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“Life is not in our hands, but living is. So live, with passion, with purpose, and with courage.” – Ekta Bhyan on this week’s SMB Cover.

“It takes a toll on your time, your body, your career. My son is a love child, and when I was pregnant, I was judged, lectured, and harassed. Not going to lie – it broke me, but it also hardened me. I’m a fighter (sometimes too much fight, honestly). But that stubborn streak is what carried me through, and it’s why I’ll never apologise for owning my choices.” – Sanjana Chowhan on this week’s SMB Cover.

 “I am impulsive. And I also feel the pulse of what is happening around me,” she says. One such decision changed her life forever: putting everything on hold, giving herself six months, and catching a 3 a.m. train to Mumbai. “That leap shaped a lot of fluid aspirations I had kept bottled in me.” – Shreyasi Sharma- Girls Hostel writer- on this weeks SMB cover.

But the path wasn’t easy. As a child, a burn injury left her with a squint in her left eye and a deep sense of self-consciousness. Growing up, she constantly heard, “Tum kaha dekh rahi ho?” It chipped away at her confidence. She avoided eye contact, kept to herself, and quietly battled self-doubt through most of her childhood and teens.

Still, something in her refused to give up. She performed solo classical dance shows across Europe, with the squint. She acted in her first play, then faced the camera when it was turned into a telefilm for Doordarshan squint and all. But when it came time to seriously pursue acting, she knew she needed to feel whole. In 1994, with her husband’s support, she underwent corrective eye surgery at AIIMS. “After that, I became a completely different person,” she says. For the first time, she could look people in the eye with confidence.

By 1996, she had packed her bags and moved to Mumbai. Within six weeks, she landed her first job. What’s kept her going ever since? “I just love what I do,” she says. Bringing characters to life on stage, on screen is what fuels her. And her training in dance and theatre gave her not just discipline, but depth.

Despite all she’s achieved, Jayati admits imposter syndrome still visits her now and then. “Every time I get rejected, I remind myself I came to Mumbai with nothing,” she says. But when she looks back at the audiences across generations who’ve embraced her work, it helps quiet the doubts. She’s built a career grounded in passion, skill, and self-belief.

If there’s one piece of advice she wishes she’d heard earlier, it’s this: network smarter. “I wish someone had told me to be seen with the right people,” she says honestly. But even without that, she’s proud of the way she did it focusing on her craft, staying true to herself, and never getting caught up in cliques. “I was never in competition with anyone else. I was always trying to be better than I was yesterday.”

She’s always kept her personal and professional lives separate. Work challenges stayed at work. Family was family. She’s proud of being both a devoted daughter and a passionate artist someone who provided for her loved ones while giving everything to her roles.

Her advice to women: talk to yourself. Ask the tough questions. Trust your logic, and never compromise on who you are. “If the answer makes sense, follow it. If not, don’t waste your time,” she says. Pretending to be someone else, she believes, only leads to unhappiness.

In an industry that loves to label actors TV, theatre, film, OTT Jayati has broken the mould time and again. She’s proven herself across every medium. Yes, there were auditions she didn’t get, times she was overlooked because of how she looked. But she never let that define her. “I realised I had to become an asset someone whose talent brings real value.” – Jayati Bhatia – Actor on this week’s she means business cover.

The leap is scary but regret is scarier. You don’t need to have it all figured out. Just listen to your heart and start. Purpose will hold you safely and carry you forward when you trust yourself. – Shilpa Ajwani – CEO & Founder- UNOMANTRA, Founder – SHEMANTRA Community talks to us on this week’s She Means Business Cover.

I’m a Model, an Emcee, a BD Consultant.. and I started all this after 42. – Kavitha Garla – TEDX Speaker- talks to us on this week’s She Means Business Cover.

Building a career in design & a life by design. – Preeti Vyas,- Chairman and Chief Creative Officer- Vyas Giannetti Creative talks to us on this week’s She Means Business Cover.

If the world reinvents itself every year, why should education stay frozen in time? – Payal Gaba, CEO & Founder – BEYONDSKOOL talks to us on this week’s She Means Business Cover.

You can have it all. – Arjya Patnaik, TV Producer – talks to us on this week’s She Means Business Cover.

Better an apologetic oops, rather than a lifetime of aching ‘what ifs’. – Ragini Varma, Chief Business Officer – FYND, talks to us on this weeks SMB cover.