“It Gladdens Me When I See Women Claiming Their Space...” - Mahua Moitra

Mahua Moitra is accustomed to being referred to as a frank and outspoken “loudmouth”—a term, she says, was often used to describe her even as a little girl. “What you see is actually a mellowed version of me,” she laughs, “I used to be a lot more blunt and upfront when I was younger.” It is a crisp, late-winter afternoon, and Mahua, casually kitted out in sweats and a tee, welcomes the Cosmo team into her New Delhi house. The West Bengal elections have just been announced, and the TMC leader has a lot of work to do. But in the midst of the whirlwind political tour that she has been on, the 45-year-old has made a quick pit-stop in the capital, to meet the newest member of her family—her one-month-old Rottweiler baby, Henry (who, it must be added, is the most adorable ball of fluff, and soon surpasses his mum to be the star of the day!). We settle into the perfect corner—in a glass-roofed hall with creamy-white walls, awashed with a stream of sunlight...and Henry curled up at our feet, gently gnawing on anything he can lay his teething jaw on. We are ready to unravel the many layers of the fiery member of parliament. The conversation steers from Mahua’s life in London to her journey into remote India, from finding unwavering support in sisterhood to being labelled an English-speaking ‘memsahab’ by some, and more. “People tend to find me intimidating. And that’s okay...sometimes, it is good to be intimidating,” Mahua jokes, as we binge on pizzas and colas, and she begins to tell us all about her herself—including her love for lipsticks and high heels, the Agatha Christie book collection that sits atop the fireplace, and the one time she had a huge perm and wore frosted silver nail polish.  

Cosmo: In your last job, you were working as the VP at JP Morgan, in London. How did you decide to leave investment banking and return to India?

Mahua Moitra: “I had always wanted to be in politics, since I was a child. When I turned 30, I realised that I had been working for about 10-11 years, but I wasn’t doing what I had truly wanted to do. That’s when it struck me that if I didn’t follow my dream of entering public life then, I’d never be able to do it. I knew it was time. So it wasn’t an epiphany or something, it had been at the back of my mind all along.”  

C: And how has the journey been so far?

MM: “It has been wonderful. I mean, as with anything else, it has had its ups and downs. But like I said, I have always been absolutely certain that this is what I want to do—and I have never thought of going back to my old life...ever. So, that way, it has been a very fulfilling experience. People say politics makes you a cynic, but it hasn’t made me one...I still believe in the cause.”  

C: You’re known to be someone who’s very forthright, who speaks her mind. Were you always like this or did it take some conscious working-on?

MM: “I think I was always like this. I am what they would call a Type A personality. I have always been exceedingly—for lack of a better word—aggressive. Which, I know, is not always a good thing. And believe it or not, I have mellowed down quite a bit. I was a lot more blunt and outspoken when I was younger. I used to be a lot more impatient. So, what you are seeing now is a 70% pared-down version. I don’t know what that says about my older self, but it is what it is [laughs].”  

C: Was the toning-down part of the plan?

MM: “No, no. You know, no-one can tell how life pans out and where it takes you...I could have had a terrible run and ended up a bitter, cynical person. I am glad my life didn’t turn out like that.”   C: But has there been a change that you have consciously  inculcated in yourself over the years? MM: “Yes. To bring myself to mentally accept the fact that in politics, two and two don’t always equal four. You can do everything right here, but things may still not go your way. And sometimes, when you least expect it, something amazing will happen. This reality is very different from the life I was living earlier. There, if you worked hard and you were smart, you’d always get results. But unlike investment banking, politics is very erratic, and that can be difficult to make peace with. So, slowly, I have had to recondition myself, to go along with the uncertainty. I don’t take anything as a given now, not even the idea that hard work always bears results.”  

C: And what is the one habit that you have made an effort to let go of?

MM: “I don’t let anything bother me much now. A lot can affect me, but if I allowed that to happen, I would lose all balance! I don’t think I am where I should be yet, but 
I have learnt to be more placid. And I have learnt to let go now. I am quite resilient and tenacious, and so I don’t give up easily. But with time, I have realised that, sometimes, there are issues that are best to just let go of...beyond a point, you can’t do anything about them.”

C: When not working, what are some of the things that you do to relax?

MM: “I am always working! Lately, I have got a lot more responsibility at work, so there is no time to do anything else at all. But when I can manage some downtime, I like playing with my dog or reading—I am a big fan of Agatha Christie; I also like listening to music, and I love to travel.”

C: Any hidden talents?

MM: “Cooking. I can rustle up anything—I am told I do Italian and Thai quite well. I am also pretty good at painting.”

C: Do you enjoy watching shows and movies?

MM: “You won’t believe it, but I have never watched Netflix. I don’t even own a proper television set...I mean there is one, but it is not connected to the Internet or any cable channels, so there is nothing there to watch.”  

Photographs: Tarun Vishwa; 
Styling: Zunaili Malik; Hair and Make-Up: Itika Chugh

C: But you are fairly active on Twitter... What is your relationship with social media?

MM: “It is very new, and it is a ‘one-sided’ relationship. 
I had a Twitter account earlier, but I only began using it in an active way after my Lok Sabha win in 2019. And I use it simply as a medium to express my views and opinions, not to engage with people. So if I want to say something, I put it out there, and that’s it...I don’t read any comments, nor do I reply to anyone. Sometimes, my friends or team members come and tell me about some comments a post may have got. They’re like, ‘Did you see the trolling?’. And I just say, ‘No, but okay.’ I never read any of it, good or bad. I have a Facebook page, too, but that’s also only for official updates.”

