Page 116 - Vogue - India (January 2020)

DIA MIRZA, 38
ACTOR, PRODUCER,
UN ENVIRONMENT
GOODWILLAMBASSADOR
AND ADVOCATE
FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT GOALS,
MUMBAI, INDIA

“I want every citizen of this
planet to understand that we
belong to each other, and we are
all one,” says Dia Mirza, voicing
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the
Sanskrit shloka that means
the world is one family. The
UN Environment Goodwill
Ambassador and the UN
Sustainable Development
Goals Advocate of India states,
“You instinctively understand
that you are a part of nature.”
Crowned Miss Asia Pacific
when she was just 18, Mirza
has worked as a model, actor
and producer. But 16 years ago,
seeing environmental issues
so neglected by mainstream
media, she decided to reach
out to activists Bittu Sahgal and
Vivek Menon to help bring it
into public consciousness. A
regular face at beach clean-ups
in Mumbai, she has championed
the #BeatPlasticPollution
campaign and was the
Ambassador for Swachh
Bharat Mission’s Swachh Saathi
programme. The next decade
will see her more involved
with the delivery of the UN’s
Sustainable Development
Goals. “I believe that humanity
is going to witness a remarkable
shift in the way we live and
consume,” she says – NM

RADHIKA KHANDELWAL, 31
CHEF AND OWNER, RADISH HOSPITALITY, DELHI, INDIA

She serves exquisite farm-to-fork menus at her restaurants Fig & Maple and Ivy &
Bean in Delhi and whips up veggie meals for Jamie Oliver’s new series, Meat-free
Meals. Radhika Khandelwal is the eco-warrior chef championing zero-waste, local
and seasonal produce and agrarian biodiversity, while simultaneously advocating for
multiple United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (in and out of her kitchen).
She represents India at Chefs’ Manifesto, a global community of chefs that works
to create a sustainable food system, and is actively involved in the World Economic BIKRAMJIT BOSE; COURTESY ROLEX/ MARC SHOUL
Forum’s Scaling Up Nutrition movement. For the next decade, her goals include
“promoting gut-friendly foods and drinks, ancient grains, new and improved zero-waste
methods, plant-based diets and food foraging.” Says Khandelwal, “As a society, we have
a chance to make a positive difference for ourselves and the environment.” – NM

116 VOGUE INDIA JANUARY 2020www.vogue.in