Actress, art collector, mom, media professional and now president of India’s first professional entertainment company, Lintertainment, Geetanjali Kirloskar has the mettle of a Femina Platinum Woman.

We think Geetanjali Kirloskar is a Femina Platinum Woman because:

She believes success is sweeter when it comes by hard work
‘‘I started out in industrial advertising in an agency launched by the Kirloskar Group, called Pratibha. I think my greatest achievement there was bringing in the first brand account — Weekender.’’

Because she built on her success
‘‘When Pratibha became Quadrant and Interpublic Worldwide owned 51 per cent of it, they were under no obligation to appoint me as president. That they chose to, provided me with a turning point in my professional life and in my personal aspirations.’’

Because she’s been there, done that too
‘‘I am, at heart, a multi-tasker. I believe in my ability to take it all on, and more importantly, to strike the balance I need to make it all work. I believe in the virtue of balance, of juggling my social, professional and family life.’’

Because she’s big on relationships
‘‘I’m a great believer in the need for a home, family and values, in the need to have the drive to make relationships work. That’s why I don’t party much. I like to conserve my time and energy for home and family. My husband and I travel a lot, and during her vacations, we take our daughter along. We have fun sightseeing, but we also like it to be a learning experience. It’s an attitude that pays off professionally as well as personally.’’

Because she channelises creativity
‘‘Both, my own and that of my daughter. My daughter Manasi is 13, and she will be showing her paintings at Bangalore and Venice. I feel proud that I’ve channelised her genius. She’s good at academics, but she’s also blooming in other spheres, and I think that’s very important. For me, acting is a passion, a hobby. It’ll never be a full time career, because I’ve other things on my plate, but it’s important to me. I’ve just completed a Hindi thriller and a Tamil one, and am on to other things.’’

Because she spots opportunities and exploits them
‘‘I’ve recently been appointed president of Lintertainment, the Rs 1,000-crore media buying and selling arm of Initiative Media, part of Lintas. We’re into films, channels and anything to do with the professional organisation of the hitherto chaos-ridden film industry. I went to them with a proposal, and they turned around and made me president.’’

Because she’s up to the challenge
‘‘I’m excited by the disorganised industry. I’m excited by the thought that I have to bring focus and order to all of this. By the fact that it’s never been done before. It’s a tough business that’s going through a turbulent time and it’s upto me to see that every rupee spent is worth it. It’s exciting because the consumers are changing, the films are changing and professionalism is the need of the hour.’’

Because she’s got her priorities clear
‘‘Focus — people run around in a hundred directions, but if only they had the focus, they’d get things done. Implementation skills — no matter how good your ideas are, you’re lost without the knowledge of how to use them. Stability — you need maturity and calmness of mind. No emotional outbursts, no panic. Have you ever seen a successful person panic? Thinking Big — you’ve just got to think big, or you’ll stay small.’’

Because after all her success, she’s still got the enthusiasm of a child chasing the Big One
‘‘You’ve got to have that zest for life. For living life to the fullest. And above all for making space for the learning in everything that you do. ’’

Photograph: Zakia Shakir
Make-up: Lindsey