Queenie Dhody
La Di Dah... She had queenly airs about her right from the time she was a little girl. She loved to look glamorous, even before she knew the meaning of the word. And as a teenager she threw the coolest parties in town. Perhaps that's why the nick name Queenie came up and stuck. Her christened name was Jasleen which doesn't suit her at all, give us Queenie anyday. "Ya, I guess I had attitude right from the beginning", starts Queenie, "trouble is, I could do anything I wanted to, and be good at it, so I kind of became a bit snooty because of that." Also the fact that the small world around her, worshipped her. She smiles disarmingly, speaks frankly, and comes across as someone pretty real and rather simple, in a manner of speaking. So maybe she is changing now, as she kind of hints. Well, when you get to dine with celebrity such as Madonna and see how
Queenie is not a Bombay girl, she adopted it as her city when she fell in love with Raja Dhody on one of her sojourns into the city, in her fun and hey days when she was a top-notch model living in Delhi, where she was born. Three years later, in 1994 the two tied the knot, at a quiet 'civil' ceremony at friend Rhea Pillai's home and within six months of being married, Queenie was pregnant. Two and a half years after Tiara was born, Rajveer her cute son came along and the mom who continued to look as svelte as ever, gave up modeling as promised to her husband. Which means it was a 10 year stint in which period she had walked the ramp about 600 times! And modeled for every conceivable product, from soaps and shampoos to make-up and sarees and even electrical fittings! What most people don't know, here is a woman who looks like she does and has the brains to match. Judge for yourself. A BA and MA student in mathematics from Lady Sriram College and Hindu College she used to, as a 22 year old go to her father's factory in Delhi and dabble around with the 200 odd machines there. He had a plant manufacturing cooling units and compressors. There she spent time understanding cueing theories, figuring out how to prevent leakages in caskets in the foundry, learning the ropes to join the family business. She even dealt with the union members on many occasions. "My Dad made me what I am today and my math helps me in my day to day life enormously", she concludes. It is nice to see someone break a stereo type, you don't have to look mousy to prove you have brains and can think and make your own life decisions. Queenie, incidently was Miss India in 1987. She was an active tennis player at the time, a regular at the Friends Colony club, where she lived in Delhi. She was also a great swimmer, having competed at Inter-Club level. Genetically well balanced, Queenie is not hyper about her body. She can as easily munch on nachos loaded with melted cheese at tea time as eat the deepest fried snacks. Doesn't feel paranoid about it. But for breakfast she has a ritual, four almonds soaked overnight and a big glass of mixed fresh juice comprising blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, apple, banana, orange, melon, pomegranate, topped with flax seeds. Can't imagine what that tastes like, but if it makes her feel good, there must be something to it. Break free, follow your own path, go with your heart, is Queenie's mantra anyway. To live life on her terms, her way. There have been occasions where she has been torn to shreds by her critics, but that doesn't matter. She can accept life in all its hues, and people in all their shades and it is not because she is brazen, she says, it's the sensitivity inside her that helps. In any case life is what you make of it, she shrugs nonchalantly. She admits she leads a charmed existence. She can't seem to pinpoint when life got so high profile for her, but we guess being with Raja changed her state of mind. His sensibilities have a bearing on her and together they form part of the jet set crowd. Be it sailing to Greek islands aboard Vijay Mallya's Kalizma, or hopping across in Vikram Chatwal's chopper from New York to Hampton for Puff Daddy's party, or just cruising along the F1 track in Monaco in a convertible, the wind in your hair. Queenie is in a very successful phase of her life right now and deservedly so, for she is a hard working person. With a supportive husband, she has found her real calling. Designing jewellery. It's not like it's a whim of a rich woman or a passing indulgence. It's something her heart was in from her modeling days. Very proudly she informs she didn't blow all her earnings, instead she would buy jewellery. Not just buy, but sit with the sunars and karigars (goldsmiths and craftsmen) for hours and learn about shape and size and cut of precious stones, assortment and design. The initial training helped, today after just four years in the business Queenie flies around to exotic destinations in the world holding exhibitions and sales. Her jewellery, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, pearls, are set in bold designs and they make a statement. Not for you if you are the run of the mill kind of woman. She makes what she likes, not what you like, she emphasises Ahem, the attitude's going to stay, did we hear her say she is changing…! |
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