JUST A CALL AWAY
Model and actor Aishwarya Sushmita recall how she first met her friend and model Shweta Dolli (right), “I started modelling in 2016 while Shweta was already a part of the industry about five years prior to that. Over a period of time, we bonded well.” Mentioning that true friendship goes beyond “sharing party pictures or planning trips”, Sushmita says, “True friendship is sitting together wordlessly.” She concludes, “Shweta and I are so different from one another; we think differently, and I am more expressive than her. But whenever our worlds collapse, we are there for each other… a call away.”
BONDING OVER RHYTHM AND TUNE
Singer Shilpa Rao and fellow singer and lyricist Shruti Pathak forged a friendship, thanks to their love for ghazals—especially those by Mehdi Hassan, Farida Khanum, and Begum Akhtar. Rao, however, mentions that the two have different personalities. Talking about their travel experiences as an example, Rao says, “When we go on a trip, Shruti is the one who makes plans. She is so open-minded, always willing to try new things.” The secret behind this long-standing friendship, Rao concludes, is their soulful connection with music. “At the root of it all, the two of us share the same values.”
BUDDIES FOR LIFE
Stand-up comedian Appurv Gupta tells us about his childhood friend, Himanshu Sahni, who, though completely opposite to Gupta, is still his best friend. “We have different personalities. I talk a lot but he remains quiet. When we became friends too, I was always studious, he was not.” However, their distinct personalities brought them together. “We complement each other well,” shares Gupta. “All my college friends… I had a lot of fun with them. However, as soon as college was over, everything sort of ended then and there. But, with Himanshu, despite all this time, he still feels like family.”
A DIFFERENT TAKE ON THE SAME ROLE
Bani Nanda, chef and founder of Miam Pâtisserie, tells us about the first time she met Megha Kohli (left)—executive chef at CafeMez and The Wine Company. It was in 2014; Nanda bumped into Kohli at a restaurant the former was working at then. “We became acquainted, and over the years, our friendship grew.” However, Nanda is quick to admit that they have always been very different on the professional front. “Our styles as chefs are very different,” Nanda concludes, adding, “Even our approach at work—especially how we handle stressful and intense situations—is extremely different.”
With inputs from Anjani Chadha and Simi Kuriakose