When it comes to collecting designer bags, Koena Mitra is not afraid to splash out, “I’m a very casual person otherwise, but when it comes to bags I have to have the best,” she says. The obsession with bags goes back to her childhood and she has some specific colours and designs that she favours. “Most of my collection consists of blacks, beiges, browns and white,” she explains, “I am obsessed with large bags as I have to carry my perfumes, glares, diary, mini laptop, two mobiles with chargers! Even for formal functions where I carry clutch bags there’s always a big bag in my car with my essentials. I don’t care much for jewellery and use my bags as my
accessory.”
Despite first appearances, however, Koena is far from being a naked consumerist – she is fact a very contemplative person. “Spirituality is a very relative term. It is more of a personal belief,” she says, “I believe in Ma Kali and Durga. If I am in Mumbai, I visit the temple every Saturday. It is like a feel good factor. Having said that, I don’t think people who go to temples are more religious or something.”
Koena, winner of the Mega Model Award, is perhaps best known for her role as Julie in Apna Sapna Money Money and also appeared in Cash, Heyy Baby and Anamika. Koena has sometimes been criticised for sometimes taking a long time to commit to a project. Why is that? “A lot of people ask me that why you always take time to decide on projects? I always feel that it’s better to learn from other’s mistakes rather than your own mistakes,” she explains, “Hence, I would prefer working with good banners and good directors even if it takes time, as long as it benefits me at the end of the day.”
