Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Age?
Twenty-nine. Though she appears wiser than her years, Sonya is still in her twenties 8212; well just about!
Married?
No. This young girl may come from one of the city8217;s most famous families but as yet, no young man has snapped her up.
Famous family? The name rings a bell. Could it be the same Sippys as 8230;
That8217;s right. Sonya or quot;Sonaquot; is the daughter of Ramesh Sippy. The sister of well-known fashion photographer Sheena. And her brother Rohan is the co-producer of the tele-serial Gaatha.
Wow! That8217;s a lot of high-profile talent to live up to. Does Sonya ever feel over-shadowed by these over-achievers?
quot;I am proud of my family. But I have my own ambitions.quot;
Right. Of course. But being a part of the Sippy clan must make realising those ambitions easier?
quot;I do not really let anyone know who I am. But I guess it does help open doors.quot;
So how did the first door open?
Sonya did not start her career with her family but with Channel V as anin-house producer. Sonya came back from working and studying in the West, in 1994, which according to her was the right time as the TV boom was just taking off. After V, she did some freelance work and in 1997 landed Style Gurus for Star Plus.
Wasn8217;t that a fashion weekly magazine, hosted by Suneet Verma?
Right. 26 episodes of Style Gurus had Sonya travelling to places like Los Angles and meeting with fashion personalities like Betsy Johnston,
Did she end up a slave to fashion?
No way. quot;I have my own style. I do not always follow fashion.quot;
Ummm8230; what followed then. Didn8217;t Style Gurus end last year8230;
Yes. And after Sonya did a little bit of this and a little bit of that 8212; including a documentary on underwater diving.
Until Alisha Chinai8217;s new video Vah Vah8217; landed on her lap. How did that happen?
Apparently Alisha saw Sonya8217;s show-reel, and liked it so much she asked Sonya to direct her next video. Sonya obviously made quite an impression with the dil kirani
And what was the first thing Sonya did with our Maid in India?
Change that desi image and give her quot;a more up-dated 8217;90s woman imagequot;. So, instead of soft colours, Alisha is dressed in black against a stark white backdrop. Complete with silver eyeshadow and a slightly harsher look, the baby doll has completely disappeared. As has the hindustani gudiya. The new Alisha is tres chic.
But why is Alisha8217;s lucky mascot, Milind Soman, missing? He made Made in India and was in Alisha8217;s next video Tu jo mila8217; too.
Sonya hopes that the very young Dino Morea will add fresh charm to the video. She has also added a dash of the family8217;s luckiest charm 8212; Sonya has inserted a scene from Sholay, by far Ramesh Sippy8217;s most successful film.
Is that a sign of the times? Is Sonya planning to make a sequel to her father8217;s grand epic?
No. quot;I would like to make a film but not in Hindi.quot;
Then why a Hindi-pop music video? Is she a fan of Alisha8217;s music?
quot;I like some of herstuff. And I definitely liked the tune of this video.quot;
A bit of Hindi music buff is Sonya? quot;I like all sorts of music. But I do not follow Hindi music particularly.quot;
Does that mean no more Hindi music videos?
Sonya does not rule out anything. quot;I have done lots of different stuff.quot; Including some writing for India Today Plus and Verve. At the moment she is helping American Vogue co-ordinate a fashion shoot in Mumbai.
What does she prefer being an interviewer or an interviewee?
quot;I like to be at the questioning end.quot;
And when her quest ends, how does she unwind?
quot;I do not like doing the social butterfly thing.quot; She unwinds by watching films and reading. She also enjoys scuba-diving. Obviously there8217;s more to this Sippy than just show business.
