soleil born June 22nd. It’s been a long and interesting journey leading up to their entrance into the world.
So much gratitude to the team @bazaarindia (Komal Sharma and Sitara) and in particular @nonitakalra for providing a sensitive platform for my writing. The September issue is on stands now. Hope you get a chance to read it. ‘I’m no longer ending at the limits of my skin. Where do I end and where do I begin?’ More to come with @bazaarindia down the line. Right now I’m in the middle of a feed and perfecting my one handed typing.
Image of Sufi and Soleil @dinophotography_georgia via @bazaarindia
Find someone who appreciates your crazy and your cracks, hypnotize them (look into my eyes…) and don’t let them go 😝😂💕
The best vaccine is the one in your arm.
I’m a cancer graduate, so my immunity isn’t as strong as most. But I refuse to stop living my life to the fullest, which includes running after my twin toddlers, taking walks with my 88 year old daddy, dreaming without limit and making big plans for the future with my hubs. (Also relish long road trips singing Yun hi Chala Chal and whipping my hair in the breeze 😂)
Science (and faith) saved my life a few times already. As a Multiple Myeloma patient I’m grateful for my second (and third) shot at living a vibrant life. I don’t intend to waste it.
That’s why I got my shot. Did you get yours?
@thisisourshotca #zerohesitancyzone
Here’s the thing I’m discovering about motherhood: there’s an undercurrent alternating between a primal protection impulse that bypasses all civilised conditioning and a drift towards engaged detachment that is spun from my mediation practise and experiments with expanding consciousness.
There’s no need to resolve these two forces. They are not in opposition. Choosing the life of a householder (or rather life nudging me in that direction) has brought me more directly in the firing line of spiritual growth than I ever imagined.
I’m still an old romantic, not very sensible and prone to conceiving wild plans. So riding on the back of owning my eccentricities and freedoms is the practise of letting my kids just be. If I don’t want to be tamed, why would I do the same to these two? I have to keep them safe, fed, clean and alive and let them do their thing ✌🏼Love, as any mama knows, is the non- negotiable. We don’t need to mention it, because it just flows.
Life is messy. Toddlers make messes in ways we’ve forgotten is possible (think mud, puddles, poop, yup all the organic elements) It’s all okay.
I wanted to share my attempt to pose with my girls this morning. As you can see they led me away from artifice and that’s just as well.
It’s the moments between posing that matter.
Thank you @maishaconcept for my blooming, block printed marvel of a dress.
This #RadoTimelessMoments exercise has got me all sentimental. I’ve finally pulled out old photo albums which were lying in boxes since we moved to Singapore. My mother was a supernova, much ahead of her time, with an Indian soul. If you’ve read my book #closetothebone you will be acquainted with fiery Barbara Gallus who defied all cultural expectations of her era to marry a young PhD student from Calcutta. Scroll through to see one of our family pilgrimages to an ancestral bungalow in #Serampore
Share your precious moments and tag me and @rado
#radotimelessmoments
Parenting 101: my babies don’t need a perfect mom, they need a happy and healthy mom. Since I’m down with bronchitis, I’m lying low with my @dipikablacklist in Goa, treating myself with care and compassion while daddy’s in Bombay briefly to offer up some cuddles to #Soufflé. Even if we are both not around, we’ve built a loving community and support group to make sure #Soufflé is engaged, stimulated and happy.
Memories of #DurgaPooja in Hong Kong when soufflé was just a tasty bite.
Took my @me_meraki saddlebag to the Botanic Gardens this morning for a test run. Only a mom of toddlers can appreciate how great it is to have a hands free, no fuss yet beautiful and artisanal bag to run with.
Since moving to Singapore I’ve enjoyed discovering local brands (Singapore and Hong Kong based) with a subcontinental heart. I resonate with @me_meraki mission to revive and sustain traditional Indian folk arts through their hand painted bags and clutches. (They also have vegan offerings!) Check out their evening clutches: they are pieces of art.
‘Memeraki’ is inspired by the Greek word ‘Meraki’ which means to do something with utter devotion that leaves a little of your soul in your work. This alludes not only to the founder, but the India based artists who put their hearts into hand painting the bags.
With slow living and sustainable, ethical fashion a TOP of the mind priority, I pledge to support and highlight the work of more brands like @me_meraki that foster and represent the move towards greater ecological integrity and social justice, while producing one of a kind products to can cherish.
