June at The Lalit Great Eastern. Picture: Rashbehari Das Hair and Make-up: Noor Alam

‘At 40, you feel powerful,’ june tells t2

What does being in the 40s mean to you?

Forty is a phase in a man or a woman’s life when you are stable both emotionally and financially. You are almost settled, emotionally definitely. Most know what they want from life. In your 20s, you are absolutely confused about life. In your 30s, you are struggling to achieve your goals. Forty is that stage when you have almost achieved what you wanted to and you have to push yourself for that 10 per cent or 20 per cent that’s still left. I would say more than 40, 50 is the right age to chill. But at 40, you feel more powerful as a person.

Now I know what I want from life. I want to be happy with what I’ve got. I’ve got no demands. I really wake up every morning to thank God for what He has given me. I couldn’t ask for more. I have never been very ambitious. From now on, if I get or achieve anything extra, it will be a bonus. What I really want to do is travel a lot before I turn 70. Fifty to 60, I have kept for travelling and I have kept from now till 49 for a lot of hard work.

Show business can be unforgiving to ageing women. How do you deal with it?

You have to know where to draw the line; you have to keep judging yourself and not be judged by others. You have to see what you are capable of. Today, I cannot be a Nicole Kidman even if I want to be. Why Hollywood? I cannot achieve what these young girls have… Deepika Padukone or Katrina Kaif or even Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Show business can be unforgiving only in India. If you look at Hollywood, you mature and your remuneration goes up and you become a diva. There’s Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz... and Meryl Streep is in her mid-60s. They are still working and their bank accounts are still so nicely full! Here, the minute you turn 30, you are like, ‘Okay, chalo ma’er role.’ (Laughs) That is why people lie about their age. I think it’s an Asian concept. It’s got to do with the mentality of men. If a man marries or dates a woman who is 20 years younger than him, then it’s cool. But if a woman dates a man even four years younger than her, he will be called her toy boy.

Have you ever lost roles because of your age?

No, I knew I had to start playing mothers. Young moms are a trend on TV too and I was one of the first ones to plunge in. In Charulata (a STAR Jalsha soap), my son used to look older than me! I got backlashed by some of my colleagues but I told them that I was not a fool. No one’s going to give me a lead character anymore. If it’s a film and where it is a character-based role… like Aparna Sen’s in Titli, Paromitar Ekdin, Iti Mrinalini or Moushumi Chatterjee’s in Goynar Baksho, then it’s different. I need my financial security and so I am going to do roles of moms.

I don’t really care. As long as I feel young and look young, it’s fine. Why should it come in the way of my career? There are many people who don’t want to play parents. If you want to stay in the industry, you have to come to terms with certain things. Our industry is very harsh. There are no lead roles for women in their 40s. How many women do you see getting great roles? Look at Vidya Balan. Gradually her roles are dwindling. Very sad! We have to suffer Shah Rukh Khan as a college-goer and Aamir Khan er toh kono role 38 er opor jay i na! (Laughs) Look what’s happened to Tabu!

As told to Saionee Chakraborty

June’s 10 commandments

1. Don’t lie about your age; people can tell!
2. Come to terms with life and be happy. Life is short.
3. Be content with yourself, even if that means being less ambitious.
4. Look after yourself. If you have the body, wear what you want to. Don’t care about what people say. Look good, feel good.
5. Conquer your fears. I have just learnt how to swim and overcome my fear of water. Besides, swimming helps you relax.
6. Sleep well.
7. Stay away from nicotine. It dries your skin and hastens the process of ageing.
8. Take off your make-up before going to sleep. Look after your skin. I use a herbal face pack once a week.
9. Eat what you like, in moderation. I have rice for lunch. It keeps my skin glowing.
10. Lastly, just chill!

As you climb higher and higher up the indulgence ladder, your choices become simpler and simpler. You learn to appreciate pared down aesthetics and refinement comes to you. That is one of the main reasons why a woman in her 40s dresses so much better than in her 20s. Because after going through all the mistakes and horrors, she has sifted out her looks and she knows what suits
her best.

