Ayesha Takia dismisses rumours of having gone under the knife, talks about making a comeback to the big screen and the launch of her vegan restaurant
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 17, 2017)

In February, a photograph of Ayesha Takia looking very unlike herself, with seemingly botoxed cheeks and lip fillers, went viral, with the grapevine buzzing about a cosmetic surgery gone wrong. When Mirror caught up with the 31-year-old actress at her Colaba restaurant, she dismissed the talk as “all nonsense”.

“I was in Goa when the morphed picture was shared online. I have a small face but in that picture it looked long and funny. I passed it off with a laugh,” she says, adding that as the pro-active mother of the hyper-active three-and-a-half year-old son Mikail, she has no time to even hit the spa.

She insists her dream is to sit in a quiet corner sipping iced latte. “But Mikail insists on making the drink for me himself, creating more work,” she sighs with mock exasperation, obviously enjoying this real-life role of a full-time mom. “I’ve never been someone who wanted to look pretty with nothing to say. When people see me face-to-face they know immediately that I’ve not gone under the knife and they are the ones who matter.”

Ayesha bagged the Filmfare Best Debut in 2004 for Taarzan: The Wonder Car and went on to win rave reviews for her turn in Imtiaz Ali’s directorial debut, Socha Na Tha a year later. The then 18-year-old actress, against the advice of every filmmaker-friend, nixed all girl-next-door roles to play the Rajasthani widow in Nagesh Kukunoor’s intense drama Dor. Then, while poised on the brink of stardom after the Salman Khan-blockuster Wanted, the 23-year-old took the plunge with restauranteur-boyfriend, Farhan Azmi. She was last seen in Nagesh Kukunoor’s Mod in 2011 and is now prepping up for a comeback with Ashutosh Warang’s comedy-drama, Borivali Ka Bruce Lee, featuring a young boy whose dreams revolve around Kung Fu and to become a master of martial arts. Ayesha plays his mother who sets out on an adventurous journey with him. “My son would enjoy seeing me as a screen mom. It’s a really funny script with all the everyday mama-dramas,” she chuckles. Before the full fledged film appearance, she will be seen in Lovely Singh’s music video, Zindagi Yeh Zindagi, composed by Amit Mishra. She had been directed by Lovely for Kya Love Story Hai in 2007. “Though that film didn’t do well, I knew it would be fun to reunite with him. He’s a great director,” she points out.

This year, Ayesha is also set to open a vegan restaurant with mom Faridah as Head Chef in Mumbai and start her own fashion line, which will bring together high-street, urban-chic clothing at affordable prices. “Everything has changed in the years that I’ve not been around. Social media has blown up and actors are shooting, hitting the gym, and sharing what they’re eating all the time. I had never put so much thought into being an actress. When I debuted at 14, people asked me where I saw myself in the next 10 years and I always replied, why would anyone want to remember me? Why does everyone want to make something out of a fun day at work? I didn’t care then, and I don’t care now,” she signs off with a shrug.

Ayesha Takia on going vegan, churning out a cook book, finding herself through her travels, and crafting the menu of her new restaurant
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 15, 2016)


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."

Ayesha Takia talks about her film comeback after four years
Upala KBR (DNA; January 13, 2016)


Post marriage and motherhood you disappeared completely from Bollywood and its social calendar.
Yes, post marriage I took time to find myself, travel and do business. Being away from my film bubble gave me a chance to see life differently. After marriage, workwise, I started the brand ChaiCoffi with Farhan, a cafe concept that I loved and wanted to make real. I also always dreamed of having a boutique hotel and am happy to have that dream become a reality in Goa with Basilico house.

Actresses like Sonali Bendre, Twinkle Khanna and Shilpa Shetty Kundra have written books. Have you ever thought of it?
No I haven’t though of writing a book yet.

Any chances of you getting back into acting again?
Yes, I want to get back into acting again. My two-year-old son Mikail is now older and I have the energy and time to do some good film work. I’m looking forward to roles that excite me as an actor and films that seem fun to be part of. I miss acting and I surely do look forward to feeling the moment between action and cut.

What changes have marriage and motherhood wrought in you?
Well, I have surely become more patient and learned a lot about love, especially with my son.

Ever thought of entering politics like your husband and father-in-law (Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi)?
NEVER! (Laughs)