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Greek goddess Mahima Chowdhury believes in taking life one step at a time

“I have noticed whenever I am the most uncomfortable, people tell me I look fabulous. All those fitted outfits that you have to hold your breath to get into; or high heels — they are hardly the last word in comfort. I would love to wear sneakers, but I don’t think it would really go with this sari, right?”

Warming up to her theme of the hardships of fashion, the model turned actor says: “Looking beautiful is hard work. It is high maintenance. I think it is tougher than farming. Think of all that bleaching, tweezing, plucking, waxing and the rest of it. And now men are also into it right? They are also getting facials. It is good because I like men to be clean.”

Mahima says she follows fashion but is not “a fashion victim. I would never wear skinny jeans or balloon tops. I like fashion because it defines constant change right? Fashion also is a way to speak about yourself. My style is constantly evolving and always positive.”

The yummy mummy insists there is no time for a beauty routine thanks to her 10-month-old daughter. “I workout when I can, no diet though.”

Talking about motherhood, Mahima’s eyes light up even brighter. “There are no books to tell you what to do, what to expect. You learn on the job. Children are all sorted out. It is us parents who are mixed up. I keep worrying my mum about the baby and when she says: ‘I brought you up and you turned out alright’, I feel sheepish but that doesn’t stop me from worrying.”

Ask her about balancing work and family and the model mum says: “It is a struggle. Women world over just make it look so easy. I am inspired by the working women around me.”

Based in Mumbai, Mahima says: “I don’t know why everyone thinks I am based in the US. It is my sister who is in the US. My husband is an architect and we stay in Mumbai.”

Talk of work brings us to Tanuja Chandra’s “Hope and a Little Sugar” in which Mahima plays a Sikh widow Saloni.

“Tanuja worked on the script during 9/11. It was a time when everyone was looking at the other with suspicion and negativity. The film deals with love and loss.It is progressive and moves from denial and anger to acceptance.

“It is not a dark film. It is a love story set against the backdrop of the terrorist strikes. ‘Hope…’ ends during Christmas time. You cannot get more positive than that.”

The film has been received well on the festival circuit. “We screened it in Milan and the interpreter was all choked up towards the end. I told Tanuja there can be no bigger compliment than this.”

About her future choice of films, Mahima says: “Children dictate everything these days and I am sure once my daughter grows up a bit, she will have a say in my choices!” Mahima has taken the first step towards keeping the little one happy by dubbing for the animated film “Bhagmati.”

No stranger to Bangalore, Mahima says “I shot ‘Dil Kya Kare’ with Ajay Devgan and Kajol in Bishop Cotton High School. That was a very special film for me. It was my third film and my work was appreciated. I love coming here. This is also a very eventful city for me because when I was shooting for the film, my car was hit by a milk truck. It was 7 in the morning and I was wearing a white trouser suit which was covered in blood.

“In that melee, I saw a girl, she was on her way to the railway station to cancel her tickets. I clutched her hand and asked her to take me to a hospital. She was very calm and told me not to worry and took me to the hospital. She was my angel. Unfortunately I did not have her number and there was no way I could call and thank her.”

Luckily for Mahima, she survived the accident with just cuts and continued to enthral audience with her unique choices.

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