Mask @photophactorysg
Picture of one of my favourite humans popped up just like that. As far as this business of life unspooling goes, I’m glad I shared time, meals and memorable conversation with this elegant soul @_adilhussain when we worked in a film called #Dobara
Happy #RakshaBandan from Soleil 🎉
Outfit @goodearthindia
Merry 🎄 Christmas from Goa
We bid goodbye to a year that was not kind, by conjuring all the kindness possible. But quietly, under our breath.
I have never been more fully in service of my family and others than now. It looks and feels nothing like what I thought. All I can say is so many of my gaps have been filled. I still have a preoccupation with gaps – the fissures within the self. That’s what drives me to reflect and create, to express and write. It’s the essence of being human, I suppose. But oh what grace it is to know the closing between desire and fulfilment on a personal plane. For that I am ever grateful to my family.
Thank you @mommygrapher for running alongside us on Ashwem beach to capture these images that say everything.
If you ever need photos to pin to your heart, look up @sustainably.milii in Goa ❤️
#solong2021
We bid goodbye to a year that was not kind, by conjuring all the kindness possible. But quietly, under our breath.
I have never been more fully in service of my family and others than now. It looks and feels nothing like what I thought. All I can say is so many of my gaps have been filled. I still have a preoccupation with gaps – the fissures within the self. That’s what drives me to reflect and create, to express and write. It’s the essence of being human, I suppose. But oh what grace it is to know the closing between desire and fulfilment on a personal plane. For that I am ever grateful to my family.
Thank you @mommygrapher for running alongside us on Ashwem beach to capture these images that say everything.
If you ever need photos to pin to your heart, look up @sustainably.milii in Goa ❤️
#solong2021
We bid goodbye to a year that was not kind, by conjuring all the kindness possible. But quietly, under our breath.
I have never been more fully in service of my family and others than now. It looks and feels nothing like what I thought. All I can say is so many of my gaps have been filled. I still have a preoccupation with gaps – the fissures within the self. That’s what drives me to reflect and create, to express and write. It’s the essence of being human, I suppose. But oh what grace it is to know the closing between desire and fulfilment on a personal plane. For that I am ever grateful to my family.
Thank you @mommygrapher for running alongside us on Ashwem beach to capture these images that say everything.
If you ever need photos to pin to your heart, look up @sustainably.milii in Goa ❤️
#solong2021
Let’s change up the track. Feeling in my power. Sexy and motherhood co-exist just fine, thank you.
Image @farrokhchothia courtesy @gqindia
From @onbeing podcast conversation with #NaomiNyeShihab:
She said, “Well, here in Japan, we have a concept called ‘Yutori.’ And it is spaciousness. It’s a kind of living with spaciousness. For example, it’s leaving early enough to get somewhere so that you know you’re going to arrive early, so when you get there, you have time to look around.” And then she gave all these different definitions of what Yutori was to her.
But one of them was — “and after you read a poem just knowing you can hold it, you can be in that space of the poem. And it can hold you in its space. And you don’t have to explain it. You don’t have to paraphrase it. You just hold it, and it allows you to see differently.” And I just love that. I mean, I think that’s what I’ve been trying to say all these years.’
Posting a throwback to #Mumbai in the throes of work yet finding stillness in the peace of my home. I think I have been prepping for social distancing for a while now. My flat in Mumbai is my sanctuary and I would only leave if I had to attend an event or film on a set. Otherwise, I invited anyone who wished to photograph or interview me home, eliminating an almost daily commute and gradually reducing my exposure to chaos, noise, pollution and a frenetic way of life.
Self-contemplation and mirror meditation, Samara style.
Bts from @4moreshotspls @pritishnandycommunications @primevideoin
Before Sufi and Soleil were born- before I knew I would be the mother of twin girls – I cherished this notion of promoting equality through gender neutral clothes. What are gender neutral clothes? Clothes that cater to both male and female and do not restrict on the basis of sex. This approach basically nullifies this idea that dresses are for girls and football jerseys for boys. The whole pink vs blue nursery thing.
After the girls came along, and after conscientiously amassing a wardrobe in shades of tasteful beige and camel for them, an interesting thing has happened. My girls – who are confident, assertive wells of curiosity- have been expressing (loudly) their preference for Princess dresses. And so I had to shift my feminist agenda. Why can’t Sufi and Soleil be fierce and independent minded AND enjoy frilly, extravagant design? Why not indeed. One need not cancel out the other.
Perhaps in another few months they will express a fascination for high tops and drop crotch joggers. Who knows. But yet again, these two have challenged me and demanded a re ordering of my universe. It’s just clothes, after all.
