'It's all about the choices you make'

To be different motivates Bandana Sondhi, model, actress, brand and style influencer. She doesn't believe in being a conformist, following set paths. In fact, living life out of the box is what she prefers most.

For her to have a sense of purpose in life matters a lot. “I wake up every morning with a sense of purpose for the day. To excel in whatever I do is a big motivating factor for me. To be able to inspire other young women is also something that motivates me. I want to set my own path and to leave a legacy behind. I never want to be just known as someone's daughter or sister. I need to be able to create my own body of work and achievements and be known as Bandana Sondhi,” she says.     

Talking about her work, she recalls, “I have a great sense of style and that helped me start off with styling people but along the way I was told I have the perfect face for modelling. I gave it a shot and have never looked back since the last three years. I have done television, print and digital ads for every known brand you can think of and the list is endless.”

The life of a model is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work. When asked about this, she opines, “It’s all about your attitude to it. One meets all kinds of people in the field. At the end of the day it’s about the choices you make and what you are comfortable with. Why modelling only? Every profession has pros and cons. You have to love being a model and believe in who you are. It is not as easy as it looks and patience and a lot of hard work is what makes a successful model.”

She reveals her true passion is a blend of fashion and music. “Today I am lucky enough to be working in a sphere as a model and brand influencer, which has everything to do with fashion. Be it looking good, makeup, endorsing brands and trying out new and different styles. Music is my other passion. Maybe I may do something in music in the future, who knows, as that is the dream too.”

Apart from music she loves to travel and watch movies. Working out is a hobby as she loves to set new benchmarks. Her favourite holiday destination is Europe simply for love of its culture, art, architecture and food. Thailand, for her, is fun and a shopper's paradise and Istanbul is a heady mix of Asia and Europe.

 “I believe we have one life and we have to try and do all that we desire to do. Life has a plan for all of us and eventually it helps us discover things that we were born to do. All that I do today was never in my plan yet it found me at the right time and this is who I am today. From a banker to a model, brand influencer and writer today who knows what else I may do tomorrow?” she says.

To find a balance between work and life she thinks it is all about priority. Work hard and play harder is her mantra.

Priyanka Chopra is her role model for breaking every stereotype and proving that “You can do anything. She is the only one who had truly made it in Bollywood and now Hollywood. Priyanka has built a legacy of her own and I hope I can do the same some day,” she concludes.