The gorgeous and multi-faceted Jharana Bajracharya was crowned Miss Nepal in 1997. Her cinematic career has seen her star in Nepali movies such as Sanjeevani, Pheri Arko Saino, Kohi Mero, as well as the Hindi feature film Love in Nepal. One of the most beautiful women in the country, Jharana has now turned spiritual guru and has her own meditation centre, J’s Meditation Centre.  Rajita Dhungana talks to her about life and other things.

Could you tell us something about your interests?

Creative work interests me a great deal. I love reading. I also love to write. I enjoy creative pursuits because they give me a means by which to express as well as access the various feelings, emotions and thoughts in my mind. I enjoy painting a great deal. Whenever I’m in the mood, I get a large canvas up on my easel and play with colours.

Your favourite writers?

I’m a random reader actually and go through any kind of book I might find interesting. I like both fiction and non-fiction and do not have favourite writers as such. I am also interested in reading books on businesses. Also, since meditation is an integral part of my life, I like reading books on spirituality and the art of meditation itself. I also find that some self-help books are actually pretty useful.

What kind of films do you watch?

I like watching all kinds of films; be they art-house, performance-oriented ones or more mainstream masala ones. I also watch a lot of Nepali movies and try not to miss projects that feature our new generation of filmmakers and actors. The last film I watched was Karkash, and I liked it very much.

Your favourite actors?

I like Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Al Pacino and Danny DeVito. I have watched almost all of their movies. In Nepali cinema, Kristi Mainali is an actress I have always followed and admired. These days, a lot of the newer actors are doing exceptionally good jobs.  Sonakshi Sinha and Ranbir Kapoor are two Bollywood actors whom I quite admire.

If you were not an actress yourself, what career might you have taken up?

Even if I were not an actor, I believe I would still have been part of the artistic world in one form or another. I would have probably taken up writing or painting, and pursued them professionally. I might have been a dancer, maybe even a designer. I’m not really sure. I took up a career in acting before I had explored all these avenues, though, and am really happy with where I am today.

Could you tell us how you got into meditation?

Actually, I learnt meditation from my grandparents. It is something that has been part of my life since I was very young. I have always been captivated by the mind and its fascinating reaches, as well the harmony of our biological selves. The more I learnt about the mind and body, the more interested I became in them. I did waver from meditation once Miss Nepal happened, but I have been meditating regularly since 2006. It has become an integral part of me now.

Does travel interest you?

I love travelling and exploring new places although I don’t believe I’m the more intense sort of traveller. I like visiting Malekhu, Shivapuri or other places close to the Valley although places of natural beauty far from the bustle of urban centres could be on the top of my travel list. I like Pokhara, especially the Begnas Lake area, and also Sauraha, in Chitwan. I also really like Manang. I visited the place 10 years ago and had a great time there. It was winter, and snowing then, and I still remember how stunning the surroundings looked then, especially in the light of the full moon. That was where I tasted jhwain khatte the first time, so that was pretty interesting as well.  

What about cuisines? Do you like exploring food cultures as well?

I’m not really very adventurous when it comes to food. When I’m eating outside, I often order momos and chowmein, but prefer salads most of the time. I am always very conscious of my health so home-cooking is what I enjoy most. Rice and vegetables is probably my favourite dish.

Anything that you’d like to change about yourself?

I think I am an impatient person and am working on changing that. In fact, this is something meditation has helped me a great deal with. I also have this habit of leaving my clothes scattered all over my room. No matter how much I try to keep a neat, uncluttered room, I always end up littering it with clothes.

Do you have an extensive collection of clothes then?

I’m not so sure if I could say I do. However, I do have the habit of buying a lot of handbags. My most recent buy is a dark green one which I carry very often these days. It is versatile, spacious and very practical. I also have quite a number of shoes in my closet and a small book collection I am rather proud of.

Have you always been fashionable?

I used to follow trends when I was in my teens but am not really fashion conscious these days. I like keeping things simple and subtle and don’t use a lot of accessories. I like being presentable and dressing correctly for the right occasions. I like wearing clothes that go with my personality. I am not very conscious of brands although if I had to choose, I would say Louis Vuitton is my favourite. When it comes to jeans, Denim is my favourite label and I really like the perfumes Body Shop makes.