[HerStory Conversations] Fitness queen Malaika Arora bats for Ayurveda brand Kapiva and a holistic lifestyle

Bollywood’s fitness queen, Malaika Arora, has turned strategic investor and joined the #YesToModernAyurveda bandwagon with Kapiva, a modern D2C Ayurvedic homegrown brand.

In 2016, Ameve Sharma, a third-generation entrepreneur from 103-year-old Baidyanath, one of India’s most respected companies, began manufacturing Ayurvedic products along with Shrey Badhani under the brand name Kapiva.

Kapiva has a portfolio of more than 40 functional food products such as herbal juices, A2 ghee, honey, oils, plant nutrition, teas, etc. It aims to provide 360-degree support to consumers looking for better quality food products by maintaining a quality supply chain from Baidyanath. 

In a conversation with HerStory, Malaika speaks about her association with the brand, why she turned strategic investor, and why she espouses Ayurveda for a ‘holistic way’ of life.

Kapiva aims to free Ayurveda of its complexities and make it a part of people’s daily life.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, wellness and preventive healthcare have become imperative towards a “healthy and fit” way of life.

“I’m a huge advocate of Ayurveda and have been using Kapiva products since the pandemic began when I was first introduced to them,” she says.

Going through many physical ups and downs brought about by COVID-19, Malaika says what kept her going was her belief in Ayurvedic products that she was consuming daily and making sure her family had them.

So, when she got the opportunity to collaborate with Kapiva, she says the manifestation came through.

“They have the vision, the ambition, and I believe in their ethos. As I am focused on fitness, wellness, and holistic living, it all came together, and the synergy just happened,” she says.

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Ayurveda first

“As an ancient science that has been around for centuries, I was introduced to Ayurveda some years back when I was facing some hormonal issues. Ever since I have been attending retreats and consuming food that is Ayurveda-friendly,” Malaika says.

She believes that there are a lot of myths and misconceptions, especially among millennials, that Ayurveda is a long-drawn-out process. We need to change their mindsets and educate them that it’s easily accessible and easy to consume.

“There are many issues that can be addressed – gut issues, digestive issues, weight management, through products like juices, gummies, etc., and that’s what Kapiva aims, introduce Ayurveda in simple forms. I consume apple cider vinegar, gummies, fizzes, and these are extremely beneficial. Once you start, you don’t expect something to happen overnight; you have to consume it over some time to see the benefits,” she adds.

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Investing in a concept

“I stand for fitness, I stand for wellness, I stand for a certain lifestyle, and that is a healthy lifestyle. It’s not something that I just talk about - I live it, I breathe it every day of my life. And I also do know if I can, if I can in any way, change people's mindset, you know, I think then my job is done,” says Malaika of investing in a concept like Kapiva.

Malaika is also excited about the Ayurveda Academy from Kapiva and, most importantly, the opportunity to change the mindset of a group that is difficult to penetrate and change.

“It is the need of the hour, and everyone wants to follow a healthy lifestyle not just for the moment, but also for the long term,” she adds.

Malaika says the pandemic has been an eye-opener in many ways for her as well.

“When I was down with COVID, it took a huge toll on my health. And for someone like me, who took great care of my health, I couldn’t escape the virus. Post-COVID-care is very important – regaining strength, raising your fitness levels. I had to restart my life as I was back to square one. What helped me were alternatives like Ayurveda,” she says.

Malaika swears by eating healthy, yoga, and breathing exercises that she follows religiously.

Women bearing a huge brunt of the pandemic has a significant toll on their physical and mental health. Also, as women juggle different roles, they tend to put their health on the backburner.

Malaika says whenever she addresses a roomful of women, she tells them it’s conditioning that women are meant to multi-task, and men are meant to be taken care of.

“We need to get rid of this conditioning and devote more time to ourselves as self-care is essential. Whether it's half-an-hour or an hour, it’s important to have that me-time,” she says.