Editor-in-chief
A black dress, coloured hair and some appealing tattoos are all that attracted me when I had a glimpse of her side face. Attitude, snobbish and narcissist were the adjectives that danced before me as I approached near her. But her humility and friendly nature stunned me through. Here is the conversation I had with Joie Bose, a multitasker and talented soul with both beauty and brains.
WT: Tell us about your journey of being a 120 kg person to win the crown.
JB: Beauty is truth and truth is the beauty. It was a beautiful journey, and at the same time, it was tough. But then again if it would have been easy, it would not have been so commendable. Yoga, Zumba, kickboxing, gym and an extremely rigorous diet helped me shed the weight. Oh, how I managed all that, I still can’t fathom but I did it. And I’m happy and grateful to all the powers of the universe that helped me do it. And then there was the body image issue which I had to battle. I had to train my mind to see the truth and that too was a challenge. Finally, when I saw myself as I was, I did gain enough confidence to appreciate myself. I’ve learnt from this entire ordeal that to be kind to the self is a challenge. And when I did that, the crown finally came to me. For the crown doesn’t come to the one without self-confidence or self-belief. I aim, achieve and inspire, for everyone doesn’t have enough strength to self-motivate one. I’m kind to myself, to others and that’s what makes me a Queen.
WT: Now tell us the achievements you have earned so far?
JB: Well, I’m going to talk about things that have happened in the last 5 years. I was named ‘Incredible Woman of India’, my works have been translated into Albanian (apart from Bengali and Hindi) I have been to Tokyo, Shanghai, Shillong, Delhi, Darjeeling and so many other places to perform. I’ve written the foreword to our Governor’s book. I have launched more than 50 books and have judged many poetry competitions. I have won the Bharat Nirman Award for writing, the Nissim Award, the KKMRS Award for Vocational Excellence, the Women par Excellence Award, the Microsoft GIZ fellowship. I have been recognized and felicitated at several schools and colleges and institutions. I have performed at the American Library, British Council, Alliance Fraxias, Max Muller Bhavan, Apeejay Kolkata Literary Fest, the Tata Kolkata Literary Meet, Kolkata Book Fair, Sampark Lit Fest, Bob Dylan Festival, Kalinga Literary Festival and of course the National Poetry Festival where I have served as the Joint Convenor. I have also co-founded Poetry Paradigm and I am it’s General Secretary. I’m a founder member and executive body member of Intercultural Poetry and Performance Library at ICCR. I am grateful to Public Relations Society of India for recognizing my contribution. I have advocated and supported causes such as women’s upliftment, LGBT rights, anti-domestic violence, mental health awareness, and integration of acid attack affected women into the mainstream. My first books of poems got published in 2015 and have edited two in 2016 and 2017. My second collection is on its way. I guess that’s it. I might have had missed out some. I keep my plates full. I’ve just become a certified life coach. I help people negotiate with their own self by using techniques such as narrative therapy. I’ve written a web series called ‘Confessions with Joie Bose’ where I’ve narrated in the first person, stories of people who have confessed their so-called ‘sins’ and at times after explaining it didn’t feel that sinful to them, or at times they realised it was a mistake. But this has helped many people.
Oh! Yes. I represented Bengal in the zonal finals and became East zone winner of Mrs.India. And I am Mrs East India 2018.
WT: Okay, so after all this, what is life according to you and freedom in it?
JB: Life is an amalgamation of experiences. It is a story unfolding. And freedom in life is the ability to make it a Blockbuster, No matter what.
WT: You had been an outgoing girl since your childhood, what do you think freedom is still a struggle for women?
JB: Yes, it is. Despite everything, men still view women as a responsibility. And women have to break this notion, by taking on responsibility – especially financially. What I mean is I was allowed to be outgoing for my father was around to protect me. Even now my husband says “do what you want for I’m there”. Despite everything, my father and husband feel responsible for me. Still. While that’s good in one hand, it shows that I’m not really as independent as I think I am.
WT: You are into a diverse field what are your passionate areas? And how you juggle all the things together in a balanced way?
JB: It’s not balanced! To gain something you have to sacrifice something else. That is the rule. So when I concentrate on something that is all I do, and I do that with passion and that is how one can excel. However, over a period of time I space out what I am going to emphasize on during a particular period and after that, I take up something else. This system works for it kills boredom and monotony and I’m rarely out of motivation. However, of all the things I do, have ever done and will do, I’m most passionate about poetry. It is the only way I can express what I feel. So all that pent-up emotion breaks out into poetry. Like language is to human beings, poetry is to poets. Poets are not your everyday humans you meet though I wish they were. Life would have been easier for me. Poets make every emotion personified. So poets are like concentrated emotion. And poetry is their only respite.
WT: As a writer what is your take on commercial writing and writing as a full-time profession?
JB: Writing as a full-time profession? Oh, it’s beautiful though not really viable! For financial sustenance, most writers have to compromise – with something or the other. Either it’s a qualitatively compromise or quantitative. So when the artist compromises, I am not sure how true the art remains. You can’t just be a writer. That is not possible. But exceptions are there and those exceptions become exemplary and hope generators for us.
WT: What are your political views on women in politics?
JB: Hmm… Politics is the art of manipulating minds for personal gain. Whether you’re a man or a woman is immaterial for gender is not really there in your mind. As a human being, I’m far from politics. I detest it. Politicians are not really honest.
WT: Okay, so shifting our focus from the serious discussion, tell us 3 fashion mistakes that you did.
JB: 1. Tomato red hair! Straw yellow hair! Blue Streaks! Oh god!
2. Golden spectacles!!! Why?
3. Wearing oversized/ill-fitting clothes. No. You just don’t do that. No excuse.
Fashion is what suits your personality and all of the above didn’t compliment me. And if I’m allowed to add one more – kurta and jeans! Oh, how terrible is that! And for comfort sake, I keep on doing that at times.
WT: 3 steps to confidence?
JB: Yes…so the 3 steps shall be –
- Know. Knowledge kills fear. Be excellent at what you do and strive hard for excellence. Be honest with this and there will be no fear. Confidence is built on knowledge.
- Believe in your dreams, stick to it and do not waiver no matter what the world says. It’s YOUR dream. Confidence is a byproduct of self-belief.
- Trust that whatever happens, happens for a reason which might not be clear at that point in time. Have faith in the laws of the universe and you will become happy from inside. Confidence is a manifestation of inner happiness and contentment.
WT: Message to the WT readers.
JB: I have 2 things to say-
- The strength of character lies in empowering the weak. I feel that is humanity. If you’re blessed and strong, become an agent that helps others become that. Leave no stone unturned in this endeavour. In fact, this is your only duty – irrespective of who you are, what you do or where you come from.
- And the other thing – do whatever you can to increase the smile count of the world. Just say to someone you’re beautiful. I like your hair. What you said the other day was inspirational. Your shirt is smart. Give a small gift when the person doesn’t expect it. Tell a person you believe in him. Buy a cake for a street urchin. Ask the beggar for change – it gives them respect. Give a stranger a lift in your car. Buy food from street vendors on a rainy day and give it to a homeless person. And don’t ever expect anything back in return. You know you can heal the world. You can make it a better place. You can make a difference. Just do it… 🙂 Smiles beget smiles… Stay happy, stay positive, stay poetic.
