HELLO! Exclusive: How Mira Rajput Kapoor is making maximum impact with minimal beauty

Mira Rajput Kapoor.

The name alone holds gravitas. As she walks in (dot on time, we may add), graceful yet stately, locks shining and complexion radiant, there’s a shared consensus across the set—when it comes to beauty, she knows what she’s doing.

“I credit my mom [for my interest in beauty]. I’ve seen her look after herself all our lives. She’s very disciplined, but her philosophy has always been ‘less is more,’” shares Mira, who co-founded her brand Akind in 2024 on the same principle of effortless simplicity.

Into hair and makeup and ready to be styled an hour later, Mira knows exactly what she wants and how she wants her ensembles put together. ‘Wellness is a way of life,’ says Mira, dressed in a one-shoulder Dior shirt with two-toned denims from Sandro, jewels from Arvino and Jimmy Choo heels she likes it easy and comfort-first.

“I don’t think I’m a maximalist from a kilometre away. I prefer to keep things chic and effortless and don’t put too much thought into it,” says Mira, whose one weakness is jewellery. “I love admiring jewellery, collecting pieces, wearing them… That’s part of my personal style.”

As is evident, she loves to be shot au naturel, preferring the glow of the sun rather than an artificial lamp—an attestation, one may say, to her predisposition towards keeping all things natural. It’s been refreshing to see Mira carve a niche for herself in the beauty and wellness space, miles away from the frivolous “Bollywood wife” label one could have associated with her. With her superstar husband Shahid Kapoor securely by her side, Mira is astute and articulate, transparent about who she is, what she likes or doesn’t, firm in her stance that she doesn’t need to be anyone but her true self.

We find that intrinsic to Mira’s mindfulness and beauty beliefs is the need to listen to one’s body and skin. Today, as her disciplined ways trickle down to her entire family, we wonder what nudged her into this path of perceiving wellness as a way of life. Over to our new establishment in beauty: Mira Rajput Kapoor.

You won the ‘Wellness Influencer of the Year’ honour at the HELLO! Hall of Fame Awards in 2023. Were you always this invested in wellness and beauty? And did you think you would become such a prominent name in the fields one day?

Wellness is a way of life. It’s always been an integral part of who I am. My grandfather was a homeopath, and I grew up with my mother asking me how I was feeling, whether my cough was itchy or scratchy…

Such things shaped the way I look at wellbeing. Over time, a simple interest in the subject turned into a passion to understand who we are from the inside out.

All the practices I picked up along the way are greatly shaped by Ayurveda because it recognises each individual’s unique constitution. I’ve always had an interest in understanding how the body and nature interact. I’ve now turned this interest into my next business venture, Dhun Wellness, a centre for holistic health and wellness [opening soon in Mumbai].

How did beauty come into this mix for you? How do you see the concepts of beauty and wellness overlap?

Once again, I credit my mom. I’ve seen her look after herself all our lives. She’s very disciplined, but her philosophy has always been “less is more.” I’d watch her using face packs at home, applying lemon on her face, drinking hot water every morning… But amid all of this, there was a sense of ease and effortlessness. That’s what I picked up from her—minimal makeup, minimal intervention, looking after your skin from the inside out. That philosophy also trickled down to Akind, where we emphasise listening to your skin… rather than trends and viral ingredients.

How was Akind born out of your everyday practices? In India’s crowded beauty space, how did you think you could cut through the chaos?

First and foremost is our philosophy of listening to your skin. In a crowded market where every brand, every doctor, every other person on the internet is telling you what to do, we’re telling you to listen to yourself. Is your skin feeling dry and angry? Is it irritable? 

Is there any brand besides Akind that you would recommend?

Nope! I wouldn’t!

Next, we created something centred around Indian skin, weather and purchasing abilities, which is aspirational but with great value. We’ve focussed on common concerns of Indian skin, like pigmentation, fine lines and dryness, and simplified it like Lego blocks to help you build your own routine.

Lastly, we wanted to create high quality skincare that didn’t burn a hole in your pocket. So a lot of our investment went into research and development, not creating the prettiest, fanciest packaging. That’s why our repurchase orders are extremely high.

We know you’re an avid fitness enthusiast. Tell us about the mindful practices you follow every day. I like to meditate daily. It centres me right at the beginning and end of the day.

Focussed, mindful concentration can, sometimes, allow your body to recharge in a way even sleep can’t… I also like to work out three or four times a week. I like Pilates and functional training with light weights.