So for now we are enjoying our tryst with tulle and lace and sparkle and the cutest silhouettes like this one by @fairiesnmermaids 💝
I’m once again humbled by 2, two and half year olds. Nothing like kids to slay your everyday beliefs.
#feministmomwoes
Circus 1992. Yup kids, I’ve seen a lot. I’m what they call well seasoned- not spicy, salty, syrupy sweet too- and fortunately not cynical though the phrase ‘been there done that’’ occasionally pops to mind.
I’m as vintage as they come.
Thank you my dear @suchetapotnisgoa for sending me these #timecapsules from what feels another lifetime. Well, I was about 16 in these images, lost and yet filled with the wonder of possibilities and endless adventure on the horizon.
#babylisa #Gladrags1992 #makingheartsgothumpsince1992
Don’t wait for the world to create opportunities for you, to recognise your talent, your unique gifts and power. Value yourself first, find the tools inside that keep you strong and centred. Don’t wait for the world to catch up. Blaze ahead. With humility and right action, you will cut your own path through the forest.
#lockdownmusings
My one day off and I have my hands full. Let me tell you, I don’t mind.
#mamatime #Souffle #workingmom
Striking a pose. I write about the era of polaroids and cigarettes in @closetothebone.book and here’s an image that’s just a bit painful. An obsession with bony shoulders and collarbones morphed into a serious eating disorder that took years to heal. Shattering perceptions and unmasking pretty pictures to reveal what lies beneath informs the narrative of my writing debut.
Sharing the frame with @im__sal and @lascelles1708
#ClosetotheBone @harpercollinsin
Happy Children’s Day from Souffle and us 🙏🏼❤️
@lovetheworldtoday.in
Happy Durga Pooja.
I prefer to think the goddess takes on the aspect we need in the moment. Volatile and terrifying as this year has been, I’m finding my way through familiar chants and sounds as well as through reflection of what is precious.
And now pass the khicchri.
#DurgaPooja2020
Lawd. Have mercy on my 48 year old body, guys. This @4moreshotsplease season had me jumping over bars and wearing 100 pound lehengas and busting moves to full on Sangeet choreography and workout sessions with super fit Umang which kicked my ass 😂 mercy.
Repost from @pritishnandycommunications using @RepostRegramApp – The advantages of a quarantine partner. @banij @lisaraniray
#fourmoreshotsplease #season2 #bts Now streaming on @primevideoin
@sayanigupta @iamkirtikulhari @maanvigagroo @rangitapritishnandy @nupurasthana @pritishnandy2018
Mama is an expert at apres ski rituals
@redresort
We wore our lovingly handcrafted @liz.jacob.designs dresses for our first day of Baby Ballet. Don’t miss our matching masks.
Sandals @melissashoesindia
#soufflé #SufiandSoleil #sustainablekidsclothes #Bangalore #Singapore
It’s certainly official.
Jason and I have chosen to share the intimate story of our surrogacy journey as a way to normalize and embrace fertility possibilities for everyone. Please do read and share the piece. It’s not easy but achievable.
Luminous souls Sufi and Soleil are expanding us in ways we never thought possible…and catching me by surprise as I grow into motherhood. Takes a village, and I am grateful for all your love and support(I’m going to be leaning on some of you for mama night outs and baby-sitting backup as I complete my book)
Thanks @bombaytimes and @bazinga_ent
@aligphoto for the images
Fab MUH @JoMakeupArtist
(and as always @preetasukhtankar for being the best maushi, all the support and baby styling 😜)
Stand back world: here comes Soufflé (Sufi plus Soleil equals the best dish in the universe)
Click on link to read about our surrogacy journey.
Repost from @saniya_shadadpuri using @RepostRegramApp – Here’s to the person I know who is full of life! She is strong, loving, comforting, adorable and most importantly the vibe when working with her is just full of fun. ❤️ @lisaraniray
@4moreshotspls @primevideoin
Makeup artist – @saniya_shadadpuri
Hairstylist – @hairbyshardajadhav
#makeupbysaniyashadadpuri #indianmakeupartist #celebritymakeupartist #makeupartistindia #makeupartistmumbai #makeupindia #mumbaimakeup #makeup #makeupandhair #celebritymakeupartistmumbai #celebritymakeup #saniyashadadpuri #celebritymakeupmumbai #celebritymakeupartistmumbai #mumbaimakeupartist #mumbaimakeup #makeupartistmumbai #lisaraniray #lisaraye #fourmoreshotsplease #amazonprimevideo
Wake up sissy. It’s lunchtime. I’m starving! They only feed us together. (*Turn up the sound)
#Sufi #Soleil #Souffle #sweetestdish
Yesterday on the first day of Navratri we dressed up in our finery and invoked Durga’s blessings by learning a powerful mantra: Mahishasura Mardini Stotam. My girls are my solace, and the root and ground of my universe. Tat tvam asi: I see the other in myself and myself in others. We make up our own rituals and secret language. They widen my compassion and my senses during this turbulent time.