— SABYASACHI MUKHERJEE on the 40-plus woman

Grooming expert Nayanika Chatterjee shows three fab looks

Top+palazzoIf you don’t want to show your hips too much, palazzos and skirts are great. Wear slightly more fitted tops, even if it’s not as small as you would like it to be. Go for solid colours or smaller prints; large prints will make you look large. Never wear horizontal lines if you want to look thin. Nayanika’s pictures: Rashbehari Das Hair and make-up: Abhijit Chanda

Nayanika’s lifestyle tips

1. Your body starts doing strange things after 40. Things that did not affect you at 20 start affecting you now. Learn the art of camouflage. Identify your problem area. Most women want to camouflage their hips, thighs and waist. But if you put on weight on your face, you cannot really hide it. If the problem is fat on your waist, avoid tight or fitted clothes. If you have slimmer legs, wear looser tops and show off your legs in fitted bottoms; do the opposite in case of a pear-shaped body.
2. Keep a cut-off weight benchmark. It doesn’t have to be a model’s size but the weight you’d like yourself to be, and don’t let yourself go past that. Hold on to your jeans or trousers that you used to wear in your ideal weight and keep that as a check.
3. Stop competing with your daughter. Think about what suits you rather than what you aspire for.
4. Some women think more make-up will camouflage more but it’s not true. Insecurities get transferred into wearing more make-up and jewellery. More doesn’t mean better.
5. Cut down on everything — insecurities, fat, make-up and even excessive thinking. Don’t be dowdy. Age gracefully.

A-line dress

If you are into Western wear, an A-line dress is a must. The one I am wearing is jersey, but not stretch. I’ve worn this in various ways, sometimes with a belt just below my bust, or lower down. If you are top-heavy, don’t accentuate your bust. Wear a broader belt and wear it lower. A tight, thin belt will show the problem areas more. A nice scarf tied nicely can also work as a belt. In winter, I wear this dress with a polo-neck top inside and boots; it looks completely different!

Nayanika’s musts

A sari in a solid colour.

Loose bottoms, like skirts and palazzos.

A loose shirt that can pass off as a kurta. Sometimes I wear it tucked in and sometimes with a belt.

Straight-cut or boot-cut jeans. You can wear it low-waist, so that it doesn’t cut into your sides.

Go easy on the foundation. Once you start getting lines and wrinkles, it kind of coagulates. Oil-based foundation is better than the chalky ones, as it moisturises your face well. Keep it light. You don’t have to wear a lot of eyeshadow too. Kajal or eyeliner is enough.

The darker your lipstick, the older you look. So, don’t overdo it.

 

Here’s how Esha Dutta looks a decade younger than her 47

The secret to my youthful glow: I think I have to partly thank the genes I am blessed with. That’s 50 per cent of the battle won! I balance my fitness regimen and my diet. I work out on a regular basis. That plays a big role, more so as you grow older. I was an active basketball and throwball player during my schooldays, but I never worked out as such after that. I think exercise plays an important role as you get older.

Workout is a combo of gym and yoga: I go to the gym thrice a week and then there are three days of yoga. I work out under Neeraj Surana for an hour or an hour and 15 minutes. Actually, it depends. If you are doing an intense workout then it can be over in 45 minutes too. It is a combination of a lot of things like core strengthening and stretches. We focus on the upper body one day, abs one day and the lower body another day. Sometimes there is the Tabata workout. There is a lot of kettlebells. Yoga is for an hour under Varuna Shunglu. Exercise contributes to my basic fitness levels. I am stronger and I’ve got more stamina than a lot of people my age.

I turned vegetarian five years back and have been feeling healthier since: I eat whatever I want, in moderation. My day starts with fruits. I have at least five to six fruits daily, including pomegranate and papaya and that fills me up. For lunch, I have oats chapatti with vegetables and an egg-white omelette or bhurji, followed by a bowl of curd. I don’t eat anything during the evening because that’s the time I work out or do my yoga. Dinner is early and it varies. I am not good with late nights and go to sleep by 10.30pm. I don’t stay up late watching TV.

I am terrible with facials: I go to the salon once in a while for my hair, besides regular manicure and pedicure. Otherwise, it’s just regular moisturising and cleansing for me. Finally, a healthy mind is a healthy body.