Earlier, I used to feel an energy dip around 3pm. And that’s when my kids get home from school. So I decided to scale back the intensity of my workouts to be able to spend time with my family without feeling exhausted or cranky… The most important factor, though, is sleep. It’s so underrated!

Mira, you’ve built a refreshing identity for yourself well away from the cliché “Bollywood wife” tag. How difficult was it to step into the shoes of a “star wife” and move from Delhi to Bombay?

I honestly never stopped being myself. It was just a matter of moving cities and now having a million people commenting about me. It may sound cheesy, but my parents always made me feel like I was enough; I’ve never had to seek external validation. It made me confident that the people I love, love me for who I am. So there was no need for me to change.

The move… I had to make new friends and get familiar with a place I had not lived in. But I made friends really fast. Shahid’s friends were extremely welcoming, and he has a large family here, too. So I never felt like I didn’t have anybody. Also, Shahid and I are friends first. That made everything easier.

The way we consume information is very different today. Considering that you have two young kids, how do you advise them and how do you practice being mindful with the kind of content you subject yourself to? This is such an integral part of one’s mental wellbeing in the age of information overload…

The media we consume directly impacts our thoughts and moods so much—it’s about time we start taking it seriously. Then again, I do work a lot on my phone, so that’s a catch-22… Sometimes, you can get drawn into the hustle culture, into thinking whether you’re doing enough, travelling enough… That’s where meditation comes in, and connecting with real people well outside the metaverse. Yes, the phone can be a blessing, but I keep away from things like conspiracy theories and other such dark content.

How did motherhood change the way you live and also look at the world?

I’ve seen myself grow up with my kids because I had them very early. I was finding myself while my kids were finding themselves. There are some things that just kick in when you become a mom. You become very protective about your family. You’re more mindful…

For both me and Shahid, our outlook has been to keep our kids balanced, grounded. We don’t hold back from disciplining them…

There are some things you don’t understand when you’re the child in the parent-child relationship. We now want to do things we may have taken for granted earlier, like imparting the right values in them, ensuring they’re connected to their grandparents, keeping a check on their school life, their evolving friendships… We want them to be strong enough to take on the world, know exactly who they are and always know that we have their back.

Tell us a few ways in which Shahid has influenced the way you live. How do you think you had an impact on him?

I think we have both made each other much better people. Yes, we have a different outlook on life, different tastes in travel and movies… Shahid is creative and spontaneous. I’m structured and like to make lists for everything. He loves to chill on the beach; I love sightseeing. But Shahid’s very disciplined—like waking up at 5am on a shoot day to meditate and workout, so he can be with the kids in the evening—and I picked that up from him. I think he’s imbibed a little bit of my need to plan and do things a certain way. It’s now become a nice, balanced, wholesome mix of our lives

Have Shahid and your kids picked up any habits from you?

All of us follow a mindful way of life. We’re vegetarians. We play sports together. We’re just a normal, regular family. Our kids learn from what we do. They watch their dad be so particular about exercising and staying fit. They notice me having all these concoctions early in the morning. It’s what they’ve grown up around, and they take pretty well to all of it.

You’ve become quite a fashion icon, as well. We’ve seen you mostly sport easy-breezy looks that keep you comfortable. How did that aspect of things evolve?

Over the years, I may have evolved to take a few risks here and there, but my day-to-day outfits are comfortable and easy. I like to put in an effort at times, but I’m not the kind of woman who has looks in mind. I have one weakness, though: I love jewellery… I love to select pieces for all my events myself. That’s part of my personal style.

What’s the one life-changing advice you’ve received? A learning you’ve held on to all your life…

There are two. The first one’s from a dear family member. Just maintain a balance, they said. It’s a simple sentence, but it’s relevant in every sphere, every decision, every situation… The second is something I learned over time: it’s important to know what you know, but it’s even more important to know what you don’t know. Only then can you work towards it.

JUST A MINUTE WITH MIRA

Your go-to for instant radiance?

A face massage.

Delhi or Mumbai?

I can’t choose! I love Mumbai, but the food in Delhi is just the best.

What’s the one thing you don’t leave home without?

My sun stick.

Your one beauty must-have?

Akind’s On Cloud Nine Moisturiser. All day, every day.

The one product you swear by?

The No Shade Sunscreen Primer.

Three things you would like to change about yourself?

To have a better turnaround time for WhatsApp messages, switch off at 6pm and stop my mind from buzzing, and doom scrolling!