Welcome! I’m Simi Shah, and in this newsletter, I dive deep into the journeys of South Asian trailblazers. Find our podcast on Apple & Spotify and episodes/events on our Instagram & LinkedIn.
📅 Our Live Podcast Event with Anjula Acharia in NYC
To our New York-based readers and listeners 💌 we’re thrilled to announce our first IRL event of 2023! On Tuesday, April 4, I’ll be hosting a LIVE podcast with Anjula Acharia, legendary investor, entrepreneur, and manager to Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Reserve your seat now.
Latest Episode 🎧 Akshay Kumar and The Entertainers
In this VERY special episode, I join some of the biggest stars of Indian cinema as they kick off their U.S. tour entitled, The Entertainers. Led by Bollywood icon Akshay Kumar, the tour also features Nora Fatehi, Mouni Roy, Disha Patani, Aparshakti Khurana, Zahrah Khan, Sonam Bajwa, Stebin Ben, and Jasleen Royal. More about each of them in our episode:
As the stars walk the red carpet on their way to the tour's official launch party, I spoke with them about their journeys to stardom, advice for aspiring creatives, and their highly-anticipated tour around the U.S. Listen in for a live glimpse into this star-studded evening, with guests all the way from the hallowed halls of Hindi cinema… or catch episode excerpts below:
How to become a high-potential CEO candidate: As we’ve learned through our conversations on Trailblazers, the road to CEO is a challenging ascent for even the most seasoned leaders. Learn about the four keys to making your journey a success.
Simi: What advice do you have for aspiring creatives and entertainers who want to ‘make it’ as you have?
Nora Fatehi: I don't really like to call it advice, but a tip is lots of self belief and self confidence. You have that and the sky's the limit. Oh and… you need to keep one hype man with you!
Mouni Roy: There's no shortcut to hard work. Something that my father taught me when I was very, very young was you have to know when to say ‘no.’ There's a lot of power in the power of negation. And also, only your work begets more work, so when when you're doing something today, give it your 100%, because only that can make your tomorrow even better.
Akshay Kumar: The best thing about the industry is it acknowledges people who work hard, so keep working hard.
Aparshakti Khurana: Be yourself. Don't try extra too hard. One step at a time and you're always home.
Stebin Ben: If you are a musician, if you're an artist, don't give up on your whatever you're doing. Keep going. It takes time, but don't give up on it. Focus on it and just follow it passionately, religiously. I'm sure one day you're going to get there because that has happened with me. I waited for five years. I religiously followed my my art and now I’m finally rising.
Disha Patani: Just work hard and never give up.
Sonam Bajwa: I feel like there is no substitute for hard work — no matter what profession you're in. Work hard towards your craft because the trends will come and go. Your beauty is going to fade in a couple of years. But if you are a good actor or a good singer, you’re going to get better and better over time, so keep working on your craft. Hard work beats talent.
Full episode on Apple, Spotify, or our website! Thank you to the evening's hosts: Anip Patel, Jack Singh, the Garg Group, and Anand Entertainment for inviting us to this special evening and initiating our first (and certainly not last!) crossover into Bollywood and Indian cinema!