Alaviaa Jaaferi floats into her sea-facing living room, barefoot in baggy, mismatched pyjamas, the picture of a Mumbai-based zillennial. She waves our team into her Architectural Digest-approved Bandra home whose hall spills into a balcony that channels Mediterranean minimalism with a hint of Malibu ease, tempered by just enough sound from the streets outside to remind you of exactly where you are. I ask her younger brother Abbas what aesthetic this is, and he casually says, “I’d say liminal,” before disappearing away from the chaos of the crew now overtaking his house.
On the other hand, the 28-year-old Jaaferi, unbothered by the people streaming in behind her, leads us into her room. Once her hair’s done, I ask how her name is pronounced. “It’s Ul-viah,” she laughs—half patient, half resigned. “Even during brand calls, after I correct them, they still get it wrong.” She stops to trace invisible lines over her eyes. “Can we place the lashes just on the ends? Just to get that lift,” she tells the makeup artist.
Once the shoot kicks off, there’s a flicker of nerves, but they pass quickly. Photos have always come easy to her (thanks to clicking selfies with her brother on a MacBook her dad once bought). Videos? Not so much. “I was so conscious,” she admits. But now, the Parsons graduate and Vis a Via co-founder talks to the camera like it’s an old friend. Shyamolika Vaz chats with Jaaferi about her hot takes on stardom, thrift favourites, and more.
