Packed with information and bound by emotions. That’s Keep Moving, a health and self-help book by Milind Soman, Ankita Konwar and Usha Soman, (with Roopa Pai), and published by Juggernaut Books. A breezy read that narrates the trio’s journey through life and fitness. The family chatted with t2 on the making of the book and more. Excerpts.
Usha ma’am, it was inspiring to read about your journey. How much did you enjoy telling your story?
Usha Soman: (Laughs) It was a bit difficult. I am not used to that kind of thing, but Roopa (Pai; author) was very good. She could ask the right sort of questions and make me talk and once the first inhibition was over, I could talk to her. Then it was quite easy. I thought I was an ordinary person and everybody does these things, what is there to tell?
Milind, who convinced her?
Milind: I think it was me, but she didn’t take much convincing. She was a little uncomfortable, like she said, telling her story, but I think she really enjoyed reliving those parts of her life because you don’t really talk about it much to anybody. In fact, I felt the same during Made in India (Milind’s memoir). Penguin of course chased me for five years. I said what is the story, there is no story, it’s the same. To me a story is someone who has overcome a lot of adversity and succeeded. I was like, there’s nothing to say, it’s so ordinary, what I do, it’s nothing special at all. It’s the same for her. And, I think that’s the crux of the book, that what we are doing should not be seen as extraordinary. It is normal and everybody can easily do it and be healthy. That’s the whole idea of getting three generations together, so that you don’t think ‘Oh, maybe when you are young it’s okay. How do you do it when you are older?’ or, ‘Milind is a model and actor, so for him, it’s his job’, but obviously for my mother and Ankita, it’s not.
Anybody, if they want, can be healthy and fit with the simplest ideas which is basically thinking about yourself and what works for you.
Juggernaut came with the idea (of the book). The dynamics is important. How do all three of you manage to do this together, in your own separate ways, but actually getting to the same objective?
Earlier the idea was about a normal self-help book where you have these recipes and tips and tricks. But we thought we wouldn’t do that. We’ve never had trainers, coaches, experts and dieticians. The main thing is we explore within ourselves. Roopa got the tone absolutely right, the three different individual voices that should come out... we went to Roopa actually.
Ankita, what was it like for you to team up with Milind and Usha ma’am for this?
Ankita: I always wanted to be a writer while I was growing up and thought maybe one day, I am going to write a story. This was difficult for me, the first thing that would come out as a book and that would be written by somebody else, however narrated by me.... I just didn’t understand how that was going to work... how are they going to portray my feelings and experiences that may not match what I felt at that time or the experiences that have shaped me, but then Roopa was fantastic and the questions she asked were exactly the questions one needed to ask.
Usha ma’am, one of the main mantras is to live a life without competition. How has life panned out for you?
Usha Soman: Going abroad was a big thing for me. I never imagined myself going abroad. I was very young, 22... that was a big challenge for me to go and start a house, but you have the ability to face everything if you are determined. I learnt a lot about myself and about things around me and coped with it. Just face it and accept it.
Ankita, we love the portion where you write that your fitness journey wasn’t to impress Milind...
Ankita: I also did it because my sister was having her baby and I realised that there is a new person coming into this world who will have whole different ideas and perceptions towards me. So, why not be the best version of myself for that baby to look up to... While growing up, I didn’t have so many people around me that I could look up to... not in this manner. I was the first person to run a full marathon from my family and I still am (laughs). I hope my nephews and nieces grow up to break it one day and do better.
Milind, keeping it simple has been the mantra for the whole family...
Milind: There are so many options, choices and information. It’s incredible how people think of these things! It’s okay if you think of something and it’s good for you and everybody should do that. I don’t tell people you should do this. You can watch me enjoying myself and enjoy yourself. This is life.
We’ve all been given certain faculties when we are born. Children enjoy everything they see, everything is new. They can run, jump, tumble and then we slowly begin to lose those abilities, but that is what we should hold on to. That means you are fit for life. That kind of excitement, enjoyment and that kind of ability to move, run, jump. If you just take care of yourself minimally, pay attention everyday to what you are going through, how you are responding mentally and physically to situations and just try to do the best that you can, you can retain that for your entire life.
We don’t overdo things.... Being able to sit on the ground is necessary, being able to lie on the ground and get up without support is necessary, to be able to jump at least a foot, to run up or climb stairs, those are the necessary things that will help you to enjoy life.
Usha ma’am did you discover anything new about Milind and Ankita in the process of writing this book?
Usha Soman: I knew everything about Milind and I got to know Ankita better, her childhood and what makes her what she is now. That was a sort of discovery for me.
You’ve also never asked Milind not to do anything...
Usha Soman: They should learn from their mistakes and be better people. If they need your help, they’ll ask for it, hopefully. Once they have their own mind, let them be.
Ankita, what did you discover about Usha ma’am and Milind?
Ankita: Milind, I have known him quite a bit. But it was so much fun to know about aai’s childhood and looking at Mumbai through her eyes. The Mumbai she grew up in is so different from the one we see today. She is so inspiring. Going to London, studying there, raising four children and doing everything on her own and learning to drive in London... all of it is so incredible...
Milind: And, then not thinking it is anything special.... To me, it is really incredible to imagine that she was travelling by boat from India to England with three or four children.... that is something that I can’t imagine I’d be able to do.
The book also talks about the space in relationships...
Ankita: Me coming into this family and realising that I have my own space here, to grow and just to be me.... it was very nice and comfortable. It was a smooth transition. We have a rhythm of our own as a family and that’s beautiful.
Milind: Most families would insist on certain rules... it’s much more fluid (here) and that’s also because of my mother, for sure... you really can do whatever you want....
Usha ma’am you have made a life for yourself...
Usha Soman: That’s the thing... After you retire, you don’t know what you can do. I feel before you retire you should plan certain things... a hobby you would like to pursue. There are lots of things you can do. I like travelling. So, I travel a lot.