Esha is a board member of Priya Entertainments and the wife of Arijit Dutta

 

Beauty pro Priscilla Corner on looking good to feel good

Skin

Your skin loses elasticity and there is a collagen breakdown when you are in your 40s. Your cleansing routine may undergo a change. It has to be deep-pore. You will probably have to put in an exfoliating or antioxidant element. Think creamy cleansers as opposed to the gel and foamy ones.

You can also incorporate a serum in your skincare regimen, as it has more penetrative ability. Use a serum and a light moisturiser alternately.

Eight hours of sleep and eight glasses of water. I call it the eight-eight beauty regimen. Follow it!

Less is more in make-up. Use a moisturiser with SPF instead of layers and layers of foundation.

Going for a professional facial or clean-up is important for the anti-stress effect; your skin also gets a thorough cleansing. Once a month or once in 45 days, if you don’t get the time, is good.

Hair

Time to face your grey strands. If you are looking at grey coverage, start with something mild. Go for non-ammonia colour.

Most women make the mistake of trying to match the colour with their old hair colour. Go two shades lighter than your normal hair colour. That will make you look less harsh. A chocolatey dark brown or a reddish brown is safe. Go for highlights if you want an extra dimension.

Colouring will make your hair dry, so invest in shampoos and conditioners meant for coloured hair. Also, invest in a good masque.

Trim your hair regularly. Also, go for shorter styles. As you age, the face gets gaunter and the cheekbones become prominent. Long hairstyles just drag the face down. I am not saying that everyone should chop their hair, but say if you’ve got waist-length hair, go four inches shorter.

Brush your hair a little more for even distribution of oil.

 

At 45, Deanne Panday still looks like this!

Celebrity fitness trainer DeannePanday on understanding your body and working out

You start undergoing bone loss at 40. I recommend a lot of weight-bearing exercises. You can do yoga, where you hold each asana for a while. So, you are using your body weight. Also, your smaller muscles get stronger. It is great for pre-menopausal women too. I also recommend pilates, TRX, and balance training with a BOSU ball, balance pad and balance wobble board.

Run. It could be a little bit of jog and power walk because you don’t want to put your joints under too much pressure. You should not run on hard surfaces; wear proper shoes. If you want to run, you have to strength-train. You have to get good muscles — legs, lower back, glutes, hamstring — that will protect your joints. You can do any amount of cycling. Train with a stationary bike at your own pace. Hydrotherapy is great too. From something as simple as swimming to water jogging, treadmill under water, spinning to water aerobics.... It doesn’t take a toll on your joints and you burn calories.

Striking the right balance is the key. Unless you are very fit, high-impact training is not meant for you. Try weight-training with pilates or yoga.

If you have never exercised, it is better late than never. Try swimming or walking. Put on some music and go for a walk.

When I turned 43, my body started becoming a little softer. I wasn’t gaining the muscle tone like I used, say, even eight months ago. I was just wondering what was happening. I was shocked to learn that the body changes every 10 years. I have now figured out the exercises that suit my body. You accept it that you cannot be like what you were when you were in your 20s and 30s. A little bit of fat on the arms and belly, you feel bloated at times, pre-menopause.... When people start feeling like this, they forget that it is a natural ageing process.

 

Celebrity nutritionist Pooja Makhija on diet do and don’t

With every decade our BMR (basal metabolic rate) falls; it is the rate at which our body burns calories. Cutting down on food, either to lose or maintain weight, is going to lower your metabolic rate even further. You are going to start losing muscle. You must not fear food. Eat adequately, small meals a day.

Drink a glass of vegetable juice (vegetables in any three colours). It is a glass of potent antioxidants.

Focus on water intake and vitamin supplements. Make sure you take adequate amount of supplements depending on your deficiencies and your doctor’s prescription, whether it is calcium or vitamin E, a multivitamin or Omega-3.

Exercise three to four times a week so that your muscles maintain tonacity. It can be a mix of lightweight training, cardio or functional training, so that sagging skin is not a problem.

Text: Saionee Chakraborty