Thank you @deepikamehtayoga for sharing this powerful Goddess mantra that resonates in the deepest chambers of my heart, giving birth to NavDurga and all the divine beings inside of us all 🙏🏼
And….I mean how fun is it to just play dress up ❤️
QUEEN.
My mother circa 1962. Scroll through to see the young man from India who was avidly courting her.
#radotimelessmoments
Via @bombaytimes:
‘Lisa narrated the tough and, at times, frustrating journey they had to undertake, “We hired an agency to help, had an unsuccessful attempt in Mexico, and spent a lot of money, emotional resources and sleepless nights. But as a cancer survivor, I firmly believe in overcoming the odds. And with my husband and a few close friends’ support, we hoped for the best. Finally, we settled on Georgia, where the surrogacy process is legal, transparent, regulated and overall beneficial for both sides. We relocated to Tbilisi for a few months for the birth.”
The actress believes that she has successfully buried her old views that having kids would slow her down. Talking about her husband’s role in their journey, she said, “My husband and I are becoming parents in our mid-40s, which is also unconventional, but the right time for us. I love to see Jason with them, growing into his new role as a father, holding them, changing diapers, with a burp cloth I got him, which is embroidered with ‘Men Who Change Diapers, Change the World’.”
Images @aligphoto
MUH @jomakeupartist
PR manager @bazinga_ent
Flirting while social distancing and not saying a word. Try this at home.
From #TheWorldUnseen by @shamimsarif co-starring @beneaththesheetz
Christmas looked very different one year ago. While we are enjoying our first genuinely white Xmas in years, nostalgia for friends, for warm breezes, for Goa and for a pre-pandemic world has caught me unawares. And so I share these images with you, with a wish you may always wring drops of happiness from life and mobilise the best (and sassiest) parts of your nature when called.
@dipikablacklist
My current idea of a homegrown LaChapelle moment.
#Goa
My current idea of a homegrown LaChapelle moment.
#Goa
Samara is a lot to take. We would probably not be friends.
But at least she appears to have good taste in books. Scroll through to the end.
@4moreshotspls @pritishnandycommunications @primevideoin
‘Motherhood is like drilling into your heart. It’s also like trying to change your clothes in the middle of a roller coaster ride—new skills all the way. There’s a new level of anarchy and love in my life now, but also a fullness that’s hard to describe’ via @vogueindia
#thankyouuniverse #thankyoueveryone #MySouffle
@aligphoto @jomakeupartist @mariechantalchildren
We kinda had the best lunch and play date @theprojectcafegoa The Project Cafe Goa
Posted @withregram • @shamimsarif There are days when I feel you all will never love me for anything as much as for our first film #ICantThinkStraight. Here’s a behind the scenes still. It was a gruelling baptism by fire for me as a #director but I am forever appreciative that I got to work with @hananfkattan as producer, @aseematographer as DOP and @lisaraniray and @beneaththesheetz – lead actors who became family to us. And each day I get a message reminding me of what the story meant to so many people out there, especially women struggling with coming out in cultures where that is still taboo #storiesmatter #womenonfilm #filmmaking #womensupportingwomen #lgbtq🌈 #lesbianfilm
People will say it’s not the time, but our stories have never been written by the nay sayers and doubters.
MUH @natasha.moor
Un doux souvenir part deux.
#cruising #southoffrance #circa2015
Thank you @accenture for inviting me to address the Women’s Leadership Summit in @conradhotels #Bangalore. It was an honour to share my journey and some of my life lessons from my book @closetothebone.book
Wearing @aditiguptaofficial
MUH @sabrina_suhail
Styling @dipikablacklist
Image by @jayapriyavasudevan
@accentureindiacareers #accenturemoments Bangalore, India
Two years ago, in HK. My golden girls.
#Souffle #kungheifatchoi #yearoftheox
Feliz Navidad from Goa.
Best Christmas concert @paperboatcollective
′′ I’ve read a lot of books, but I forgot most of them. But then what is the purpose of reading?”
