From being crowned Miss India at the age of 16 to making a a mark as an actor, Poonam Dhillon, has always taken life in her stride. Even in her 50s, the actor looks as bubbly as in her first movie Noorie though shades of maturity reflect on her face. Today, she is a successful entrepreneur, social activist and theatre artiste.
The Entrepreneur
Since my childhood, I had these great entrepreneurial ideas which if translated into reality, would have made me a baron today. One of them was the make-up van venture - Vanity. I had decided to start Vanity when film stars faced problems while shooting outdoors as they had to travel miles back to the hotel to use the toilet or change costume. The venture instantly clicked and runs successfully even today. Now not just film stars but people from the small screen cannot do without a make-up van and even producers are willing to pay the cost of renting these vans for the entire shoot duration. I am happy that I have contributed to the industry in some way. (smiles)
Social Activist
At present, I am closely associated with the cause of organ donation. Earlier, I was working with the National Association for the Blind and the cancer-fighting society called We Care. I also help addicts whenever I can.
Theatre Experience
I work the way I want to. I take up acting assignments for the love of acting and something that I believe in. Besides supporting roles in films, I have spent quite a number of years in the small screen. Right now, I am doing a play called U-Turn directed by Aanand Mhasvekar, which has already been screened 150 times in Marathi and as many times in Gujarati. We have recently got the Hindi rights of the play. Theatre is something I have been feeling shy for ages. Actually I never had the courage to do it. But now it seems I have been friends with theatre for years. The medium is fascinating with its challenges and highs. Earlier, I was so used to enacting roles in bits and pieces. There were retakes that gave you breathers. But in theatre, the frames are set and performers have no choice but to fit into them.
Secret of fitness
I do not have a fixed fitness regime, but I try to do cardio whenever possible. Since I suffer from knee pain, I do a lot of knee-lifts and knee-curves in order to keep my knees strong. I also like doing yoga, though I do not manage doing that often. Ideally, I would love to balance yoga and cardio. It is a great way to stay fit and improve posture and flexibility.
Apart from exercising and staying fit, it is also important to look healthy. I feel women should enhance at least one feature on their face, especially the eyes, because when someone talks to you, it is your eyes they look at.