Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Sushma Seth, New Friends Colony Delhi Proustians by The Delhi Walla - September 13, 2020September 13, 20200 The parlour confession. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] She’s 85 and so elegant, stately, regal and her white hair is so beautiful—even on the phone screen. Actor Sushma Seth is chatting on WhatsApp video from the home in New Friends Colony that she shares with her daughter and her family. “I haven’t stepped out since the start of the first lockdown,” she says in her archetypical authoritative and yet supremely soothing voice that is familiar to so many of us who grew up watching her in films and iconic TV serials. “Most people are not aware that my background is theatre,” observes the lady, as she gamely agrees to become a part of the Proust Questionnaire series in which The Delhi Walla nudges folks from diverse backgrounds to make “Parisian parlour confessions”, all to explore the lives, thoughts, values and experiences of Delhi’s citizens. (Also see down under: black & white snapshots of Ms Seth’s theatre days that she so generously agreed to share with me!) Your favorite virtue or the principal aspect of your personality Emotional strength and calm acceptance Your favorite qualities in a man Empathy, integrity, generosity, a sense of humor Your favorite qualities in a woman Strength, grace, kindness Your chief characteristic Determination, positive attitude What do you appreciate the most in your friends? Understanding. Sharing joyous moments. Sorrows have to be endured – physical and emotional Your main fault Fastidiousness Your favorite occupation Acting, directing – plays. Music. Painting Your idea of happiness Peace and harmony in the environment. Aesthetic surroundings Your idea of misery or what would be your greatest misfortune? Misery – squalor and dirty surroundings. Misfortune- losing a loved one If not yourself, who would you be? An improved version of Sushma Seth! Where would you like to live? New Delhi – India Your favourite colour and flower Red. Roses. Fragrance of Indian roses and mogra Your favorite bird The vibrantly colored birds and the ones who sing sweetly, and koel Your favorite prose authors Bharat Muni, the author of Natya Shastra, a treatise on the performing arts, which also discloses the theory of Ras. A. Parthasarthy, who authored Vedanta Treatise. Devdutt Patnaik. Anuja Chauhan Your favorite poets Pandit Satyakam Vidyalankar, Rabindranath Tagore Your favorite heroes in fiction Rhett Butler – hero of my teen years! Your favorite heroines in fiction All the heroines I’ve played on stage–Gurdafrid, the warrior princess in Rustam Sohrab. Rano in Ek Chadar Maili Si, Shen Te in Good Woman of Sezuan, Champa in Sakharam Binder, Kate in The Taming of the Shrew Your favorite composers Pandit Jasraj, Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Kishori Amonkar, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Edvard Greig, A.R. Rahman Your favorite painters All the gifted enterprising artists/painters of group shows who are unknown – whose works do not have buyers Your heroes/heroines in real life The Medical fraternity , which has served selflessly and tirelessly during this pandemic. All those who have suffered and endured this pandemic, primarily the women What characters in history do you most dislike? Hitler, Osama bin Laden, Idi Amin. Rapists Your heroines in World history Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, Rukmini Devi Arundale, Marie Curie, Florence Nightingale, Kalpana Chawla Your favorite food and drink Shahi paneer, papri chaat, Thai curry, cheesecake and all the desserts!! Water, milk, red wine! Your favorite names Kavi, Divya, Priya What do you hate the most? Violence, corruption The military event you admire the most Kargil War. And our armed forces’s preparedness to combat ambush/violation without disclosing their strategies The reform you admire the most Abolition of child marriage, sati, caste system The natural talent you’d like to be gifted with My own singing voice of teen years! How do you wish to die? Swiftly and peacefully – after a bath What is your present state of mind? In learning mode of the incredible but complex mobile and computer technology Faults for which you have the most tolerance Health and economic suffering Your motto in life Live life to the fullest and positively, without any regrettable actions Into the citizen’s heart 1a. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. FacebookX Related Related posts: Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – SM Shafi, New Friends Colony Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Proust Scholar William C. Carter, On Marcel Proust’s 100th Death Anniversary Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Labourer Salman Abbas, Around Town Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Umama Khan, Pahari Imli Delhi’s Proust Questionnaire – Ritu Ahuja, Somewhere in Delhi