Exclusive interview | An average day in the life of Soha Ali Khan

Mom of one, actress, style diva and a published author, Soha Ali Khan dons many hats and you can’t limit her to just one role. Managing a beautiful house, a child and a comeback movies career on top of other things is just everyday hustle for this royal who has no tantrums and is ‘very patient’. We satdown for an exclusive chat with Soha Ali Khan as she gives us a low-down of what she’s busy with at the moment, her mantra for keeping fit and healthy and looking stylish as ever.

Here are the excerpts from the conversation:

WION: The Pataudis are possibly one of the most reclusive filmy families. You have a social media presence, but your fans always wonder what drives this actor-mom who stunned us with her good looks and sharp conversation skills when she debuted in Bollywood but left the industry very early on. Who is Soha Ali Khan and what does your average day look like?

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Soha Ali Khan: Who is Soha Ali Khan? I mean, I think I've always just followed my heart and my instincts as to what I wanted to do, and I do think that life today is very different. You don't just do one thing for the rest of your life. This is my third career, which is acting. I used to be a banker, I used to work in an NGO, I've done my masters, I've traveled the world. I got married later in life, I had a child later in life because I wanted to do so much for myself, and I only had a child when I was ready to put myself second and to put her first atleast in her formative years. Until she turned 3, I was really very involved in her life and definitely put myself second. Now that she's become more independent, I really feel that I can now also start giving myself attention again. Not physically or emotionally, I mean in terms of my professional interests and passions, which is why it's now that I've gone back to acting.

WION: Apart from running a house and taking care of your beautiful daughter, what keeps you busy? What do you enjoy when you're not busy with daily chores?

Soha Ali Khan: Kunal and I are actually writing some books together again. So, I have gone back to writing and reading,trying out new workouts, and meeting friends again. There's so much that you miss out on in your early years of parenting. I'm slowly emerging into the world again, and the lockdown, of course, helped to keep me locked down at home. So, you know, with all of that lifting now, I really feel that I'm exploring myself again and my average day is quite a chaotic juggle.

WION: You have always looked great, onscreen and offscreen. What do you do in terms of taking care of skin and nutrition to keep that glow or are they just good genes?

Soha Ali Khan: I am blessed with good skin genetically but I believe it is important to eat healthy and nutritious food to keep the skin healthy from inside, apart from all the skincare regime we follow. So, I include wholesome alternatives such as berries, tomatoes, avocados, and coconut oil which have been a staple for years in my diet to enhance skin health. Another one food that I highly recommend is almonds as they contain healthy fats and Vitamin E which have shown to impart anti-ageing properties that may benefit the skin and keep myself hydrated enough.

WION: You lead an active lifestyle from what we've seen from social media posts -- how important is taking care of one's health and are you a fitness freak? Do you do yoga, meditation or/and exercises to stay fit? Something that you absolutely love out of them.

Soha Ali Khan: One thing that I have constantly seen as a kid growing up, is how effortlessly my mother used to manage household chores and her professional life. This has been the strongest motivational factor that has helped me become the person I am today. I make sure to exercise everyday for a minimum of 30 minutes and start with Yoga. I also make sure I complete 10,000 steps every day. If nothing, I walk around the house and terrace, taking breaks in between activities to ensure I am not sedentary for long hours. To keep my health in check, I also regularly practice steam inhalation with Vicks VapoRub to protect myself from cough and cold.

WION: Do you believe in watching weight with a balanced diet or are you heavy on exercises and training regimes?

Soha Ali Khan: I'm not an avid follower of diets. I, as a rule, practice smart dieting and remember a ton of nutritious food varieties for my eating routine, along with my workout routine. I start my day with Methi water alongside a modest bunch of plain or drenched almonds and drink them during regular intervals to keep my cravings in control. For breakfast, I ordinarily eat a Dosa or an omelet with new products of the soil sans gluten toast with honey. For lunch, I like to eat chicken or fish with dal and a few vegetables, and earthy colored rice or roti. I end the day on a light note and generally have a plate of mixed greens with bunches of vegetables, almonds, and spices sprinkled with a citrus dressing.

WION: Can you share some tips to stay fit during this pandemic?

Soha Ali Khan: During the pandemic, I have become even more committed to my family and my own health and lifestyle. I have made sure to follow a well-balanced diet, which includes a variety of nutrients which helps in nourishing the body, while also strengthening the immune system. Besides eating healthy, I also make sure I snack mindfully. Almonds are my go-to snack as they are a source of 15 nutrients such as vitamin E, magnesium, protein, riboflavin, zinc, etc. These nutrients are important to help grow your muscle mass and keep you energetic through the day. Another practice I have adopted is regular steam inhalation with Vicks VapoRub infused hot (not boiling) water.

WION: How do you feel about mental health? What do you indulge in to keep sane?

Soha Ali Khan: As we all try to adapt to this new way of life, I feel it is extremely important that we all take care of ourselves too. I think it's especially true for women and mothers who have a family to take care of, especially those with children who are dependent on us. Self-care is all about finding the right balance that works for you. It is important to take care of your mental well-being as well as your physical health. I make sure I take time out to do things that make me happy – like reading, listening to audiobooks or podcasts.

WION: Coming to your acting career, we recently saw and loved you in Kaun Banegi Shikharwati. Incidentally, you play a royal and have a palace, much like in real life. Do you have any royal tantrums? How was it getting back on set after years?

Soha Ali Khan: I think most people who know me will tell you that I'm not tantrumy and I'm very patient. I think, what happens to me is if I have worked and I'm very tired or, you know, I feel like I really miss my daughter and work is keeping me away from her for too long and things are not working efficiently on set, and I could be with her. Then I start to get a little weepy. When I get tired, I get weepy. I don't get angry, and my eyes are filled with tears a couple of times on set, but not tantrummy. I am generally in control of my emotions. I think that you know, that is ‘a royal trait’ – in the sense that you're not supposed to wear your heart on your sleeve. You're supposed to be in check, you're supposed to be cool as a cucumber, composed and always in control of yourself. And that's something I certainly saw in my father, and something that I wanted to imbibe. I hope that I managed to do that because I never really saw him lose his cool. I think that's a wonderful quality in a person. As for shooting, getting back to set was wonderful! So much credit goes to the production team and the direction team. They were wonderful with me and my requirements. You know, trying to make bedtime with Inaaya, doing online school with her, of course. It certainly helped that we were shooting on location and staying at the shoot location, which was this beautiful palace in Mandawa so I could take her with me. There was a bio bubble for two months, so we felt safe. We were COVID-free. She was able to attend her school.

WION: You're always impeccably dressed. Is your style more experimental or safe? Do you bend towards luxury or comfort while deciding clothes?

Soha Ali Khan: Fashion for me is an outflow of anything truly. It is sometimes reflective of the style and the statement of designers they want to show. Fashion, I think, is more about being noticed and saying something. My go-to outfit is something that I can do yoga in at the drop of a hat, without the hat. So athleisure is what I like. You can sleep in it, entertain in it, workout in it and you end up doing a lot of those things with showers in between.

WION: Do you watch films/ shows during free time? Anything you've seen and loved that you'd recommend to fans. What do you wish the most from this new year?

Soha Ali Khan: I realized I have not been reading enough books. I've completely stopped reading books. So in October, when it was my birthday, I told everyone please just buy me a book. Now I have 50 books, so now I don't watch TV during the day. I read and I watch TV in the evenings. So that's something that I have started, and I also plan to jump into a new workout routine with my new trainer trying out different things.