Hello Folks! Hope you and your loved ones are doing extremely safe and good amidst these testing times. In this episode of #BlabwithSandy, we have none other than MissMalini – the much famous influencer, writer, entrepreneur, author, and the list shall go on and on. Malini Agarwal (Brand ‘MissMalini’) has created a niche for herself and is definitely the go-to person for all our Bollywood and Entertainment gossip. Not restricting herself to only movies, Malini has also paved a way to promote women empowerment. Let’s wait no further and dive into the exciting blab I had with her:
Sandy: Hello MissMalini. Hope ‘entertainment’ is happy being by your side.
Malini: Ha-ha! I am doing well, Sandy. Thank you!
Sandy: Could you let us know a little bit about your early background?
Malini: My father was part of the Indian Foreign Service. I was born in Allahabad, but I travelled to Somalia, Lebanon, Greece, Germany, and about 8-10 different countries due to my father’s postings. Finally, he retired while in Delhi and I lived in Delhi for a period of 6 years.
I studied at the Delhi University. I was a dancer and was inclined towards the digital space right from my college days. I worked as a Radio Jockey, did multiple jobs at the same time. I was part of Mid-Day’s piece ‘Malini Mumbai’, Channel V, etc. Blogging was only a hobby in year 2008. I managed to jump into full time blogging in 2010.
Sandy: You are India’s most favourite source for the Bollywood film news, celebrity gossip, fashion trends, beauty tips and lifestyle updates, and so much more. Multi-tasking seems to be your best friend. How and when did it all start for you?
Malini: It wasn’t an overnight success. It took a good amount of 10 years of hope, grit, and consistency to achieve it. I normally get bored doing only a single thing, so I always dabbled in multiple things. After moving to Mumbai, I got exposed to creative people and learnt things from them.
I followed my passion and continued working on Bollywood scoops. I did the right things in a right place and at the right time. My content has always been positive and when the correct funding came in, there was no looking back for me. I believe that’s what has made me what I am today.
Sandy: With many players being a part of the film social media bandwagon, what has been your USP? “MissMalini” has turned out to be a brand that it’s hard to ignore!
Malini: Authenticity is my USP. The media industry is full of stories and I always believe that reporting needs to be authentic.
While working on radio, I had millions of listeners and it is like a personal space where I feel listeners are only hearing you and nothing else.
I tried taking the same quality to my blogs. The audience got glued to my identity which was authentic in nature. This is how “MissMalini” brand got conceptualized and has become an identity for authentic news and gossips.
Sandy: Interesting! Your most important initiative seems to be ‘Malini’s Girl Tribe’, a community that supports women, salutes their existence, and empowers their importance. Could you throw some light on it?
Malini: It has been a passion project and the future of our country depends on such initiatives. ‘Malini’s Girl Tribe’ is a community of women online and it supports their empowerment. I wanted to have a space which has a lot of engagement for women and that creates positive support to each of them. It is a place which suggests where to go for shopping to relationships, from career advice to counseling help, from giving opportunities to business avenues, it has all!
I have created a safe and a comfortable space for women through ‘Malini’s Girl Tribe’. We also have a tribe ambassador programs coming up. It is an exciting journey for me and I am looking forward to showcase the importance of women folk through this initiative.
Sandy: This is fantastic Malini. Kudos to you on this front! Being famous and being able to help others/spreading social awareness are two different things according to me. Not everyone who is famous and is in a position to help others is doing their bit for the society. But you are threading a conscious path in making use of your resources and striving to create an impact in the social awareness scene. What are your aspirations in this scheme of thing?
Malini: Interesting question. It is a key thing to actually use one’s position and make an impact in others lives. With the corona virus pandemic, all of us are rebooting ourselves, aren’t we? People are slowly going to realize the importance helping one another. When we have an access to social media, YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms, we can easily get a celebrity shout out for spreading awareness and positive vibes.
