cosmo interview
use it for causes and to raise awareness
about topics I feel strongly about.
“The closest to my heart has always
been the right to education. Growing
up, I worked really closely with my
grandmother’s NGO, Save the
Children. I used to go there every
day after school, and help the
underprivileged and mentally
challenged kids. I feel so blessed to
have gotten great education—it’s the
most basic right. Education shapes
you as a person—your values, morals,
and opinions...” she adds.
There’s more passion where that
came from. Athiya tells us that she’s
an out and out feminist. “Of course, I
am one! And I’m so glad it isn’t
considered a dirty word anymore.
I’ve been raised to believe that menand woman are equal, and I demand
equality wherever I go. Not once have
my parents said, ‘You can’t do this
because you are a girl’. In fact, every
time my grandfather saw me at home,
he would say, ‘Why aren’t you working?’
I’m happy that people now understand
what the term actually means, and
that feminists aren’t ‘man haters’.”
“Also, look at what women have
achieved today. While sexism still
exists, there are also so many women
who are the driving force in different
industries, right from Bollywood to
sports and the corporate world. Look
at Sanya Mirza and Saina Nehwal. Or
Priyanka Chopra—not everyone can
achieve what she’s achieved. She’s
passionate about acting and extremely
courageous. No man has been able to1) My current favourite TV
show is This Is Us. It’s amazing!
2) I’d like to describe my
playlist as bipolar, because
I keep yo-yoing between different
genres.
3) One designer I can’t get
enough of is Bibhu Mohapatra.
4) My go-to beauty look is lip
balm, a lot of blush, and mascara.
5) Critical acclaim or
commercial? I’d like a happy
middle.
6) On a scale of 1-10, I would
rate my body confidence as
six. You can never be too confident!
7) My current relationship
status is single and very happy.
8) One fictional character I
identify with is Pocahontas.
9) A famous woman I admire
is Michelle Obama, because she
was never just the First Lady; she
had her own personality and
brought so much to the table.do what she’s done...I mean, she’s a
global sensation. Or Anushka Sharma
for that matter. At 25, she decided to
make her own films and produce
them,” she adds.
Athiya leaves us with a quick glance
at her five-year-plan: “I really want to
do meaningful cinema. Films that
mean something and allow me to send
a message to make other people’s life
better. Movies like Padman or Toilet:
Ek Prem Katha really make you feel
good at the end of the day...that you
made a difference to people’s lives,
and raised awareness about the
things that truly matter.” nMake-Up: Rosario Belmonte at
Anima Model Management; Hair:
Florian Hurel at Artist Factory India;
Production: Gravity Grace; Fashion
Interns: Shreya Wadhwa, Priyasha
Singh and Tanya Singh