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'It's a very, very tough world out there'

'Gratitude can help you keep fit and look great,' Tulip Joshi, who is making waves with her 'Pocket mein TV' ad for Tata Sky Mobile, tells Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore.

Once the face of consumer brands like Ponds, Pepsi and Smirnoff, model-actor Tulip Joshi is back with the 'Pocket mein TV' ad for Tata Sky Mobile.

You can see Tulip's ad here.

Tulip made her Bollywood debut in Yash Chopra's Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai and later moved to Telugu and Punjabi films.

Is the Tata Sky Mobile ad a comeback?

I don't know if this is a comeback. I have never been in the race.

If you want to call it 'comeback,' you can call it that, but for me it is a very special ad because working for a good brand is always welcome.

I loved the concept. The director was fantastic. I loved the script. Corcoise Films produced the ad. The set was so beautiful that it looked like one of those quaint boutiques in Milan or Paris.

And working with Mr Tom Alter was an honour.

What kind of reactions are you getting for the ad?

Amazing! Normally, people interview you for films, not for ads!

I guess Tulip Joshi is making waves once again.

(Laughs.) I have never followed any graph. I have never been in the race. I prefer doing a couple of projects a year.

If something looks interesting, like the script or the product, I go ahead with it.

I am very grateful that I got to be associated with a Tata brand.

And the fact that people are loving this ad and loving me in it feels great and nice to be appreciated.

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'It's a very, very tough world out there'

You were 'off the radar' for a while. What have you been up to?

(Laughs.) I love spending time with family and I have a business (Tulip owns exports, infrastructure and finance companies) to run. I am busy with that. Then there is travel too.

Like other models, are you a fitness freak?

I love meditation and self-searching more than showing biceps.

I take good care of myself, but for me fitness is not about exerting pressure.

I am a fitness freak because I need to be fit and healthy not because you have to look a certain way.

There is a lot of pressure on people to do just that. I think it is time they begin to understand that life does not end with getting a certain type of look.

I have seen people getting depressed because of their fitness. I feel sorry for them because there is life beyond that.

One must be grateful for what we have and be healthy without getting upset about it.

Just live life the way it is.

How does meditation help you?

Meditation helps a lot. It can be in various forms. One can be in a crowded street and yet can be in a meditative state.

For me, meditation means to be cut off from a lot of things around and to maintain positive energy.

Running could be a form of meditation. I go for a jog just to meditate.

How do you keep fit and look great?

Gratitude is the first thing that can help you keep fit and look great.

You should be grateful for your genetic structure or complexion.

We all have flaws. Thank God for whatever you have to begin with.

The second most important thing is you must always have a smile on your face and that smile comes only from gratitude.

If you are at peace with yourself, you start looking wonderful and feeling fit.

Drink a lot of water as that helps flush out toxins from your body.

Everybody's need for water is different; I can't say exactly how much water one should drink in a day. I'd consume probably two litres of water a day. It works for me.

It depends on the activity you do, your genetic type and the type of place you are in.

Be careful of what you eat. Remember, your mouth is not a garbage can and eating is not a source of entertainment.

Try and do any kind of exercise. It could be yoga; it does not need a gym or huge space. You could also do resistance training on the spot. You can bicycle, jog on the beach... whatever suits you and your lifestyle.

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'It's a very, very tough world out there'

Three things you will never be found without...

My sense of humour (laughs)... my phone... I have a bottle of water always with me.

Advice for those want to join show business...

Know what you want.

Position yourself properly. There are lot of opportunities in different areas of the entertainment industry.

There is dance, plays, television and films.

There are different media unlike the past when one had limited choices. People should know what they want to get into.

Do not feel pressurised because some people are achieving great results at the box office.

There is space for everyone. There is a niche for everybody.

Find your niche and don't try to ape somebody.

We are all unique and there is something special about all of us.

Please exploit that aspect instead of doing something that will make you just an imitator.

It's a very, very, tough world out there especially if you are not from Bombay. If you are not from Bombay, then it is very difficult because you have to leave your family and come and struggle here.

Financially, you have to be very strong. You should first plan that out and then come to the city.

Don't come without a plan and then get disheartened. If you do come here, don't get disheartened because you should know what you are getting into.

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'It's a very, very tough world out there'

Favourite travel destination...

Himachal Pradesh. The Himalayas in this state are so very beautiful. Wherever you go, you can see the Himalayas, the abode of Lord Shiva.

I feel so beautiful and connected (with the Almighty) when I am there.

Punjab is also one of my favourite places in India. I love Patiala and Chandigarh a lot. I shot my last film, Jat Airways, there.

Favourite foreign travel destination...

Turin in Italy and California.

Favourite food...

Food is the last thing on my mind.

Having daal and dahi is the ultimate!

I love Moong daal khichdi; it is high on protein, and so yummy.

A recipe for readers...

You can either have whole moong, the green one, but I prefer the yellow one because it is soft on the stomach.

Just boil that with rock salt to taste, put a bit of turmeric, akkha jeera, give it like four whistles (in a pressure cooker).

When you open it (the pressure cooker), the most important part is to mix a small portion of ghee made from cow's milk. You don't lose the nutrients of the ghee.

Have it with powdered shakkar (a form of jaggery that one can get from Punjab).

What's next?

I don't know. I enjoy life as it unfolds.

There is more fun in enjoying every bit of whatever I have, be grateful and let's see what happens next.