This was the question a pupil once asked his Master.
The Master didn’t reply at that time. After a few days, however, as he and the young pupil sat by a river, he said he was thirsty and asked the boy to get him some water using an old dirty old sieve that was there on the ground.
The pupil flushed, as he knew it was a request without any logic.
However, he couldn’t contradict his Master and, taken the sieve, he began to accomplish this absurd task. Every time he immersed the sieve in the river to pull up water to bring to his Master, he couldn’t take even a step towards him that already in the sieve there wasn’t even a drop left in the sieve.
He tried and tried dozens of times but, although he tried to run faster from the shore to his Master, the water kept passing through all the sieve holes and was lost along the way.
Tired, he sat next to the Master and said, ′′ I can’t get water with that sieve. Forgive me Maestro, it’s impossible and I failed in my job ′′
′′ No, ‘ replied the old man smiling – you didn’t fail. Look at the sieve, now it’s good as new. The water, filtering from its holes has cleaned it up ′′
′′ When you read books – the old Master continued – you are like a sieve and they are like river water ′′
′′ It doesn’t matter if you can’t hold in your memory all the water that they make flow in you, because books anyway, with their ideas, emotions, feelings, knowledge, truth that you will find between the pages, will clean up your mind and spirit, and they will make you a better and renewed person. This is the purpose of reading “.
from Anna Rita Montinaro,…
We’ve heard the saying, ‘health is an inside job’ or ‘let food be thy medicine’ famously attributed to good old Hippocrates. However I had not come across the principle that ‘health is always present’ or maybe not heard it stated in such uncompromising terms. But even hearing this universal principle which originated with one of the founding fathers of osteopathy lit something in me. I have just began the Somatic Intelligence course led by the wonderful @realmsofdance to take steps towards empowering my knowledge of health as well as systems of healing but also to perhaps one day be able to help others in the way that I have benefitted from compassionate and insightful therapists 🙏🏼
#learningforlife
‘Respect the unpredictability of life my Sufi and have the faith and courage to be the hero of your own story. And never stop playing: dance with whatever comes your way.’
Thanks my sweet and talented soul @ankitchawlaphotography for giving us images to map our joy 💫
MUH @coleenssalon
Styled by @who_wore_what_when @pranayjaitly @d.shubham_j
Both mama and Soleil wearing @ekaco
We didn’t have a cast and crew screening for @4moreshotspls S2 (because, you know, pandemic) so I’m sending out massive love and cheers to the fabulous, generous, Uber talented girl gang.
Man, this season is…something. L.I.T. The antidote to all the dire news, but still complex and entertaining and all heart.
Hey there @shibanidandekar ! Remember this?
Love y’all @rangitapritishnandy @nupurasthana @nehapartimatiyani @devikabhagat7 @misschamko @sayanigupta @iamkirtikulhari @maanvigagroo @banij @aasthasharma @reannmoradian
Humbled to have been part of this ride.
#futureiafemale #4moreshotspleaseS2 @primevideoin
Out of the cage. We’re on a roller coaster but screaming in our hearts. Screaming for Lucca, Tuscany. A walled city for people who cannot stand to live anywhere else.
Ti ricordi?
For Saraswati Pooja today, given a choice amongst money, pen and book, Sufi grabbed a pen with alacrity and Soleil surprised us by reaching for a book on Rumi. No matter what path they choose, I pray my girls overflow with love, moonlight, possibility and the light of knowing #hatekhari
Outfit @goodearthindia
‘I didn’t come to you because of the first wind, nor would I leave you because of the last’
– from ‘The Forty Rules of Love’
Thank you @mona_shroff_jewellery for sending this all way from my former home, Hong Kong. A beautifully versatile piece, ready to pair with my track suit as well as my favourite kurta, though today I needed to air out my skin. Not used to wearing so many layers.
‘Respect the unpredictability of life my Souffle and have the faith and resilience to be the hero of your own story. And never stop playing: dance with whatever comes your way.’
Thanks my sweet and talented soul @ankitchawlaphotography Ankit Chawla for giving us images to map our joy 💫
MUH @coleenssalon
Styled by @who_wore_what_when
Both mama and Souffle wearing at times @ekaco or péro
From one year ago.
Choose Love, Love! Without the sweet life of Love,
living is a burden – as you have seen
. -The Forty Rules of Love
Posted @withregram • @shamimsarif #berniememes I Can’t Think Straight film. Had to do it 🙂 what do you think?! @beneaththesheetz @lisaraniray @hananfkattan
