To the moon Read online

  Yeansha Lodha – Assistant Stylist

  That absolute awkwardly star struck moment, where I didn’t know whether to smile or breathe, was as Shah Rukh Khan used my back to sign t-shirts on and Malini brought up our long running joke about how I only like ‘bad boys’ and asked him to give me some advice! To which he said, ‘Yeah you should go for bad boys because I’m playing one in my next movie.’ I died.

  I also thought I’d dig deep and ask ex team members, who went on to pursue their other passions to pull out their favourite memories from the archives!

  Amruta Khatavkar

  One of my favourite MissMalini memories was the day SRK took a selfie with me! Believe it or not he was so casual about me passing my phone to him, switching my camera to selfie mode and clicking a picture. It was covered in the newspaper as ‘Shah Rukh Khan clicking a picture with someone at a party’, and that was the cherry on the cake.

  Anushka Mulchandani

  In January, I told Malini that going to Coachella was on my bucket list. She said, ‘So why don’t you just write to them and tell them you want a press pass?’ I had nothing to lose; I sent that email and filled out their press forms and forgot about the whole thing. Come March I got an email from their team telling me they’d love to have me over and I was in shock! Yes, I went to Coachella that year (with a free festival ticket no less) and had the best time of my life.

  Chandni LahotI

  The most memorable moment for me while working for Team MissMalini Dubai, was attending the TOIFA Awards 2016 Red Carpet alongside Malini and the team for the first time. I got to see the biggest superstars, from Amitabh Bachchan to SRK to Salman Khan off screen, right in front of me.

  Dhruvi Shah

  My favourite director in the world is Imtiaz Ali and this is no secret. At MissMalini, I have a fellow Bollywood dreamer, Rashmi Daryanani. On a summer afternoon in 2014, we trekked to Andheri (albeit in a sedan) to Imtiaz Ali’s brand new office. We were interviewing him for Highway, realizing much later that he revealed the plot and characterization for Tamasha! We were just happy that when we requested for t-shirts, he gave us the crew t-shirts for Highway. The treasure he has left with us is priceless.

  Lumen Beltran

  MM HQ is known for having big Bollywood stars as our guests, and consequently there’s a certain pressure for the team to perfect every shoot within the time constraints given. The reason I’m so fond of Spiderman and Mallika Dua’s visits is because they brought an infectious energy that allowed everyone in the office to let loose. I think it’s a strong reflection of the company culture MissMalini has built when even our CEO, Nowshad, can participate and take fun photos with our guests while still maintaining a high level of professionalism. I felt even more connected to the team after each visit.

  Mahak Jain

  I was nearly 9 months pregnant (and very obviously ready to pop) when I met Shah Rukh Khan for the first time. He was in Dubai promoting Raees and from the moment he walked into the interview he made it about me. He asked me if my chair was comfortable, made sure no one had any cigarettes in the vicinity, and even brought up memories of holding his own kids for the first time! And then, in the middle of chatting about the film, he paused and said, ‘Actually, you shouldn’t watch that scene,’ and went on to tell me that I should step out of the theatre during a particularly gory scene in the movie because it wasn’t something an expectant mother should see. As if that wasn’t enough to completely melt me into a pile of mush, he took my hand and kissed it at the end of the interview, leaving me with a ‘God bless’ and ‘good luck’ for the baby. No words.

  Marv D’Souza

  Malini did all the major Bollywood interviews. Once, the team couldn’t make it in time and I, as a shy fashion stylist, was the last choice. But Malini called from New York and instructed me to do and it led me to interviewing Priyanka Chopra. It was wonderful meeting a superstar who actually paid attention to a shy newbie and make me comfortable instead of the other way around.

  Ranjit Rodricks

  My best memories are of all the insider Bollywood gossip we would share around the lunch table (that stuff was always spicier than the food) and the frequent dress-up parties we would have in office.

  Sukriti Gumber

  Alia Bhatt was promoting Dear Zindagi with Shah Rukh Khan, and it was one of those rare opportunities when you meet a celeb in Delhi. I wore my Zara sneakers (and planned an outfit per them) that Alia once wore to the airport, hopelessly hoping that she would notice them. When we met, I sheepishly drove her attention to my shoes and she casually started a conversation about it. I was so dazed!

  Letters from the Stars

  Anu Malik: MissMalini can see the bigger picture and understand multiple view-points. She has redefined journalism in the Hindi film industry. Cheering for MissMalini all the way to the moon.

