Yana Gupta

What’s cooking between Yana Gupta and Saif Ali Khan?

Another
couple who are raising eyebrows these days is Saif Ali Khan and Yana
Gupta. Rumour mills are working overtime and claiming that they are more
than ‘just friends’. Can’t blame them, both have had their share of
relationships in the past, and today they are single and ready to
mingle. Saif we know is single and ready to mingle after his split with
Rozza, but wasn’t Yana seeing Aftab? It’s another love story gone kaput!

Yana Gupta wants to get arty

After
her Babuji number in Dum, people expected to see more of Yana Gupta in
Bollywood. However, she hasn’t achieved a lot of popularity in the film
world. Yana says, “I went through a time when I was showered with many
offers. But I wanted to lie low. I would put the blame on myself as I
was saying no to the things coming my way. Nothing was creatively
satisfying for me. Frankly, heroines today don’t mind just being the
glam dolls in films. I don’t desire to be that. I am passionate about
creativity and want to connect with people who are like me.” But doesn’t
it bother her contemporaries have zoomed ahead? “I need to connect
myself with stuff that is creative. I have a feeling my first film as an
actor will be an art film,” she says.

Is Yana Gupta once divorced, twice shy?

Model
and item girl Yana Gupta has so far been tight lipped about her personal
life - her divorce, and her subsequent link up with actor Aftab
Shivdasani. But now she’s slowly opening up. So where does Aftab stand
in her life? “He knows where he stands in my life,” she smiles. “We may
not be seen together in public places.We go out privately. We are ready
with our relationship, but we’re not dying to make it public. We will do
it soon.”

Some years ago, Yana had come to India on a spiritual sojourn. That’s
when she fell in love with an Indian artist Satyakam, and the two got
married. Divorce may have separated them now, but Yana is very much
friends with him. “It’s important to distance and disconnect yourself
from the relationship initially. But later, if you feel that you have
been honest with your spouse and the reason for your parting was
justified, than you can become friends again,” she says, adding,
“Satyakam is a great guy, inspiring and wise, so I connect with him. But
we don’t meet often as he is based in Pune. I like to cherish the good
memories. I am even in touch with my boyfriend of my teenage days.”

Once divorced, twice shy? She smiles, “Not really. I don’t really
care about marital documents, the societal norms. Instead marriage means
two souls coming together. I believe in love and about growing and
evolving in a relationship. A couple should understand and respect each
other. I believe in soulmates.”

Yana Gupta’s innermost beauty secrets

Yoga
- the natural body workout:

To attain a well-rounded body, it’s essential to exercise religiously
without any long breaks. By that I don’t mean hitting the gym all day
long but improving the flexibility of the body naturally. I practice
yoga and other simple stretching exercises that are more fruitful than
pumping iron in the gym. Very few people are aware of this, but certain
yogic aasans are excellent for hair, as they activate blood circulation
in that area and keep the tresses strong and luster-rich! The best
exercise for great hair is to stand upside-down with the head facing the
ground. At least that works like magic for me.

Diet essentials:

I follow a balanced diet that is a right mix of carbohydrates, proteins
and vitamins. Eating small portions of meals five to six times a day is
also equally vital. Consuming gallops of food at a go can prove
detrimental. Also remember, there should be no limit to your
water-intake. I make sure I drink lots of water on a daily basis.

Skin secrets:

An easy path to flawless skin is sweating it out. It’s very important
for the pores of the skin to open up and respire. That’s exactly what
happens when the body sweats. Our skin also reflects what we eat,
therefore, include as much of raw fruits and green vegetables in your
diet as possible. Natural fluids like coconut water and plain lukewarm
water also work wonders for me.

Avoid direct sun exposure:

Since its peak summer these days, I steer clear off tanning in the sun.
Try and avoid direct expose under direct sun as far as possible. Over
exposure of direct UV rays are lethal for your skin. Use a high quality
sunscreen lotion half and hour before you step out.

Natural oils:

Even a soothing body massage with natural oils, like virgin olive oil
can prove very reinvigorating. A gentle oil massage on a regular basis
is indispensable for hair as it provides excellent nutrition to the
roots. I massage my hair with natural oils twice a week and make sure
the oil is rinsed off completely.

Mane magic:

The beauty products you apply are of utmost importance in the long run.
So use a good-quality mild shampoo for daily use. Because the weather
conditions in Mumbai are so sultry and humid, I shampoo my hair daily. I
also make it a point to use a rich conditioner after I am done with
shampooing. If you want great hair, try consuming as many raw almonds
and walnuts during the course of day as possible. They help increase the
tensile strength of hair. Lastly, to avoid bad-hair-days and split-ends,
you must go for a monthly trim.

Yana Gupta on her tress dreams…

What’s
the inspiration behind the sporty haircut?

I was basically sitting and thinking of doing something creative and
thought why not cut my hair. I chopped it myself and thought that it
looked new, fresh and funky. The next day I got it redone by Sapna
Bhavnani (of Mad-O-Wot).

Do you chop your own hair often?

Not always. But I used to cut my friend’s hair. Once I ruined her
haircut - it looked so funny - I was in splits! But I fixed it later.

Would you go for a longer hairstyle?

I work out twice a day and hence sweat a lot. Long hair makes it
difficult to manage because I cannot wash my hair twice a day!

Whose haircut in Hollywood do you admire?

I think Jennifer Aniston experiments a lot with her hair and it suits
her well.

Do you think Indian actors experiment enough with their hair?

No, I don’t think so. People should experiment according to their
character, but it becomes difficult when you are doing a lot of films.

Would you ever go bald?

I have been wanting to go bald. I’m just waiting for the right time
because right now when I am doing stage shows, I cannot afford to be
bald. But I will do it eventually. It’s healthy for your hair. Also,
when it grows a few millimetres, it looks really cute. The shape of my
head is also perfect and it will suit me well.