‘I’m not all hoity toity’

[1]

She is one of India’s favourite mums. And we don’t mean the Nirupa Roy sorts. This one’s chic and bubbly, giving the stereotype a glamorous facelift. Spotted at most high-profile social dos in Mumbai, she is a shutterbug’s delight. For Amrita Raichand, who first played the gorgeous Whirlpool mom straight out of college, modelling happened merely by chance. “I studied at Xaviers’ College, Mumbai, and was an active participant during college fests. I happened to stumble upon modelling because my college team fell short of one model. Some one happened to spot me at the fest and there it was! My first modelling assignment!” she smiles.
As a woman comfortable in her skin, Amrita didn’t mind playing an older woman at a young age. “Yes, my friends were surprised that I took up the offer, but I just looked at it as a job then. I come from a fairly conservative family and my folks were fine with me doing assignments that didn’t involve much skin show. I feel I’d be better at playing a mother now that I am one in real life, but it was fun then too,” she says.
After working in more than a hundred commercials for various top brands, Amrita made her way into television with the popular show, Mahi Way. From there, she went on to host the cookery show, on a food channel. “Modelling is and always will be my first love, but television comes a close second,” says Amrita who played Anjali, a hoity toity and almost snooty elder sister in Mahi Way. “But I am nothing like that I real life,” she is quick to clear. After a little thought, “Okay, maybe just a little,” she sheepishly admits.
A fashionista in her own right, Amrita does not believe in labels. “I believe you can look great in whatever you wear if you are comfortable wearing it. I’m not a fan of branded wear. Yes, I have a few favourites, but my style is beyond that,” she says. A shopping enthusiast, Amrita admits that a trip to the mall can be rejuvenating. “I love shopping. It lifts my mood instantly,” she says adding that, “I follow my mood and instinct when at a store. Trends mean little to me.”
Marrying a sports enthusiast and entrepreneur, Rahul Raichand, changed Amrita’s life in more ways than one. “I was never a sports person. But post marriage, my weekends and holidays revolve around cricket, football and spending long afternoons playing golf!” Although Amrita is usually the one to sit back watch a good game, her four-year-old son Agastya is already taking after his dad’s footsteps. “It’s pleasing to see the father and son bond over the game,” she adds.
After taking a sabbatical post her child, Amrita is looking at her prospects in the entertainment industry with renewed energy. “I want to do movies now. I am reading a few scripts and soon will find my true calling,” she signs off.