COSMOPOLITAN Magazine OCT 2020

Our digital coverstar Alaya F (@alaya.f ) opens up about her future plans and her (many) celebrity crushes. Read on to find out, and don’t forget to download your free copy of Cosmopolitan India from the link in bio. Alaya is wearing: Coordinated jacket and skirt, both Fendi (@Fendi); watch, band, and pendant, all Daniel Wellington (@DanielWellington); boots, Christian Louboutin (@LouboutinWorld) . Editor: Nandini Bhalla (@NandiniBhalla) Styling and Art Direction: Zunaili Malik (@ZunailiMalik) Photograph: The House Of Pixels (@TheHouseOfPixels) Styling Assistant: Humaira Lakdawala (@HumairaLakdawala) Hair & Make-Up: Shraddha Inder Mehta (@themakeupmaven__ ) Interview: Humra Afroz Khan (@HumraaKhan) Actor’s Reputation Management: Spice Social (@spicesocial ) C: How has your five-year plan worked out? AF: “You’d be amazed...so far, it has happened exactly as I had planned...knock on wood! Some things even happened in the precise months I had planned to achieve them! Besides the lockdown, of course (laughs). Now I’ve made a two-year plan—based on what I want from life, and where I want to be career-wise. I’m scared I might jinx it if I talk about it, but I can tell you it involves a lot of diverse films, different roles...” C: Is there a Plan B should things not go as planned? AF: “No. Simply because I believe that when you really aspire for something and work extremely, extremely hard for it, there’s just no way it won’t work out. Sooner or later, it will. If I don’t get where I wanted to in, say, six months—but if I keep trying my best and put my heart and soul into it—I will get there. People fail, and it’s fine. That shouldn’t stop you. In fact, the fear of failing is what kept me away from acting in films for so long. I had seen people looking for ways out when they didn’t do well. So I have weighed all the pros and cons carefully—and that has given me a lot of clarity. I’m lucky to be doing what I love, and I’m never going to give up!” C: Any celebrity crushes? AF: “Oh, tonnes...I could go on and on! I love Ranveer Singh and Hrithik Roshan. Also, Alia Bhatt and Priyanka Chopra Jonas...” . . . . . . #alayaf #alayafurn