HYDERABAD: She was born and brought up in Hyderabad. She was exposed to a very unhealthy sense of competitiveness at school and was an overachiever. She finished her MBBS with flying colours. But then, she hit cul de sac. Emergency duty in the casualty ward was distressing for her; the trauma cases she received as a house surgeon stole all the vibrancy of her life. Perhaps it is true that we cannot run from who we are. Our destiny chooses us. This is the story of Dr Sofiya Sujad, who hosts luxury events in the city that makes every guest feel and experience the best of the vibes.
When at parties, this socialite may seem irrefutably fashionable, with warm, empathetic gestures that leave a trace of magic. “But, for all that bravado and self-assuredness that I put on, I deal with tremendous amounts of insecurity and an overwhelming fear of failure,” says Dr Sofiya Sujad, who has executed a canopy of events ranging from restaurant/club launches and weddings to dialogues on sustainability and mental health. Sofiya is also a proud descendent of one of the oldest families in India. She is the great-granddaughter of Vazir Sultan, founder of VST Industries/Charminar Cigarette factory, the first tobacco industry in India.
“Very often, I hear comments like, ‘Oh what’s a doctor doing with events?’ ‘She’s risking her career with her own hands and what not. It’s not easy to silence a mind driven by ego and its fragilities. But, my life was too colourful to deal with the grey of trauma. My company and its activities have been a physical manifestation of all these internal experiences,” says she, who had first set out to become a doctor to impact mental health.
As they say, through different routes, you are led to your purpose. “I never set out to become a doctor. I always set out to be a healer,” she says, adding further, “A party may just about save your spirit for the evening and some of us happen to believe that the spirit and soul are as consequential. Perhaps more. Be it through my work, my art or my events, everything directs me to the beating core of a heartfelt purpose, so I stitch these experiences and avenues together in the patchwork quilt of life.”
She just enjoys the entire ideation and curation process. “The end result, of course, ends up glamorous because of my lovely guests who feel inspired to express themselves through fashion and colour, dress up and go all out. That, to me, is so awesome and rewarding, not only as an event manager but as a creative head as well,” she says.
“Entrepreneurship has been in our blood. Besides, I love writing. I love performing on stage. I love reading. I devour books, and they’ve seen me through the best of times and the worst of times,” says she.
Sofiya would like to take Sofiya Events internationally. “I would like to take on more travel-oriented projects and experience the world,” she concluded saying, “I would like to think of myself as a wallflower, in bloom.”