  Arjun Kapoor: Here’s to the girl who started a movement! The digital entrepreneur who saw things before anyone else did – the trendsetter, the jetsetter, the beautiful and stylish Malini.

  Elton Fernandez: I don’t think most people understand how much of a workaholic Malini is. She’s always hustling and projecting bigger life goals. She’s somebody who’s always thoughtful and a loyal friend. Incidentally, she’s the person who planted the idea of starting my YouTube tutorials, and am I glad I took her advice! We constantly collaborate and work so beautifully together, and I feel like we unwrap a new layer to each other, and I respect her more each time. I have immense admiration for the brand that the team has seen grow over the years, and wish them every luck and success.

  Farhan Akhtar: What can I say? You’ve got to love this girl and applaud all she’s achieved. Shine on, Malini.

  Jacqueline Fernandez: She’s been one of my inspirations with her focus, dedication and for being a pioneer in the digital world with her blogs and amazing content You always know it’s a good show or story if Malini is covering it. Love her!

  Karan Tacker: I mean there is inappropriate and then there are MissMalini’s inappropriate questions. The one I did on my birthday is one to remember! Had a blast being awkward, that’s what team MissMalini does. But must give it to her for coming in and sweeping us off with all her updates. So happy for you Malini and wish the portals keep increasing, in case you don’t know what I mean, you have to go see @missmaliniloveandsex on Instagram.

  Malisha Mendonsa: I know Malini from a radio station we started working at together. I distinctly remember thinking, as she went about prepping and planning her show, how proactive and resourceful she always was. She made all ideas and their execution seem so easy. Over the years, I’ve seen her evolve into a brand everyone wants to associate with and how! She is so deeply involved with all facets of everything that she does and makes it look so effortless. I’m sure she and her super team have a ball while doing all that they do. However, I know it is hard work and it is commendable and inspiring. I remember writing to her a few years back, telling her how proud it made me to see her do so well and aiming for the moon. I have no doubt that she will make it there and beyond as she puts her mind to it. I wish you so much luck for the future. Malini, you go girl!

  Mandira Bedi: It’s been lovely to see the growth from strength to strength of this lovely girl, MissMalini. I remember her from her Mid-Day days and it’s amazing how far she has come. Where she is at is a natural progression, but I don’t see anyone else where she is. She has the first-mover advantage in the world of blogging and social media and her brand now has reached a position no one else can touch.

  My two best memories of her are when she walked the ramp for me in my first fashion week show, as a woman of substance. And the second one, in Delhi, when we danced the night away to the ‘Shape of You’.

  Nikhil Mehra: From the moment I saw her, I knew she was special. She had come not to impress but to take over and, by God, she did.

  Rohit and Rahul Gandhi: We remember meeting Malini during the Chivas tour, when Ranveer was walking the ramp for the first time
. We met her backstage before and after the show, she was quirky and young and the three of us had a great time. We both remember it as the first time that an interview was a fun conversation!

  Rahul Bose: I cannot think of a time in the last 10 years that the team at MissMalini has not supported an event held by my foundation or of any of the movies I have done. Their support of Poorna during its release went well beyond professional requirement. They were proactive, kept their word and followed up on every story to do with the film. In today’s world, that is pure gold.

  Richa Chadda: About time you did a book about your incredible success and how you came from doing what you loved and built this empire on your own. I’ve seen you grow, seen your office grow and your employees grow, and I am just so proud of you. We need more women like you out there, doing their own thing and making it their own thing. So, good luck and I can’t wait to read your book!

  Sunny Leone: Good luck for your book l and I wish you all the best. Glad to see your unique journey find success.

  Thank you, Universe!

  * FYI, Mumbai Cutting is a 2010 anthology Indian film with eleven short stories based in Mumbai by directors like Anurag Kashyap, Sudhir Mishra, Rahul Dholakia, Kundan Shah, Revathy, Jahnu Barua, Rituparno Ghosh, Shashanka Ghosh, Ruchi Narain, Ayush Raina and Manish Jha. It played at a few international film festivals but was never commercially released.