C: So when somebody brings it to your notice, does the trolling disturb you at all?

MM: “Frankly, not at all. I don’t really care. I see it as being similar to delivering a public speech. You stand on the platform, you say what you want to, people listen to it, and then everyone goes home. You are not going to follow them to their living rooms and listen to what they are saying about your speech, right? Then why do things any differently here?! You say what you have to, and get on with your life.”  

C: Are you nonchalant about such matters in your personal life as well?

MM: “It comes naturally to me—and it has really helped me in life. If you start caring about everything that everyone has to say, you’ll be doomed. And then—in trying to please them all—you’ll end up moulding yourself into someone people might approve of, instead of being your true self. Having said that, of course, it affects me when someone I’m close to says something hurtful. But, when it’s random people spreading negativity, I don’t give a sh*t. I am at a stage in life where I am sure of what I believe in, and I feel very strongly about it...so someone else’s opinion doesn’t get to me anymore.”

C: As somebody who is now seeing on-ground realities from close quarters, what are some issues, especially related to women, that you feel strongly about?

MM: “Honestly, I am not a women-centric human being, and I believe that women do themselves a huge disservice when they identify only by their gender. I have never let my gender define me—not when I was a student, not when I was a banker, and not now as a politician. The biggest problem that emerges when women put themselves in such silos and let their gender define them is that, then, they stop competing in mainstream roles.”

C: But in many areas, especially in the rural belts, women have to face many hardships because of their gender...

MM: “I am very fortunate to be from West Bengal, where women are highly empowered. Even in rural areas, and in the most underprivileged families, women are fierce and actively involved—they don’t think of  themselves as any different from men. But the key advice I always give women is to consider themselves part of the mainstream, and to compete there. Just because you are a woman shouldn’t mean you’ll only study home science! It gladdens me when I see women at important posts, across the board, claiming their space.”  

C: Have you ever had to face any gender-based stereotypes or biases?

MM: “I don’t know if it was because of my gender, but after I returned to India and entered grassroot-politics, a lot of people would say to me, condescendingly, ‘Oh you are a memsahab’. Even though I was working harder than a lot of people, and was more qualified than a lot of them. And it’s not like I couldn’t speak Bengali or didn’t know the area. Yet I always found myself having to deal with someone else’s baggage. Someone else would have a chip on their shoulder, and they’d look at me dismissively, and say things like, ‘What does she know, she is just an English-speaking elite’. I wear lipstick and high heels and so, apparently, I can’t look after a constituency. I have to deal with that tag even today, but now I own it with pride. Now I say to them, ‘You know what, actually you’re right, I am an English-speaking elite, but I can also kick *ss on the ground’. Now I have begun to enjoy it—I don’t need to prove myself to anyone, anymore. This is my space, and I belong here!”

C: What are some other misconceptions that people have of you?

MM: “My first impression on people is invariably that I am aggressive and loud-mouthed...which isn’t entirely wrong [laughs]. People also tend to find me intimidating, and that’s okay—sometimes, it’s good to be intimidating. Then there’s: ‘Oh you’re nothing like I thought you’d be’.  And, like I said, the most common assumption is that I don’t have my feet on the ground; I am too western to know what the real India is, etc.”  

C: In your low moments, what gives you strength?

MM: “I talk to my friends, and, then, I try to get a good night’s sleep. I always feel better after that. In general, I love dressing up and wearing make-up, especially a nice lipstick. So, I also like to indulge in all that when I am upset—dress up, put on make-up, and go out. These are my simple pleasures of life—nothing like buying a nail polish or lipstick to lift me up.“

C: Who are you closest to?

MM: “I have three girlfriends who I am very thick with. I studied at an all-women’s college, and we were surrounded by strong female friendships. None of my girlfriends live in India, but we are always there for each other. If I ever need to talk to anyone, they’re my go-to people. I am also very close to my older sister, and the bond is getting stronger as I am growing older. She is my only sibling, but we weren’t very close growing up. Now, she’s my support system. The kind of unconditional backing you get from your girlfriends is unmatched. That’s why, sisterhood and female friendships are so essential.”  

C: You are always so well-turned out. Have you ever made any fashion faux pas?

MM: “Oh yes. I see photographs from when I was younger and I cringe! When I was 20, I had a big perm. That was quite bad! And I remember I used to love wearing this silver-ish, frosted nail polish, which I will run away at the sight of now.”  

C: And if you could go to dinner with any celebrity, who would you pick?

MM: “Playwright Tom Stoppard. There is always something in his plays that not everyone in the audience understands. When he was asked why he wrote like that, he said his  writing is for people who are at least as intelligent as he is. I love that thought.”

C: If you could give your younger self any advice, what would you tell her?

MM: “It may sound funny, but I actually really like my younger self. I’d like to tell her to always stay the same. To never change her core and to never mould herself into what the world wants her to be.”  

C: And have you had to mould yourself to suit the world?

MM: “I’m glad I haven’t. I see so many people trying to be what others want them to be... But that’s not the way to be. You’ll never achieve anything if you take everyone so seriously. I was told all sorts of things when I was starting out in politics...to be a certain way in order to get votes and win elections. I didn’t listen to any of it and I still succeeded. If you are true to yourself, you will succeed—all you need to do is be you.” I am sure of what I believe in, and I feel very strongly about it...so someone else’s opinion doesn’t get to me anymore.