Telling the stars what the stars say
Tarot Reading
She is stalked in restaurants, approached in airport washrooms and even hounded at home. All people want to do is see her once and ask her some personal questions. Her close pals are Karan Johar, Urmila Matondkar, Manish Malhotra, Tusshar Kapoor, Ektaa Kapoor' But she is no film star. Instead, she is someone who film stars believe can make or break their stardom.
She is Sunita Menon, astrologer and tarot card expert, someone whom Bollywood swears by. Not surprising for the superstitious lot the film industry is.
'Not surprising,' agrees Sunita, 'Considering how much money is at stake there. How many careers are launched and finished with just one single release,' she says, in Calcutta for a private function over the weekend.
lywood-related or not, answering crazy questions is a part of her daily existence. Try this: 'I am baking a cake' How much baking powder do you think I should add?' Or this: 'I love this diamond. It costs this much and it is 2.3 carat. Do you think I should buy it?' Or this: 'My maid servant has left. When will I get a new one?'
l of them are not her professional clients ' some are even close pals. 'I also have childhood friends asking me 50 silly questions a day. And some clients who ask me the same question 50 times over, sometimes rephrased and sometimes in a different tone,' she laughs good-naturedly.
But the classic query, says Sunita, is: 'When do you think I will lose weight?' The same question had the entire nation in splits on prime time during Koffee with Karan, when Ektaa Kapoor and Karan Johar both admitted to having asked her this many times.
'But this question has deep psychological implications,' reveals Sunita. 'Many times, immense emotional baggage is signified with excess body weight. People are advised to shed this to make new beginnings. They need to love their body and not let go,' she explains.
Having studied astrology from her uncle from age 14, Sunita then went to Ireland to master tarot cards. 'It was quite a struggle to reach where I am today. Today, being a tarot card reader is fashionable. Those days it was not so. In fact, when my parents discovered this side of me, they thought I was weird.'
A sound eight hours of sleep and a peaceful atmosphere, reveals Sunita, keep her ticking. But she has her bad days, too, the days when she is not up to consulting. 'That happens mostly due to lack of sleep. There are days when I am so tired physically that even the right frame of mind cannot get me to work. On such days, I don't take appointments,' she admits.
Her career comes with its share of naturally 'painful moments'. People come to her in distress, when one line from her could make or break them. 'At times I shudder thinking of the huge responsibility that I have to shoulder. So many people depend on me; I have to be committed to them,' she says.
On the other side are the 'young, happy people' who get her going. 'It uplifts me, their go-getting attitude, their sense of adventure. That's what keeps me happy and energised,' she smiles. If she does the same to her clients, Sunita does not believe in impractical recommendations. Astrology can come with a very high-maintenance package deal ' early morning prayers and an ever-increasing number of gems. But Sunita is different.
'My advice is mostly self-help, especially since I connect with so many youngsters. I encourage a lot of meditation and yoga, rather than persuading them to visit the temple at 6 am,' she smiles.
One day, Sunita would love to set up an old-age home and also write a book. She is also well into finalising project Sukun to fund treatment of the old and needy.
But she does not believe in reading her own future because professionals like her are strictly 'not advised personal readings'. She also feels that she would not be able to remain objective. 'I get my guidance through meditation, I don't depend on my cards,' says this beautiful Aquarian.
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