  NOTES

  Section 4: How to Build a Brand

  1 grossnationalhappiness.com; Gross National Happiness Survey, 2010

  1 https://www.ochen.com/transcript-of-simon-sineks-millennials-in-the-workplace-interview

  1 managementstudyguide.com

  1 extension.missouri.edu

  1 churchofthecosmos.wordpress.com

  1 www.ochen.com/transcript-of-simon-sineks-millennials-in-the-workplace-interview

  1 thenextweb.com/insider/2015/06/23/the-psychology-of-emojis/

  1 designmantic.com

  1 www.menshealth.com

  1 graphics.stanford.edu

  1 articles.bplans.com

  1 www.investopedia.com

  1 www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-kanalley/

  1 www.urbandictionary.com

  About the Book

  DON'T START BY WANTING TO BE A RICH-AND-FAMOUS ANYTHING. CLOSE YOUR EYES AND IMAGINE THE ONE THING YOU’D WANT TO DO FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AND FIND A WAY TO MAKE THAT YOUR CAREER.

  Malini Agarwal’s story began much like any Bollywood movie from the nineties—with a pigeon, a damsel in distress and Mumbai, the city of dreams. She realized soon enough that she was destined to be someone extraordinary.

  The clapboard sounded with the launch of a hobby blog by this dancer, RJ and columnist who went on to become the founder of the biggest entertainment website of its kind. Brand MissMalini took the world by storm before the era of blogging and entertainment journalism, and much before Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat dominated public consciousness. The rest is history.

  MissMalini is entertainment’s #BossLady. #ToTheMoon is her mantra and her story. In this dazzling book, full of wisdom and wit, she tells you how to get to the top and stay there.

  About the Author

  MALINI AGARWAL is the founder and creative director of MissMalini Entertainment. She pioneered Indian lifestyle blogging with MissMalini.com in 2008. The website reaches over 4 million from over 200 countries and she has a social media following of over 7.5 million.

  Malini was No. 1 on IMPACT’S 50 Most Influential Women in Media, Marketing and Advertising 2017; on the business leaders to watch in Fortune India’s 40 Under 40 list and was one of GQ’s 50 Most Influential Young Indians in 2017. She’s been named India’s most famous blogger by the Huffington Post and Forbes.

  Malini made her first foray into television in 2014 with the reality entertainment TV series MissMalini’s World on TLC. She went on to host Kya Seen Hai on Zoom and Vhl Inside Access with MissMalini.

  Celebrating 25 Years of Great Publishing

  HarperCollins India celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2017. Twenty-five years of publishing India’s finest writers and some of its most memorable books – those you cannot put down; ones you want to finish reading yet don’t want to end; works you can read over and over again only to fall deeper in love with.

  Through the years, we have published writers from the Indian subcontinent, and across the globe, including Aravind Adiga, Kiran Nagarkar, Amitav Ghosh, Jhumpa Lahiri, Manu Joseph, Anuja Chauhan, Upamanyu Chatterjee, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Shekhar Gupta, M.J. Akbar, Tavleen Singh, Satyajit Ray, Gulzar, Surender Mohan Pathak and Anita Nair, amongst others, with approximately 200 new books every year and an active print and digital catalogue of more than 1000 titles, across ten imprints. Publishing works of various genres including literary fiction, poetry, mind body spirit, commercial fiction, journalism, business, self-help, cinema, biographies – all with attention to quality, of the manuscript and the finished product – it comes as no surprise that we have won every major literary award including the Man Booker Prize, the Sahitya Akademi Award, the DSC Prize, the Hindu Literary Prize, the MAMI Award for Best Writing on Cinema, the National Award for Best Book on Cinema, the Crossword Book Award, and the Publisher of the Year, twice, at Publishing Next in Goa and, in 2016, at Tata Literature Live, Mumbai.

  We credit our success to the people who make us who we are, and will be celebrating this anniversary with: our authors, retailers, partners, readers and colleagues at HarperCollins India. Over the years, a firm belief in our promise and our passion to deliver only the very best of the printed word has helped us become one of India’s finest in publishing. Every day we endeavour to deliver bigger and better – for you.

  Thank you for your continued support and patronage.

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  First published in India in 2017 by Harper Business

  An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

  2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

  Copyright © Malini Agarwal 2017

  P-ISBN: 978-93-5277-447-0

  Epub Edition © December 2017 ISBN: 978-93-5277-448-7

  The views and opinions expressed in this book are the authors’ own and the facts are as reported by them, and the publishers are not in any way liable for the same.

  Malini Agarwal assert the moral right to be identified as the authors of this work.

  All rights reserved under The Copyright Act, 1957. By payment of the required fees
, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers India.

  Cover design Saurabh Garge

  Cover photograph Rohan Shreshtha

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