Alaya F on exchanging fashion advice with Pooja Bedi: ‘My mother and I are very different, so is our sense of style’

She may be an actor profession, but Alaya F has carved a niche for herself in many other aspects, too. The Jawaani Jaaneman star is equally well-known and admired for her relatable style, dedication to fitness, and her love for DIYs — her Instagram page is proof of it all. But amid her busy schedule, Alaya also ensures to take care of her mental health “checking in” on herself regularly, and addressing a problem if she identifies one.
In an exclusive conversation with , the young star spoke up about her love for acting, fitness as a way of life, the importance of eating healthy and clean, mental health, and (not) sharing fashion tips with her mother Pooja Bedi.
Edited excerpts below:
A quick scroll through your social media is enough to prove your love for exercising and working out. What does fitness mean to you?
Fitness, for me, has always been about feeling strong and light, both mentally and physically. I’m not someone who has always been a big workout person, these are things that I have developed in life. But fitness has always been an integral part of my life because if I don’t eat well or do some sort of physical activity, I do end up feeling a lot more lethargic, and a lot less motivated. So eating well and having some form of exercise in my day is very, very important for my overall sense of productivity also. It’s a way of life now.

How many hours in a day or week do you make sure to work out; what does your daily fitness routine comprise?
Honestly, it really depends on the day, the week, and also what phase of my life I’m in — whether I’m like super busy and working all the time or whether I have a lot of leisure time to myself. So, if I’m not doing much, then I find it much easier to stay fit. Also, I like to make my exercises very fun; I don’t like them to be boring, repetitive, or monotonous because I do not feel motivated enough to get up and go and do them. Like, if I do yoga, I’ll do it with a friend — it also becomes a nice, social fun thing to do. Similarly, I play tennis as my form of cardio instead of running on a treadmill as I find that to be very boring. So it’s all about keeping my exercise routine fun so that I can keep doing it consently.
​Buy Now | Our best subscription plan now has a special price
At the moment, since I have some time on me, my day conss of a lot of exercise. I start my day with yoga after which I go for a dance class. Then I go for a workout, followed tennis. But there are large periods of time, like when I am shooting a film, when I find it very, very hard to go to the gym. That’s something I’m going to have to learn with time. So there is no set number of hours that I exercise in a day or a week., but I do like to balance it out. So if there’s a large period of time that I’ve not exercised much, then there’ll be a large period of time where I exercise a lot — that’s my idea of balance; I went to an extreme this way, so let me balance it out going in an extreme the other way.
It is said that a workout is only successful if one also eats healthy and clean. Do you also swear this mantra? If yes, what are your dos and don’ts when it comes to your meals?
Yes; but it also depends on what your goal with your workout is. If your goal is to lose weight, then yes, definitely eating is a major part. that, I do not mean eating less, but making the correct food choices depending on what your body responds to the best. On the other side, if your goal is to build your strength then it’s always good to eat clean and well. For me, my biggest dietary dos and don’ts when I have a goal in my mind is to cut out a large chunk of carbohydrates — it works on my body very well. But, I repeat, everyone’s bodies are different and the things that work for other people might not work for you.
So when I am on a diet, I tend to limit my carbs to a large extent. I’ll fill my diet with fruits and soups, salads and smoothies with lots of healthy things to get my energy and nutrition, and to ensure I am always full. In-between, I will have nuts and dates to keep myself energised. Also, for one meal — ideally for lunch — I allow myself to have one jowar roti, which will be my carb intake for the day. But, there’s never a limit on the quantity of food ever because I never restrict myself from eating. I will never let myself stay hungry. I think that’s a very dirty side of dieting — if you get to that point where you are hungry, but are not letting yourself eat because you want to lose weight. I personally could never do that. But I keep switching up my diet every month or so because I do like to keep it new; and I do get bored with food.

You are also equally admired for your fun and experimental style. How much of your personal style is reflected in your on-screen and promotional looks?
On screen, I sort of surrender myself to the character, I will do whatever is correct for the character. It might not resonate with my personal style, but that’s okay because in a film everything should be for and about the film. It’s always wonderful to have the room and the luxury to provide personal style into a film, but that too will be always in favour of the character. But, during promotions and in daily life, of course, a lot of my personal style is reflected. However, I’m still trying to figure out what my personal style is though. I go through phases where it completely changes, but I am, slowly and steadily, definitely understanding what works on my body type. I’ve definitely learned a lot, especially since I’ve been in the industry; you don’t sometimes realise how something is looking on you until you’re photographed in it or you see it. That gives you a lot of perspective. So, I’m definitely coming to a point where I’m really understanding what my personal style is and it will definitely show in the next round of promotions that I do.
Five things you believe are an absolute wardrobe must-have, and why?
A white shirt because it goes with everything, a pair of denims because, again, it goes with everything and is very versatile. A pair of hoops because you can never go wrong with hoops, a pair of very comfortable heels that are your go-to because they are comfortable, and also give you the height you like. And, lastly, a nice strapless bra that works with so many different outfits and does the job is always nice.

Do you ever take fashion tips from your mother, or share some with her?
My mother and I, actually, are very different; I don’t think our sense of style is very similar either. So, we don’t share tips, but, of course, I still do steal her clothes. But overall, how we would style an outfit or what we think would go with something differs. I do often ask her how a does an outfit look. More than that, we don’t exchange fashion tips and advice.

You also seem to swear DIY homecare remedies for your skin and hair. Is that the secret to the flawless glow, and shine?
Honestly, the secret to glow and shine, anytime always is to just drink a lot of water. There is no better home remedy that is as effective as just drinking a lot of water and staying hydrated, and  eating well; exercising is, you know, the cherry on the cake. Face and hair masks do add a bit, but what you put into your body is what shows on your skin, hair, face and everywhere else.

Being an actor comes with its share of stress. How do you manage to take care of your mental health considering the high-demanding profession?
It’s very important to keep checking in with yourself to understand how you’re feeling and why you might be feeling a certain way. Then you must try and adjust life, consently take care of yourself and steer yourself in a way that keeps you centered. If there’s a day I’m not feeling particularly good, I will try and figure out the reason, and the solution. That’s always really important. You must not brush your feelings under the carpet; just address it, try and solve it consently and constantly. Because if you keep pushing it aside, it becomes a mountain. So the thing that works best is to consently and constantly just keep checking in with myself and solving issues or problems right when they come.

If you had to pick one thing you absolutely love about being an actor and one thing you wish you wish could have been been different, what would they be?
The moment between action and cut is actually my favorite thing about being an actor. But I am always so surprised and shocked the amount of people you can reach being an actor/essaying a character. As an actor, you’re able to be that person who delivers a feeling to a person you might never meet in your entire life, but somehow you’ve managed to touch. That’s incredible, you know, and that’s what I look forward to most about being an actor. I hope I can do roles like that remain with people.
What I don’t love about being an actor is probably that there’s no concept of weekdays or weekends. I don’t like the fact that most of the time, I don’t even know what day of the week it is because we work more on dates. So, if people ask me what I am doing on Saturday, I probably wouldn’t know. But if you tell me that Saturday is the 16th or 18th, then I’ll be like, ah, yeah, I’m doing this or I’m doing that. There’s no concept of a Monday or a Sunday; every day can be a work day and every day can also be an off day. It’s very disorienting sometimes.

Things one will always find in your handbag?
Lip balm, credit cards and debit cards, and a hair tie.
What’s the most expensive thing you own or have ever purchased?
Probably my car. I bought myself a car from the money I earned.
​📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don’t miss out on the latest updates!