THE BONDS OF LOVE
“I have held onto my inner child because of my inherent curiosity and enthusiasm. I do not let cynicism sink in; I truly believe people can change. If everyone thought like that, the world would be a better place.”
It is a time to celebrate at Harper’s Bazaar India, as we put together the 12th anniversary issue. The incredibly stylish—and independent minded—Sonam Kapoor Ahuja has just wrapped up the covershoot for this edition, photographed at an exquisite 17th-century mansion in South London. A few hours later, the images are in our inboxes, and the Bazaar team and I congregate over a call to review them, the unanimous agreement is that Sonam looks, well, simply stunning.
The next day, I log onto our scheduled Zoom meeting from Delhi and am greeted by Sonam’s face on a video screen…she looks positively radiant, dressed in an Etro outfit, in her home in London. “Nandini, how amazing does the shoot look?,” she beams, and I grin back in agreement. Over the years, I have interviewed Sonam several times, for different magazines, and at every instance, I am taken in by her remarkable energy—warm, joyous…sparkling. She laughs when I ask how she has managed to hold on to that delightful quality, which the world (and inspirational quotes on Instagram) seems to be in urgent search of.
“I always want to be idealistic…I believe it should be a way of life,” she explains. “I don’t take anything for granted, and I make a conscious effort to focus on the best in others.” I notice a striking painting on the wall behind her, and Sonam
