Work On Yourself To Be Happy

Entrepreneur and philanthropist Zarina Screwvala believes the sure-fire way to be happy is to work on yourself and be a better person. She talks to Femina about her success mantra, inspiring journey, and how she’s empowering rural India.

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Zarina Screwvala is on a mission—to lift rural India out of poverty, one village at a time. Her Swades Foundation, co-founded with husband Ronnie Screwvala, works across the Raigad district of Maharashtra, enabling villagers to live a better life. But it was an extensive journey that brought Screwvala to where she is today. From being the co-founder of UTV (now Walt Disney India), to being a full-time philanthropist with a love for philosophy, Screwvala’s life has been nothing short of fascinating. Over to the trailblazer who tells us how it all started.

What’s the best part of being a boss lady?

There isn’t one. Being a boss is a huge responsibility. It’s something I’ve grown into and learnt after several years of working. I used to be extremely aggressive and bossy, but I have realised it’s not the way one should be. If you want the best out of people, then they need to work in an atmosphere without fear hanging in the air. As a boss lady, you need to motivate and inspire. If you are hard-working, you can ask people to work hard. A leader has to lead by example.

Over the years, you have inspired women across all spheres of life. What has the journey been like? Did a 17-year-old Zarina know that she would be here today?

Not at all. But there are no accidents or coincidences in life. The UTV journey began when I was still studying in college and I got a call from Deven (Khote). We were in a theatre group with Pearl and Alyque Padamsee, and Ronnie (Screwvala). He called me and asked me if I would like to go for an edit the next morning for a show called Mashoor Mahal, which was being directed by Ronnie. I agreed. There was just one man at the studio, called Ramzan, who told me that he would teach me editing. At that time,