We first came across Namita on Instagram, where she was reviewing a book she had recently read. It was so articulate and immersive that it immediately caught our attention.
Namita likes to call herself a pathologically curious and intellectually promiscuous being who loves to live everyday humdrum banalities of life with full-bodied gusto. For years, she's been exploring life with a sweet mix of adventure and passion. Though she proudly calls herself an actor, it's just one facet of who she is.
Originally from Lucknow, Namita's roots continue to run deep there. Even though she has spent the past ten years in the bustling city of Mumbai, a place she's grown to adore. Her sense of self-preservation guides her every move.
Her love affair with books has been a constant in her life, each one offering little insights that she treasures. It's a bond she plans to keep forever, as she continues to fall head over heels for the stories and wisdom they bring. Elizabeth Gilbert once said that curiosity is the key to leading a creative life. Sitting down with Namita, chatting about everything from childhood to fashion to life itself, we realised she embodies that very essence.
Namita starring as 'Dhairya' in 'Aspirants' on Amazon Prime Video
JODI: How did you end up in the acting world, especially when your family had different plans for you?
NAMITA: I am a heady mix of my mother and father. My mother hails from this lineage of artistry and general gregariousness whilst my father is from an austere bureaucratic background. He is a retired IAS officer. I landed up in the acting world by sheer manifestation but I have struck a balance because my most renowned part in recent times is that of a girl in a UPSC universe.
JODI: What was it like growing up in Lucknow?
NAMITA: It was simple, enriching, and a life full of burgeoning but nourishing boredom.
JODI: So, what made you decide to get a master’s in social work, and has it had any surprising influences on your acting career?
NAMITA: I followed my sister blindly who was a year senior to me and was at TISS, Mumbai. The city beckoned me. And yes, social work honed my people skills to a degree that was unimaginable in any other course.
Namita wears our Meso Crochet Shirt and Meso Appliqué Bib
JODI: With a Bachelor’s degree in literature, how does your love for books help you bring characters to life on screen?
NAMITA: Literature and acting are inextricably linked. A character, a story, an arc, the specific social context; this is literally what I had to learn to debunk and discern in my Literature classes. I find both pursuits to be suffused with some specific vivid richness that is life-altering.
JODI: How do you manage to read so much with the demands of daily life? Any bookish habits that help you out?
NAMITA: It's just too ingrained in my routine now, almost a moral imperative. There are days when I am hard-pressed for time and scrambling to get two minutes of peace with my own being. But I have pockets of free days. Lots of them. And I think this is the best way to fill time.
JODI: You mentioned you love memoirs. Is there one that really stuck with you? Why?
NAMITA: I find memoirs to be a treasure trove of experiences. I ensure I read one memoir a month. It's someone’s life condensed into a few pages; this allows us to extrapolate their experiences and refine our own lens. The one that stayed with me - so many! But I’ll go with ‘Maybe You Should Talk to Someone’ by Lori Gottlieb.
Namita wears our Banu Silk Kurta Set
JODI: How do you keep your creative juices flowing every day, whether it’s through fashion, art, or other hobbies?
NAMITA: I talk aloud and almost ramble incoherently each day to myself, I journal, I imagine and I consume nutritionally dense books :)
JODI: If your life had a movie soundtrack, what song would play as the opening credits roll?
NAMITA: ‘Suddenly I See’ by KT Tunstall. It's preppy and so uplifting.
JODI: In an alternate universe, what would you be famous for if not acting?
NAMITA: Just for living a good life :)
JODI: If you could throw a dinner party with any three people, dead or alive. Who would they be?
NAMITA: Sylvia Plath, Meryl Streep, and Coco Mellors
Namita wears our Mandana Dress
JODI: How has your personal style evolved over the years, and what influences have shaped its transformation?
NAMITA: I am just trying to develop a discerning eye when it comes to fashion. It’s an ongoing fluid movement of my life. Back in the day, I didn't even have my own wardrobe and I only wore my mother’s sarees for the big events. But today, I am just trying to experiment with what I have and not get too deep into the consumerist cesspool that Instagram has created.
JODI: What’s your favourite 'Mumbai moment' that felt like a scene straight out of a movie?
NAMITA: Just the thick waves washing up on my feet on the shores of Versova Beach in July 2014. It’s etched in my memory as such a Mumbai moment. I could foresee the tectonic shift of my life at that moment- I knew I had turned the page.
JODI: Could you give us three book recommendations?
NAMITA: Recommendations are largely influenced by what is happening in my life currently but I will try:
'A Life’s Work' by Rachel Cusk
'1984' by George Orwell
'Tiny Beautiful Things' by Cheryl Strayed
Book recommendations by Namita
JODI: How has your relationship with social media, particularly Instagram, evolved over time? What has it been like building and engaging with your community there?
NAMITA: I find social media to be the succour and sweet relief in our lives - the only disconcertingly uncool bit is our warped toxic relationship with it. I can say with all honesty that I have learned so much from the medium. And my community is so supportive of my endeavours to learn small nuggets of truth every day.
JODI: What do you consider the most significant turning point in your life, and how has it shaped who you are today?
NAMITA: The day I joined Lady Shri Ram College (LSR), my alma mater. I knew I had an opportunity to unlearn my school education and reconfigure my personality. I was always self-aware but my years at LSR made that a central focus of my modus operandi.
Namita wears our Sohrai One Shoulder Dress
JODI: Is there a recurring theme or question in your life that you feel you’re still exploring? How do you engage with it?
NAMITA: Just this notion of the “meaning” of life and what one should anchor themselves onto- is something that has been an ongoing debate in my head. I am exploring how to balance self-awareness with a pinch of insouciance I guess.
JODI: And lastly, what’s your favourite JODI piece to wear?
NAMITA: The Mandana Dress
