Before my interview with actor, dancer, and now director, Disha Patani, I had gone through all her video outtakes on the tube and was especially fascinated by the ease with which she navigated you through her rather intense ‘back-workout-routine’, without once breaking into a sweat, in her very first upload on the OG of streaming, four years ago. The effortlessness of making deadlifts look as simple as an easy Sunday morning, humbled me into acknowledging the work gone into her enviable ‘body-is-always-bodying’ persona and her striking screen presence. Although she has extensively spoken of how exercise for her is therapeutic, the lens of cinema, social media, and news wires pins her down as a girl so comfortable in her skin that she remains resolutely unapologetic about her sartorial choices, despite the relentless trolling.
However, once you get to know her (as I briefly did) you realise she has a zen-like quality which is hard to come by in a hectic ‘always-on-the-go’ world, is experiencing Pandora’s box of life well entrenched in each moment, grateful for everything she has received.
Walking into the studio for our 27th anniversary cover shoot, bare faced, in knee-length basketball shorts and a fitted cropped tank top, no frills attached, a quick overview of selections later—followed by on point hair and make-up by her trusted crew—she turns on her performative charm on set, focused on getting the job done, as effectively as possible. For a girl with no
