On my pinboard - Tisca Chopra

Tisca Chopra, Actress

She has proved her acting prowess time and again. She has always pursued the road not taken and has done justice to her roles, however unconventional they may be.

Tisca Chopra has acted in over 40 feature films in different languages with some of the best actors and directors including Aamir Khan, Madhur Bhandarkar, Prakash Jha and Nandita Das.

She was well appreciated for her role in ‘Taare Zameen Par’. The role also won her
numerous awards.

Apart from being actively involved in films, Tisca also extensively works on issues that concern women, girl children and the environment.

1. Artiste
Meryl Streep
“There are a few artistes that I look up to because of their work and their diligence to work. Meryl Streepis one such person because of the level of conviction she brings on screen. She has played various characters, each different from the other. She give life to hercharacters; not many actors can do that. I also love Johnny Depp for his vivid imagination — who else can play such diverse and distinct roles and make it look so brilliant at the same time? I also admire
Sandra Bullock for the career path that she’s chosen. Though she’s not known for her stunning looks or acting, she choses characters like Leigh Anne Tuohy in ‘The Blind Side’ and Ryan Stone in ‘Gravity’ that get the best out of her and fit her well. She has also produced these films and that’s something that I aspire to do very soon.”


2.Book
The God Delusion
“One of my favourite books is ‘The God Delusion’ by Richard Dawkins who makes an attempt to show the irrationality of a belief in God. He talks about how human kind has been under a kind of mass hypnosis. There’s a waking realisation of this concept with movies like ‘PK’ and ‘Oh My God’ as well — they talk about the concept of god, what it is and the source of divinity.
I have also recently started reading ‘Sapiens’ by Yuval Noah Harari and it’s simply brilliant. The book talks about the idea that we build ourselves out of our own stories that we tell ourselves. And Harari asks and answers some amazing questions like ‘Is progress worth it for human beings?’. My husband, Sanjay Chopra, is also publishing his book ‘Kohima’ very soon. I think it’s going to be a great read for this year as it’s a love story set in the 90s.”


3. Cuisine
Pan-Asian cuisine
“I absolutely love pan-Asian cuisine. ‘Yauatcha’ is one of |my favourite restaurants as they have some brilliant food. I love everything they serve there — from dim sums to the main course. I also love going to ‘Indian Accent’ in Delhi for their fusion Indian food. It’s run by a friend of mine and he is brilliant. They take the old concepts of food and add something modern to it. One of my favourite dishes is a crepe with Indian ‘subzi’ in it. The fusion element is fantastic.”

4. Inspiration
Oprah Winfrey
“Someone that I look up to is Oprah Winfrey. She’s a person who is so full of positivity and has done so much for the people. Her humanitarianism impresses me. She’s also extremely entertaining, funny, warm, bright and witty. She harnesses all the characteristics that a human being should have.
NR Narayana Murthy also makes it to the top of |my ‘inspiration’ list. I like people who have understood that life is not just about doing something for yourself, but also raising the bar for others. I’m someone who struggles with selfishness, so I know it’s a mark of true evolution when people are altruistic — when they don’t need to be, but want to.”

5. Place
Himachal Pradesh
“I grew up in Himachal Pradesh, so it’s one of my favourite places. I love the steep mountains there, where once I used to walk with my dad. There is so much solitude in the mountains and the houses are built on three levels — I miss that in Mumbai. I would often wonder about what might be lurking in the hidden caves in Himachal. It’s a different kind of life. As an only child, I also used to relate the stories in my illustrated, coloured books to the places I would find there. I also enjoy going to Dharamshala and Palampur areas, near Bir, where there’s a beautiful parasailing spot.
There’s a great sense of peace and openness there that expand one’s consciousness. On my bucket list, I have Machu Picchu and Antarctica.”