Devina Mehra

I have mostly been reading non-fiction for the past several years. When it comes to fiction, I've enjoyed Amitav Ghosh's books. His work goes beyond fiction and entails in-depth research. From Ghosh's The Glass Palace, I went on to read Sudha Shah’s The King in Exile and then went from Ghosh's Ibis Trilogy, to Amar Farooqui's Opium City — a fascinating book that explores the making of the early Victorian city of Bombay.

Of the movies I've watched, Mughal-e-Azam, Munna Bhai M.B.B.S, Bandini are my favourite movies. Munna Bhai is a complete package —comedy, emotions and detailing of characters. While Bandini is an unusual story of a woman protagonist with shades of grey that's based on a Bengali novel. 

Ulster County, in New York, tops my list. The place offers magical natural vistas especially around fall. It has outstanding food and heritage buildings. In India, visiting national parks and forests is a mesmerising experience. 

I am interested in various forms of healing such as neurofeedback and Pranic healing. I have developed a recent interest in weight training. It gives me an inner sense of strength besides health benefits. 

I am fairly eclectic in my tastes. But I have a thing for coastal cuisines — anywhere from West Bengal and Kerala. I have also recently discovered some non-vegetarian regional cuisines from Tamil Nadu. Of course, Mumbai also offers some outstanding food in the fusion category.