Poonam Soni's rebellious streak and belief in Buddhism

Poonam Soni founder Poonam Soni Signature Line Pvt LtdSeated across the poised Poonam Soni at her lavish white boutique in Santacruz its hard to imagine her climbing atop a black and yellow taxi to watch a Bollywood shoot in progress Yet the jewellery designer tells me that its something that really happened I got married at the age of 18 and shifted from New Delhi to Mumbai The city and Bollywood were both exciting and new for me Once when we were driving around town I saw that a crowd had gathered to watch a film shoot I told Suresh my husband to stop the car and before he knew it Id climbed atop a taxi standing nearby to watch the shoot she laughsPoonam Soni at her boutique in Santacruz PicShadab KhanThe founder of Poonam Soni Signature Line Private Limited believes she has a dual personality The eldest of three children Soni recalls being the topper in her school and college Yet that didnt stop her from bunking college every once in a while to watch movies Since her father was in the Army she stayed with her grandparents in New Delhi at Chanakya Puri Once I bunked college to watch Bobby I realised that my distant relatives were seated in a row behind us Every time the lights would be on I would duck under the seat to avoid getting caught the entrepreneur reveals with a laughBut even at that young age Soni was clear that she had to be the best at whatever she does I had no clarity of what I wanted to do but I was very ambitious she adds Her reserved persona belies the rebellious streak in her When she didnt get to pursue English Honours in college as her mother wanted her to pursue another subject she took up Sociology in retaliation You can have a dialogue with me about doing something but you cant tell me what to do This mindset has taken me a long way now I dont tell people what I want but I have a dialogue with them to understand their point of view she revealsDiscovering herselfMarried at the age of 18 Soni moved from her sheltered and pampered life in New Delhi to her husbands home in Bombay Suresh is 10 years older to me and much quieter He loved my vibrant and impulsive nature she smiles Even though she never lacked for anything mdash material or otherwise mdash Soni wasnt content just being a housewife Money doesnt excite me so much but making a mark does says the business woman whos on the right side of her 50s nowSoni wanted to do something on her own and gradually started working towards it In those days women from business families did not work So I started giving tuition classes to the kids in my neighbourhood she recalls Her love for artifacts and all things beautiful drew her to Chor Bazaar and before she knew Soni had befriended the shopkeepers and started curating their wares at exhibitions Though she enjoyed it she was yet to find her true callingAttributing her sense of aesthetics to her mother Soni tells us that she would often design jewellery for herself and give them to her friend who was in the business to make But every time I would approach him with a design he would say that my designs are beyond what his team can visualise Finally he got me a kaarigar mason so I could get it done directly she says Soon Soni started getting orders from her relatives and friends in Delhi who would admire her bold and unconventional jewellery pieces whenever she visited the capital I did it for free for some time but then I got tired of doing favours says the mother of twoOne evening while taking an evening stroll with her friend at Malabar Garden she revealed that she was toying with the idea of venturing into the jewellery business My friend took out her three solitaire rings and asked me to make one ring out of them for her I went home and told Suresh She trusted me with her three solitaire rings Im going to make it big she says In 1989 Soni registered her brand name and that was the beginning of a new chapter in her lifeMaking her markInitially people came to her house to place orders People like Shobhaa Kapoor Jitendras wife would sit on my bed and select her designs says the selftaught designee In 1992 Juhi Chawla who later became her good friend inaugurated her first boutique in Fort In the same year Harrods approached Soni after her Greek and Egyptian style of jewellery in semiprecious stones such as Malakite Lapiz shells and leather in 18 carat gold caught their eye But she turned down their offer People thought it was a crazy decision Who refuses Harrods But I always think ahead I was barely three years into the business and had no production setup If things didnt work out well at Harrods I knew I would be finished internationally says the visionaryOver the years Sonis brand has grown in leaps and bounds In 2006 the LVMH Moet Hennessy group invited her to showcase at the opening of the Incredible India show in Paris In 2010 she was part of the Eco Art Parade to be auctioned by the famed auction house Sothebys at Abu Dhabi under the patronage of Sheikh Nahayan AlNahayan and Prince Albert II of Monaco I was rubbing shoulders with some of the richest people in the world When my name flashed on the huge LCD screens I felt it was a turning point in my life It was a very special moment and I realised I wanted to be a part of this world the entrepreneur smilesTwo years ago the designer felt that she wasnt concentrating enough on home ground Thats when this boutique was born Soni reveals indicating the lavish store were seated at Kriti my daughter and I designed the interiors together I wanted pristine white at one end and a riot of colours at the other Thats my dual personality again she laughs Shes also launched a precirct line Jewels Eleven which was showcased at the New York Fashion Week last yearChanting for happinessSoni believes that people come into your life for a reason More than 10 years ago her husband suffered a financial setback and the designer recalls that as a very tough time for the entire family It was a traumatic phase for me and for three months my life was all about tarot card reading astrology and fasting she informs It was during that phase that she observed her store keeper a lady who used to do Buddhist chants At first I didnt like itLater Kriti who got inducted into Buddhism suggested I try it I started chanting and it heralded a new phase in my life It took 10 years but I saw a radical change in myself I have become more calm and compassionate There was a time when I didnt even have time to sit and eat my food properly Now I can do 10 times more work yet find time for myself Today I feel empowered Money was never very important it still isnt but people are says the ladyTaking her Buddhist philosophy ahead Soni joined hands with the Terry Fox international foundation and recently hosted a fashion show where she displayed her jewellery and auctioned some of her pieces to raise money for Tata Memorial Hospitals cancer treatment ward The next fashion show is on February 19 and Soni feels that its a great way to remind people to stop and think about others Im now on the committee of Terry Fox and want to make this a powerful initiative so that there is more cancer awareness says the philanthropistSmall things matterTime is a precious commodity for the designer who has a flourishing business both nationally as well as internationally Ive never had time in my life I dont think I slept properly during the first decade of setting up my business So when Esha my younger daughter was about to get married and settle in USA everyone wondered how I would be able to go and meet her But I structured my schedule accordingly The first time she returned to India after her marriage I switched off my mobile and spent the week with her I loved it Now I religiously spend at least a month or more in USA with her every year she smilesSimilarly she also finds time to visit Kriti who stays just a few minutes away from her Santacruz boutique I drop in whenever I get done early from work adds Soni The mother and daughters get along famously and love spending time with each other The three of us love shopping and going out for dinners On one of the holidays the men in the family got completely fed up of us My youngest soninlaw even joked that henceforth all the children born in this house will be boys so we wont get any company Surprisingly after that three sons have been born in our family laughs the doting grandmotherMoney has never been on Sonis mind even when she started the business And till today she finds pleasure in the smallest moments You can buy me the most expensive gift but if you dont give me flowers along with it I feel the gift is incomplete says Soni revealing that her daughters often send her huge bouquets on special occasionsThe early riser says she has become more healthconscious over the years and tries to work out and eat right My life now is about my children my work and my family and Buddhism is woven into all of them I want to achieve a better me and I think Im already on that journey she signs off