BANGALORE: She has done it all, from a stint in modelling to a career in journalism and from a degree in psychology to penning down 15 books. The versatile writer touches almost every aspect and explores every storyline in different genres. Shobhaa is not afraid of controversies and speaking her mind when it comes to putting her thoughts forward.
Voted by Reader’s Digest as one of India’s Most Trusted People and placed among 50 Most Powerful Women in India, Shobhaa De was in the city recently to launch her latest book, Shobhaa at 60.
Declaring sixty as the new forty, with her latest work she shares some of her most intimate secrets that are valuable at any age. From beauty tips, dealing with anxiety and ageing, to spiritual quests and seeking solace and tranquility, Shobhaa wants every one to have a joyous and fulfilling existence. In Shobhaa at Sixty, she helps the reader rejuvenate their life by giving wise, honest and practical advice on how to cope with the daily challenges and stresses we face in today’s fast-paced world. She shares her own experiences from her life spanning six decades, claiming the inspiration for penning this book was, in her own words, ‘to free people from the cage of age’.
Laying great emphasis on family values and ties, she stresses on making each passing decade more meaningful and enriching while taking the time to enjoy the small pleasures of life.
The author was in conversation with the industrialist Geethanjali Kirloskar and the entrepreneur and, chairman and managing director of Biocon Limited, Kiran Majumdar Shaw on the occasion of presenting the first copy of her book to Kiran.
Urging women to embrace the ageing process, Shobhaa says, “I came up with the book as I wanted to break the stereotype and make women feel young and rejuvenated even at 60. I want women to feel graceful about the age.”
So what keeps Shobhaa reinventing herself every time? Shobhaa says with the familiar smile, “I am a writer and thus I don’t have to worry about the shelf life like sportsmen. All I need to keep going is an alert mind and my fingers tapping over the key board. Moreover, you cannot plan to reinvent yourself. It happens because you love life and you want to do it for the fun of it.” Shobhaa believes in active ageing and wants to do away with the distressing aspects of ageing that prevails among Indian women. “The book explains that age is all about how youthful one can be. For 90 per cent of women in India, life is over once they step into 60’s. They are forced into a corner and they stay there till they die. With my book, I want to stress on the fact that 60 is liberating. You are financially secured and settled with your family. This is the time when you can break free and contribute to the society.”
Shobhaa goes further and discards the intrusive way of keeping yourself young. The writer feels that interfering with nature is not the right solution and says, “Women should not go down without raising a fight, but not by intervention, rather with the granny’s methods.”
Agreeing with Shobhaa, Kiran also shared her thoughts and added, “Although one should grow old naturally, every aspect and stage of the process should be celebrated and one should feel proud of it. After all 60 is just a number.”
bngexpresso@expressbuzz.com