Interview – Aakriti Rana Weds Parleen Gill : The Inside Story!

Authors : Maanvi Agarwal & Anurag Namdeo 
When the names in fashion blogging are listed, Aakriti Rana is one of those names whose attitude, style and ambience wins hands down over the multitude of people in the field. She has shown us time and again, how a woman can shape her life according to her own aspirations, struggle and juggle the many versatilities of life with grace and passion. Apart from being a fashion blogger, Aakriti is a storehouse of talent which ranges from being a graphic designer, photographer, and stylist to earning a degree in MBA course and working in the advertising industry. She has been able to advance through her life and career due to a proclivity for hard work.

  

A woman of spirit and resilience, she is a role model to the thousands of young women who continuously find themselves in the loops of desire and ambition. Her success story is an example of how a woman can evolve out of the pre-construed moulds of life while still retaining her composure and dignity and becoming happy in the process.
Life of a blogger may seem simple to us, but like any other job it takes efforts and patience. With the news of her entering a new phase of life, we take a peak into her life and explore the variegated aspects of her personality, life, goals and experience.

1) Fashion blogging is an expanding field of career, but despite the progress, do you find it lacking somewhere?

Fashion Blogging is a great career and I am absolutely loving being a part of this industry but there are things that bother me sometimes. People in India don’t understand blogging entirely. Some people think that I shop everyday and other people feel that I am a model or a designer.

 When I started blogging, there were very few bloggers and we did this not because we wanted to earn or get famous but because we really like fashion and styling. I had no idea that I could make this my profession and I got into this only because of my passion for fashion.

 But if you see now, there are a lot of girls who want to get into this only because they want to earn or have a glam life. This industry is getting saturated and cluttered with people who are here for very vague reasons.  
  

2) We have heard about how your father was a big influence in your life, can you tell us about your other family members?

My dad indeed is my biggest strength and it’s not just him, my whole family supported me in whatever I did. They pushed me into going beyond my comfort zone and doing things I thought I could never do. Apart from dad, my mom is a gem of a person who did most of my photoshoots, helped me in designing clothes, and taught me so much. 

My little brother, Aditya is 5 years younger than me and has always been one of my best friends. Unlike most siblings, we never fight and we always stayed like best buddies. He is currently doing his hotel management course in Bangalore. 
3) What are your feelings on your marriage? How much was it dream-like?

I had the best time of my life at my wedding. Firstly, I got married to a guy whom I have been dating since the past 5 years and out of that we had 4 yrs of long distance. Secondly, I married a singer! 

Who doesn’t fall for a guy who can sing?! He literally makes every part of my life feel like a fairytale. We sang, we danced and we had the time of our life. There was no wedding stress or drama! We made sure to have lots of fun and Parleen surprised me with amazing things which I will remember forever! 

  
 4) It is believed that marriage is a life-long process of compromises, do you think that’s true?

Marriage does include making compromises. There are things you need to understand about each others nature and you need to come on terms with certain things to avoid any conflicts. 

Parleen and me have a very good understanding since the time we have been dating. He told me years back that nothing will change after the wedding, and he was right! We are still the same! His parents treat me like their own little daughter and pamper me like my parents did. 

I believe that both me and Parleen got to know each other really well in the past few years and getting married after knowing each other so much helps us build a great understanding. 

He does so much for me that I don’t mind making a few compromises and same goes for him. 

  

5) What are the ideas that today’s generation is overlooking about the unison of two individuals?

People today have no patience, they have a lot of ego and self respect. Both men and women are at par today and no one wants to compromise at anything. People have become less understanding and more stubborn in a relationship.

No one wants to step down and build a healthy relationship by accepting others faults. In a marriage you do have to make some compromises, it doesn’t make you a smaller person, it just makes you build a strong base of you marriage. 

  

6) India often sees marriage as an end to the woman’s career, where she steps into her traditional role. How far are you from the idea and how?

When I was getting married many people messaged me and told me that they are sad as they feel that I will stop blogging after my wedding. 

I was shocked to see the number of people who though after the wedding I would just sit at home. 

This is my career and I have build my life on my own. My career is as important as my husbands and I would always want to contribute in building our little empire with my hubby.

 I feel blessed that my parents in law are so supportive and open minded about everything. I feel that a woman should be independent before wedding and even after the wedding she should take her career as seriously as her husbands and contribute equally to the family. 

Women don’t get married to cook or take care of the house, we have maids for that! 

  

7) Are you planning to continue your blog and if yes, then what are the new goals set for it?

Of course I plan to continue my blog. This is something I am very passionate about and my blog is the reason I am living a dream life. I plan to diversify my blog into an online store and a youtube channel. 

Soon you would see a lot of new things coming up and I plan to start my new YouTube channel this wednesday! So stay tuned for a lot of craziness coming up. 
  

8) Your style in fashion is very easy to follow and has the traits of being peppy and vivacious; does that reflect your own personality? Do you think that marriage gives a new insight into the life and styles of the women?

I have a very versatile style. I love wearing my outfits according to my mood and I don’t shy away from trying new things.

 Sometimes I am in a comfy tomboy zone with street style outfit and other time I am my girly self in pinks or cute outfits. I put comfort before anything and that’s why you would see me wearing sneakers most of the time. 

With wedding, I got into styling traditional outfits and this has a charm of it’s own. But since I have always been a street style kinda person, few days after the wedding I am back to my cropped tops and ripped denims. 

9) If you were allowed to become someone else for a day, who would that be and why?

I would definitely love to get into my husband’s shoes for a day. In a marriage, understanding is very important. And the best way of understanding each other is by thinking from the other person’s perspective. If only I could trade my place with Parleen for a day, there are so many things we would understand about each other in a much better way. 
  

10) You travel a lot due to work, and get to experience new cultures and traditions. Despite the lustre, do you feel that stability and a home to return to are important for any person working and travelling a lot?

Coming from an army background and having a dad who loves travelling a lot, I have studied  all over India in 14 schools and have lived in places like Leh Ladakh, Shillong and Srinagar. 

I have experienced all sorts of different cultures and traditions which helps me in becoming a very adjustable person. Both me and Parleen travel a lot because of the sort of careers we have but yes you can’t replace your home with anything else.

 We come running back to home and love spending time at doing what we love. Family and home are the two most important things for me! 
11) As a woman in India, one faces a lot of censure while trying to pursue her own goals, especially it they are non- conventional. What would you like to tell them?

There are a lot of avenues that have opened up. We don’t have to do MBA or become an engineer or a doctor to earn anymore. We can do what we love, be passionate and make our living. 

Both me and Parleen have a career in something we love and nothing makes us happier. Our parents would always want us to go the conventional way and have a safe job but girls you need to take a stand! 

Do your research, have the drive to do something you love and take a stand for yourself. Leaving my job after MBA and blogging wasn’t easy for me but I know it’s the best decision I ever made!