This week we got to catch up with Nandini Bhalla who defines herself as “Cosmopolitan Editor with an unnatural shopping habit” on Twitter. Envy her already? ;)
She took charge of “THE” Cosmo around 5 years back before which she had launched the Indian edition of ‘Grazia’, one of Europe’s leading style magazines.
So without much fuss, here we go:
Team ED: 3 words that describe you the best.
Nandini Bhalla: Excitable, curious and bada** (well, at least sometimes).
Team ED: What do you like the most about being an Editor?
Nandini Bhalla: It’s when someone stops you at a mall or on the street to say how much they enjoy reading the magazine. That really makes my day. Also, meeting all kinds of talented people from different walks of life (does that sound clichéd? I hope not, because it’s true).
Team ED: Is the movie ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ real?
Nandini Bhalla: I wish it was! I’d love to have someone fetch my favourite coffee each morning and have a magnificent office-based wardrobe just waiting to be be worn. In reality, the Cosmo office is just a bunch of really bright and fabulous girls who work very hark and spend their day creating pages, interviewing celebrities, and legitimately discussing the hottest shoe and bag trends (and, on occasion, eating cupcakes)!
Team ED: What is the most stressful part of your job?
Nandini Bhalla: Juggling, that often comes with my job. Issue closing, events, client meetings, and social media collaborations, all of which may need to be done in the same day. I often find myself wishing for more than 24 hours in a day (I’m currently reading a book on better time management).
Team ED: Hope it helps! So according to you, is the reader becoming smarter or dumber with each passing ‘social media’ day?
Nandini Bhalla: Social media is definitely making the reader smarter…she now has access to so much information and cool stuff that you have to work harder at creating quality content that will stand out. That said, social media has also reduced her attention span…nobody has time for a 2,000-word essay anymore. So it’s out with the long, text-heavy articles, and in with shorter features, sharper images and layouts.
Team ED: On a lighter note, how many pairs of shoes do you own (our female readers would definitely want to know this)?
Nandini Bhalla: The last time I counted, over 200 (I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t worn half even once)!
Team ED: That’s way more than what we expected! So what will one find in your browser history?
Nandini Bhalla: My browser history is an oddball combination of online shopping sites (Asos!), trend research, news, and Google questions like ‘How to Contour Cheeks Like Kim Kardashian’.
Team ED: Haha, what a mix! And what do you generally do in your free time?
Nandini Bhalla: In my mind, I’d like to spend my free time watching an incredible theatre performance or taking up a useful hobby or working on my to-be-launched blog, but I usually end up spending it with friends, organising ‘game night’, or playing Hay Day on my phone.
Team ED: What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
Nandini Bhalla: The craziest thing I’ve ever done is bleach my hair when I was 12. With my mom’s face bleach. The result was very golden (I was grounded for 2 months).
As a child, I killed 12 gold fish by taking them for a walk around the house..
Oh, and last year, I pretended to be a spy for an entire week at every party I attended (it was a great conversation starter).
Team ED: Woah! You do sound like a big prankster! Lastly one gossip that you can never get over?
Nandini Bhalla: I suck at gossip. Like that song, I’m always the last to know.
Team ED: That was such a fun ride Nandini, getting a quick peek into your likes and life. Thanks so much for being with us on Friendly Fridays and hope to keep reading some great stories from the Cosmo stable.
Nandini Bhalla: Anytime. Thanks for having me.
So guys, see you around next week, till then, Adios!
