Quill & Coin
She has brought insight and entertainment through her fantastic pieces on almost everything you wanted to read about. And now, in a conversation with Shruti Kohli, Shobhaa De reveals her secrets. She says she wants to be an architect in her next life after being an athlete, a model, a journalist, an author and a columnist in this life. If she were to hit a jackpot, she says, she would book a ticket to South America and spend six months discovering it. Read on..
MoneyQuin: Many women in their 20s and 30s have grown up reading your columns. Most of these women are better educated, they work and earn. What is your view of these young women? How are they shaping the world?
Shobhaa De: Today’s women are the real game changers. They have their priorities in place, and are empowered on all levels. Which makes it impossible for them to make excuses or provide alibis for non-performance!! There’s always a catch somewhere.
MQ: Are young women super-ambitious these days?
SD: Yes they are. And that can be scary – as much for them as for the people in their lives. Career goals of a fierce kind make you forget priorities. Women in the fast track start to mimic male conduct – the worst aspect of it, that is.
MQ: You have been a model, a journalist, and an author. If you were to be born again, what would you like to be born as?
SD: Definitely an architect. It is a creative, challenging and hugely satisfying career. Imagine being able to change the outline of cities!
MQ: What does money mean to you? Your consistent success and a well-established spouse would have ensured all your desires being met. How important is a rich husband for today's women?
SD: My husband’s wealth is his own. My decisions are not based on his financial standing. It is important for women to be financially self sufficient. Only then can you call yourself ‘empowered’. Money is merely an instrument. I have a healthy respect for it. That’s about it. Time is money, according to me. And time has far greater value in my book.
MQ: How much was in your first pay packet?
SD: My first cheque was during my modelling years. It must have been Rs. 150!! I started my career as a trainee copy writer at Rs.350.
MQ: How much did you pay for your first home?
SD: A very affordable amount. It is in Pune
MQ: Which car do you drive? How many cars do you own? What do you like about your cars?
SD: I don’t drive. No aptitude. It is a Merc, bought with my own earnings. It is vulgar to talk about how many cars one owns. Numbers are a crass yardstick to define the quality of one’s life. Besides, I am not a car fanatic. It is just a vehicle that takes me from place A to place B. I confess a weakness for Jaguars, though.
MQ: How much cash have you got in your wallet/purse right now as we talk?
SD: Three to four hundred rupees. Credit cards zindabad. I prefer cashless transactions.
MQ: How many credit cards do you have?
SD: Two
MQ: What do you have a fetish for? Jewellery, Gadgets, or anything else which you look forward to buying?
SD: Old silver, especially hall marked silver from the early 2oth century – Art Deco, Art Nouveau period.
MQ: Most men who earn a lot of money spend it on owning a private jet yacht, scotch, and of course on women. How are women different in spending the money they earn?
SD: Women are so much smarter! They invest!
MQ: Which is your favourite holiday destination?
SD: Colombo, Galle, Paris, Dubai, Singapore,Goa, Pune
MQ: What’s your favourite cuisine/restaurant?
SD: Japanese, Thai, Udipi, street food across the world
MQ: If you were to hit a jackpot and suddenly get something like a billion dollar, what will u do?
SD: Book a ticket to South America and spend six months discovering it. Argentina fascinates me.
MQ: What is your preferred mode of investment: Stock/bond/property/art?
SD: Property and gold.
MQ: Did you plan for your retirement?
SD: Retirement?? What’s that??
MQ: As a spouse, how easy or difficult it is for women to participate in financial decisions at home? What has been your experience?
SD: Leave it to the man of the house. Don’t compete. Stick to what you know best. I stay out of it, since my financial knowledge is amateurish at best.
Photo: Vikram Bawa