I want to make use of my skills and resources in bringing people together and create awareness on important topics. I want to use the opportunity to collaborate with the celebs and create awareness programs in the coming days. My second book is also on its way which focuses on the same.
Sandy: I have noticed, apart from having several social media pages pertaining to lifestyle, fashion, beauty, girl tribe, movies, you also have a separate community for the team of ‘MissMalini’. This is lovely, and I personally feel, it’s a great thing. Apart from letting the work do the talking, you are also making people know about the members of the team, who are working creatively hard in running the MissMalini show.
Malini: I truly feel that there is a lot of importance for personal growth for every individual. My team slogs hard, and puts the creativity to their maximum fullest. We are to be on the same page and all their dreams and aspirations need to be taken care of, and what better than having a separate space for them?
It gets them motivated and it also makes people get to learn more about their individual side. I do not expect people to stay with me forever, but there are quite a few who have been with me since long. As long as one is in my team, I will make sure to give them their space to grow.
Sandy: You authored a book titled: To the Moon: How I Blogged My Way to Bollywood. And, you surely blogged your way in such a way that Bollywood wants to read all your blogs, Ha-ha-ha! So, can we expect some more interesting books coming from your end?
Malini: Ha-ha! Thank you for your words, Sandy. My first book was all about my inception phase and churning the way out into Bollywood and Media. My second book is going to be a guide on how to behave on digital platforms. It shall be a self-training reference book upon the digital world.
Nowadays, we do not have many libraries. Things have gone online and everything is at our fingertips. Our followers are people too, and one needs to know how to balance oneself on the digital space, and that’s what my book shall address.
Quick Shot Round:
- Love: It’s pure happiness
- If you’d to barter your profession, it would be with: With someone who works in Archaeology
- If you were to go on a road trip with two personalities, it would be with: Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor
- Your biggest regret: I wish I’d learnt lessons early in my life. Maybe, I regret having a short temper?
- A habit of yours that you are happy about: I do not waste a chance in letting people know how much I like them or how much they mean to me
- Your favorite movies: Love Actually and Andaz Apna Apna
- If your life was to be made into a movie, what would you name it? : To the Moon
- If you weren’t what you are now, what would you have been? : Ha-ha! A Lawyer
- The most used App on your phone: Instagram, Facebook and Scrabble GO
Sandy: You started off as an RJ, then a host, author and like your book’s title, you ‘blogged’ your way into the filmdom. Is there any advice that you would like to give to newcomers?
Malini: Do not look at others and compare yourselves. The life you see on social media isn’t the correct picture. There is a lot of struggle that goes behind becoming a known figure. Understand your own path and enter the way at your own pace. You can be better than me. Just continue working hard and churn your way out.
Sandy: You are tick marking every segment of the media industry one-by-one, and I just love it. Will I be seeing you turning into a film writer in the near future? Maybe, producing a Bollywood flick?
Malini: You never know Sandy. I have plans to produce shows and I am working on it. The current OTT trends are bright, so the plans for shows are rightly there.
Sandy: Your take on the South Indian film industry. Any plans of ‘MissMalini’ putting her foot in the South and create the same impact that you have made in Bollywood?
Malini: The South industry is expanding and the South stars are becoming Pan Indian names. We are collaborating and going live with South stars too! It is an interesting period for Indian cinema. Yes, I am expanding my horizons towards the South. I would love to cover the Hollywood space too, in the coming years.
Sandy: What’s in the pipeline for you in the coming months?
Malini: I have by book getting readied for publishing. The Malini Girl Tribe App, few content works, and building up ideas for creative shows. Many things are up on my sleeves. You will get know about them soon, Sandy.
Editor’s note: It has been an immense pleasure in interviewing and getting to know Malini Agarwal from close quarters. Wishing MissMalini a blockbuster journey ahead, filled with entertainment and glitz.
Follow MissMalini @missmalini
Follow Sandy on Instagram @blabwithsandy