Small talk with Ayesha Takia - Green Dame

' Ayesha Takia on going vegan, churning out a cook book, finding herself through her travels, and crafting the menu of her new restaurant Six years ago, Ayesha Takia turned vegan. The decision was fuelled by her 'love for animals' and a desire to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Now, vegan dishes light up the menu of her new Bandra eatery and she also plans to pen a book of her family's vegan recipes.'I've eaten meat all my life.But today, with the pollution and stress, going vegan is the way to go,' says the almond-eyed actress.Ayesha, who vanished from the limelight following her marriage to restaurateur Farhan Azmi, says that she has been gallivanting around the world and taking on the role of a mother. 'I am a hands-on mother and don't rely on maids. But now that Mikail (her son) is two-and-a-half, I don't have to run around as much,' says Ayesha, who is in the "mindspace" for a big-screen comeback. 'But only two films a year, as I have a schedule to work around. Most actress-moms would have the same," she offers.
Her time away, she shares, was spent travelling and soul-searching. 'I started working as a child in commercials and signed my first film, 'Socha Na Tha', when I was only 16. So I never got to experience things normal girls do. And when you get fame at such an early age, you start living in a bubble. Ever since school, I got a lot of attention as I was modelling and everyone knew who I was. As a child, you enjoy it. But one has to explore and doing things by oneself to learn that life is very large,' says the St Anthony's Girls High School (Chembur) alumna. Her quest to understand herself has made her 'a very patient person' and helped her experience 'a lot of reality'.
Her personal evolution has also put in perspective how the film industry stereotyped her initially. 'Till I did 'Dor', people only offered me roles of that bubbly, vivacious girl. People who share the same mindspace and want to do the same kind of cinema always work best and that's the equation I share with Nagesh (Kukunoor), with whom I have done three films. The challenge is always in portraying characters who've led a very different life from your's as you get to work on the character.'
Her present preoccupation of attaining a healthier life has also influenced her husband's eating habits. 'Farhan loves his biriyanis and meats and will never give them up. But now, he's become a bit more conscious because of me, and every once in a while he doesn't mind having a vegan sandwich or a couscous salad.' Her husband also credits Ayesha for inspiring her father-in-law: Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi's recent makeover and weight loss (16 kgs over six months), as previously reported by this paper. But Ayesha feels the politician himself deserves all the credit, 'I tell Farhan , `Look at your dad, he is so disciplined.' He wakes up at the crack of dawn and heads for a jog. I was a slacker when it came to workouts, even when I was doing films. But now, I am taking my well-being in my own hands. When you have a baby, you have to look after yourself,' she smiles.
This wellness wave also triggered Ayesha's vision of converting the family land in Bhiwandi to grow organic vegetables six months ago. 'Most vegetables have so many pesticides, so we decided to grow our own. Access to organic fruits and vegetables in the city is scarce and only the occasional farmer's markets stock them,' she adds, taking pride on the tomatoes, chilies and greens that her farm churns out. 'Initially, the farm's produce was only shared with family, but now our restaurant will also source from there,' she says. Ayesha also intends on retailing her organic goods at her new eatery. 'This place called Eataly in New York sells their produce like pastas and cheeses. We got the idea from there.'
The duo also drew inspiration from personal favourites. 'Whenever we travel, I make him (Farhan) a breakfast of `Morning Glory', comprising avocado and fried eggs. My favourite has to be avocado on toast with honey and Himalayan pink salt.' Ayesha's culinary experiments would excite vegetarians in the city. 'We are trying to make vegan cheese with tofu, soya and cashew. Recently, we had faux meat and salami made from vegetarian ingredients in Vienna and it was so good, you won't believe that it is not meat."
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