We have had many birthday chats with Nussrat Jahan but this pre-birthday chat was slightly different, which made it extra special. Ahead of her birthday tomorrow, we chatted with the beautiful actor-MP as we took her on a spin around town post a glamorous shoot at the equally grand Roots, the just-launched hangout on Chowringhee Road. Keep an eye on The Telegraph tomorrow for the full chat.
The Telegraph gets you excerpts.
What have birthdays come to mean to you over the years?
Birthdays have been very positive and it always excites me other than the fact that people keep reminding me that ‘you are another year nearer to your grave’! I, however, genuinely believe that with every passing year you get wiser and obviously get hotter....
Yash joined Nussrat to cut the lovely cake from Flurys (right) made with whipped dark chocolate ganache and caramelised hazelnuts. “The ‘fashionista’ theme of the cake befitted Nussrat, that of style, glamour, elegance and sophistication,” was the word from Team Flurys. Yash of course had the ‘largest’ piece!
Obviously, look at you!
Look at others... Sarah Jessica Parker and JLo (Jennifer Lopez). Sparkling in their 50s. I want to look like that when I age gracefully. Here I am celebrating each day and life. It’s great fun.
What were your 20s like and now your 30s?
Don’t compare! (Laughs) You always get wiser with time and experience and that teaches a lot. In my 30s, I am a much better person and I do much more justice to the way I live my life because in your 20s, you don’t know what you are doing and you are overwhelmed with everything that you see. Right now I don’t get overwhelmed and I take my time to make decisions. I am not in a hurry. When you are in your 20s, you are always rushing and you have to reach somewhere. God knows where. In your 20s, you don’t really understand that you have to leave it on life. You think you are controlling life, but your reins are in your fate’s hands. You have to be fearless and go with the flow.
Have you been able to let go?
Do I have another option? Life doesn’t give you many options and you tend to match up to life’s pace. Once you get there, you’ll feel a lot of peace. That is what we live for. Of course money is important but that can’t buy you peace. What can buy you peace is wisdom and your own actions and you have to be at peace with yourself.
And, this one was for the album! Keep an out on The Telegraph tomorrow for the whole video! Pictures: Rashbehari Das and Pabitra Das On Yash: Green jacket by Sagar Nihalani; Yash’s hair: Abinash Bhowmick; Yash’s makeup: Pritam Das; Styling: Tanvi Shah On Nussrat: Limerick by Abirr n’Nanki (available at 85 Lansdowne; 85B, Sarat Bose Road)
Also, know yourself?
Which is not possible in your 20s. Probably in your 30s, you start learning more about yourself. By the time we chat on my 50th birthday, I’ll be able to tell you that yes, I have learnt a bit.
Life has been an adventure for you...
My name should have been Nussrat the roller coaster, and the latter gives you an adrenaline rush and that’s what I do. My story and my life have given people an adrenaline rush....
There is a mystery...
They probably just don’t know about me and maybe I would like to keep it that way. Everybody has a different notion about me and their own ‘stories’... ‘stories’ that can get better. Times are changing and people like different kinds of content. So, make something new because I am bored with the old ones. But I must also mention that so many people have been supportive too, which is why I am here and it’s been a long journey... 11 years in the Bengali film industry and I have seen a lot of things, embraced some and rejected some and all for good.
You have this rare ability to bounce back almost instantly...
We are human and we have the right to be upset and I have been very sad at times. Things affect me too. It’s just that you have the reins of your life in your own hands and bounce back. You cannot be sitting at home depressed and sad and by doing that you would be spoiling everything around you. Don’t try to grip on to sand tightly. Feel sad, cry it out, have a few close friends to talk to, talk to your family, go for therapies if needed and that helps overall. Calm yourself down and say life cannot get over like this. Being alive is a pleasure. The fact that you are crying or feeling jealous, makes you human. Embrace it. Everything bad doesn’t stay forever and everything good too. Nothing is forever. Kiss life all the time.
What is the good thing about making a mistake?
(Laughs) You firstly don’t know you’ve made a mistake when you are making one! With time you realise you have made one. On days, I have laughed it out after managing to salvage the situation. Only I can do the disaster management because I have made the mistake and no one else is responsible for my actions.... It’s my life and I am making a mistake and I will fix it. You don’t have to be a party to my mistake or in fixing them later. You can enjoy the show and have fun.
Are you at your stable best?
Whenever you have asked me about stability, I have said I am. I would say the same today too. We saying we are, doesn’t make a difference.
But there is a bit of Zen about you...
That comes with age. For my 50th birthday, meet me in the Himalayas! (Laughs) The Nussrat I knew, she wasn’t so calm. Sometimes, I cannot recognise myself. I have become so much better. I was always a good human being but even then mistakes happen. I tend to do good things for people and they do not tend to return the same favour. Then I get upset. These days, I do not have much expectations from people and that is something I have learnt with time. It doesn’t hurt me any more. I am not saying I do not expect anything at all, but I have curbed it in order to protect myself. That has made me stronger as a person.
How much has motherhood had an impact on how you look at life now?
Oh my god. I think it’s one of the most beautiful things that has happened to me, but the bonding didn’t happen over a fortnight. Right after I gave birth, it wasn’t like, ‘Oh my god... I am a mother now and I feel different’. No. There were many hurdles. It wasn’t easy. Now that he (son, Yishaan) is going to turn one-and-a-half and join playschool, I am slowly making him understand what is right and wrong. I am growing with him....
When you become a mother, you do things selflessly. If you see a child smile and happy and playing with his father and cuddling with you, there is a different joy. So, make babies, it’s not that bad! Be the hot mom...!
What has Yash got into your life?
(Smiles) Many things. He is my best friend. I have had friends who’ve been friends and I have had friends who haven’t been that friendly. I found everything in him. He is fathering my child and he is an amazing father. I keep telling him, better than a partner, you are a father first. He is my partner in crime. We do things keeping each other in the loop. He is always bullying me and only he has the audacity! Apart from him, it’s my son... they have a bond where Yash pulls my leg and he laughs and they are laughing at me. And, the next thing you know is even I have joined their camp and started laughing. That’s the kind of combination you want to have in your life. It makes you feel settled when you come back after a long day or a bad day.
Every day cannot be perfect, but I like this normal life. I like being normal because the world outside is not really normal for us. When I go back home, I am just his partner, a mother. I leave my tags outside the door and Yash too. We do things together. We fight over food and on days even when I am tired, he’d take me to the gym and we fight over that too! (Laughs)
What is your wish for yourself?
Breathe, live, age gracefully and believe that life has too much give. Be ready to take the good, bad and ugly. Always notice the silver lining and never the black cloud.
Happy Birthday Nussrat!
The Telegraph celebrated Nussrat’s January 8 birthday on Thursday with fun and laughter. We blindfolded her with the task of picking the right Yash Daasguptaa from this bunch of super sporting guys from Team Roots!
Nussrat literally took seconds to walk away from the group announcing confidently that Yash wasn’t a part of it.
She soon found him though, waiting for her right in the middle of the room!
And, so it was... all’s well that ends well!
Location: Roots (55 & 55/1 Chowringhee Court, 6th floor rooftop, Chowringhee Road)
Styling: Sumit Sinha
Assisted by: Tania Das
Makeup: Pritam Das
Hair: Gini Halder
Accessories: The Atrium
Cover look: The Atrium