She was the diva of ’90s television, her effortless style sense (we so wanted those curls!) and easy camera presence inspiring so many girls. She, of course, had a completely different impact on the boys. Last year, Kamal Sidhu — former MTV VJ, stylista, Bollywood actress (she debuted in Aar Ya Paar, opposite Jackie Shroff), glam queen — made a comeback to Indian TV, anchoring the Rio Olympics on STAR Sports. Her easy style — lots of pantsuits, fuss-free skirts, classic cuts and those trademark curls — set her apart from any other female sports presenter in the history of Indian TV. A month or so later, she got up close and personal with the stars, hosting celebrity chat show Vogue BFFs on Colors Infinity. t2 caught up over email with Kamal — who doesn’t look 48! — on career 2.0, fashion sense and her watch and read choices.

Would your Twitter bio ‘Been there, done that, loving it all over again’ sum up your comeback to television?
I can see why that would work. I’ve had pretty colourful, eventful and diverse experiences throughout my career in television and I’m grateful for it being ongoing and manifesting in various directions. It satisfies the polymath in me. In actuality, it’s about entering a stage where I get to enjoy all the things I’ve looked forward to experiencing with my son (Niall) now that he’s past the toddler stage. In a sense, it’s about the cyclical nature of things that gets better and better with time… more like an upward spiral, in fact.
 
You had some big-ticket stars on Vogue BFFs in Season I. Who did you enjoy interacting with the most?
I think it’s quite evident that each pair brought along their own personalities and the chemistry was always unique. What I enjoyed the most was seeing the celebrities let down their hair or roll up their sleeves, depending on what we had in store for them. They were always game! It gave the audience a chance to see their favourite stars in a different light, a more playful light. More real, less ego and that’s a refreshing change.

You have always impressed with your style. How would you sum up your sense of style on screen and off it?
Thank you. Save the first episode with Deepika (Padukone), in which I was dressed in Brunello Cucinelli, the other 10 episodes were styled by Vogue. My style, day to day, is easy-breezy, often sporty, boho-chic and in the evening a little more sleek. It’s always about simplicity because I believe the best things and ideas are. It’s about curiosity, because being filled with wonder keeps me enthused. It’s ever evolving but inspired by my past. And finally, it’s really just a laugh.

You were one of the first anchors we loved and followed on TV. What difference do you see on Indian TV then and now?
Thank you again. I suppose the biggest difference is owing to the localisation of content and how that’s perhaps brought in less global diversity than the early years of satellite TV. Of course, there are many more channels now, for better or for worse, and the Internet! 

When you bring the Internet into the conversation, the whole ballgame changes and content is and will continue to be not just a two-way street, but a multilevel highway. It’s no longer about just providing content and taking it in, it has created ‘The Sharing Economy’, a more democratised marketplace. We’re not just creating content for, but with and anyone who chooses to be a part of it, can.
 
Are you in touch with your fellow MTV VJs of that time?
 Sadly, not so much. They were a great bunch...

Would you be up for acting on TV or is anchoring all that inspires you at the moment?
I’ve always taken on work quite organically. Between that and my polymath personality, I’m almost game for anything that inspires me and gives me the opportunity to do good quality work. Besides, that’s one way TV has changed globally… the plethora of great TV series —Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Stranger Things... there are so many of them. So yeah, I’d be up for it. I also like watching The John Oliver Show, Daily Show, SNL, and late night talk shows, in general.
 
You are known to be quite a reader. Any recent reads you would recommend to our readers?
I am reading A Terrible Beauty by Peter Watson… a history of the people and ideas that shaped the modern mind. It’s a literary form that draws attention to figures of the contemporary world and the immediate past (since 1900) who do not lend themselves to the celebrity culture that dominates our lives today and yet whose contribution to the ideas, inventions and discoveries that shape our world today, are insurmountable and in the author’s view, much more deserving of note. For me, it brings to the fore not just the intellectual lives of these scientists, philosophers, artists, economists, poets and writers that shaped who we are today and what we know, it’s a narrative of their characters, their mistakes and rivalries, of which there were many.

On a lighter but equally compelling note, everything Roald Dahl, Shel Silverstein and Oliver Jefferies for bedtime stories with my son. Oh, and Usain Bolt’s biography, and Born to Run by Christopher McDougall for athletic inspiration. And my perennial favourites... Ayn Rand and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. And then there’s…!

Priyanka Roy

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PC’S DOUBLE BILL

Priyanka Chopra is the choice again! After winning her maiden People’s Choice Award last year, Priyanka took home her second trophy at Los Angeles on Wednesday night. Looking super chic in a peach Sally LaPointe ruffled asymmetric top and fringe skirt paired with Nirav Modi jewels, PC beat the likes of Viola Davis, Ellen Pompeo, Taraji P. Henson and Kerry Washington to win the award for Favourite Dramatic TV actress (in Quantico). 

“I’m really happy being a drama queen and this is how it’s done,” said Priyanka in her winning speech, looking none the worse for the mild concussion she suffered while shooting an action sequence for Quantico last week. Cheering her on from the audience was her Baywatch co-star Dwayne Johnson.

Backstage after the win, PC was spotted with Jennifer Lopez who won Favourite TV Crime Drama Actress for Shades of Blue, and Tom Hanks who got the Favourite Movie Actor trophy for Sully. Last year, PC had won the award for Favourite Actress In A New TV Series.