Jim Sarbh, Ranveer Brar, Amit Aggarwal, and Aatish Taseer talk about their favourite women icons

Maya Angelou once said, "I am woman phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that's me." We tend to agree. Despite living in a lop-sided world, which seems to be running high on patriarchal structures, women have for long paved their own path in pursuit of their passions and left more than just a mark on the world. They've been an inspiration to women, of course, but also men who have looked up to the likes of Kasturba, Katherine Applegate and others to achieve their own dreams. Below, we speak to the men of the hour—Jim Sarbh, Ranveer Brar, Amit Aggarwal and Aatish Taseer about their favourite women icons. 

Jim Sarbh, Actor

With a penchant for choosing roles that challenge the norms, combined with his ability to immerse himself in a diverse array of characters—Jim Sarbh has emerged as a captivating presence in the world of film and theatre. Sarbh’s favourite icon—he recalls—is the luminary American children’s writer, Katherine Applegate. The author possessed the power to transport him to realms of imagination, empathy, and understanding. “Through her creative power, I got closer to animals and acquired the perspective on what it might be like to fly, swim at the bottom of the ocean, transform into a dinosaur, wolf, and even a gorilla!” adds the 36-year-old actor. Extremely captivated by Applegate’s and her husband’s (Michael Grant) Animorphs, Jim reminisces about the days when he was just old enough to go to a library to borrow books and the only one he’d look forward to was the duo’s science fantasy series. “I read all 54 books, multiple times. It’s interesting to imagine what life is like in the mind of an animal...what’s not to like about this?” he says. Although, as a child, he never thought about who wrote the books, all he knew was that it was a woman, “I knew she had a wild and fervent imagination and like me, she yearned to sprout wings, or furs, or gills, or even claws!”

Aatish Taseer, British-American Writer and Journalist

Known for his thought-provoking insights and eloquent prose—Aatish Taseer, a notable figure in contemporary literature and journalism admires what he calls the wonderful, adventurous, and the beautiful writer, Rebecca West; who went boldly around the world at a time when the dangers of travel were greater and the field was mostly dominated by men. Identical to what he’d find inspiring in a man, he found Rebecca and her writing, “relentless, curious, sentences sprung with inner tension, and prose so sharp you could cut your fingers on it”. The 42-year-old Aatish believes that she opened the door to a new kind of writing about the world—she paved the way for men like Nobel Prize-winning author, VS Naipaul. Rebecca—she’s also known as Dame Rebecca West—restored agency to the people she went amongst and “my god she wrote beautifully”. Such is the admiration for Rebecca, mentions Aatish, that he has (re)read her books including Black Lamb and Grey Falcon. In an era when difference is fetishised, he feels that Rebecca offers something akin to humility through understatement. “Of course she’s a woman and that matters, but she lets that become an integrated part of her way of looking rather than basis,” he signs off. 

Ranveer Brar, chef

In the culinary world—where flavours and cultures converge—certain individuals rise to become not just chefs but cultural artisans. Ranveer Brar, a celebrity chef, author and actor, who is known for his distinctive flair for reinventing traditional dishes, has high adulation for Kasturba Mohandas Gandhi. “Her qualities of being quiet yet assertive, resilient, unfaltering, and extremely committed are what inspire me,” says Ranveer. 

From his (Gandhi's) time in prison to his public life, the person who sacrificed the most in the relationship was Ba (Kasturba). The 45-year-old chef thinks that a relationship works hand in hand. He shares, “Even though one person is the visible face, the other person is the fuel behind it”. Having a semi-public life, Ranveer makes sure to remind himself of the sacrifice that his wife (Pallavi Brar) does. “Kasturba, for me, was one of the most significant female activists as well as a proponent of gender equality—she was way ahead of her time.” He also believes that “there is no Bapu without Ba,” and it is the power of feminine energy that creates the aura of success. Kasturba’s tenacity, courage, and the independence of judgement is inspiring for him.

Amit Aggarwal, Couturier

A trailblazer in the sartorial world, Amit Aggarwal is renowned for his avant-garde designs as well as exquisite craftsmanship. Amit believes that for someone to be iconic, they have to be in the same space as he is and it is imperative for him to have met that person face to face in order to be inspired by them. “For all these years, I haven’t looked at history because for me, most historic characters are fictional...I haven’t had the chance to interact with them,” he mentions. A female icon—according to him—is “ideally someone whose aura, personality, intelligence, as well as the power she has to hold a conversation can open multiple doors of inspiration.” Aggarwal believes that marrying creativity with business and having the foresight of turning small ideas into something magnanimous is extremely interesting and can eventually pave the way for multiple legacies