Tomorrow, Today – "Success, Spirituality & Staying Real"

Host: Shekhar Natarajan
Guest: Shilpa Shetty Kundra
Date: April 4, 2026

Episode Overview

In this rich, wide-ranging conversation, Shekhar Natarajan welcomes Bollywood icon, wellness entrepreneur, and mother Shilpa Shetty Kundra. The episode dives deep into evolving definitions of success, living authentically amid fame and reinvention, the nuances of spirituality, the realities of women’s empowerment in India, and the risks and opportunities of a technology-driven future. Both Shekhar and Shilpa share vulnerable personal stories, reflecting on humble beginnings, resilience, faith, and what it means to create impact in a rapidly changing world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Many Facets of Shilpa: Public Persona vs Private Self

[03:33–04:54]

• Who Is the Real Shilpa?
  • Public persona is “bubbly, happy, positive”—what people pay to see through TV, radio, digital.
  • In private: “When I’m not being watched, when I’m not being judged…there is a quieter side to me…deeply spiritual.”
• Finding Time for Self
  • Enjoys learning, yoga, time with family, simple pleasures—“I just like to switch off sometimes.”

2. Spirituality, Patience, and Faith

[06:30–08:47]

• What Spirituality Means
  • Not strictly religious—"Dharma is to do the right thing."
  • Follows teachings of Sai Baba: “Shraddha and saburi—faith and patience.”
• Practical Wisdom
  • “Faith and patience have to be unconditional…Faith is to know that whatever is happening…is going to be for your better good.”
  • (Shilpa, [07:44])

3. Shekhar’s Origin Story: The Power of Resilience

[10:24–15:07]

• Poverty “was my origin story. It was not my destination.”
  • Mother’s sacrificial commitment (stood 365 days at school to get him admitted; sold her wedding ring for his education).
  • “Unconditional love…my mother had unlimited patience, unlimited conviction and super driven. That conviction she had was amazing.” (Shekhar, [12:55])
• Both connect over humble beginnings, hunger, and grit that shaped their journeys.

4. Reinvention, Intuition, and Saying “No”

[15:07–23:03]

• Reinventing herself “was never really contrived…it was survival of the fittest. I just did stuff I felt instinctively drawn to.”
• Winning Big Brother: “My life just changed overnight.” Turned down moving to the UK, followed her gut.
• The power of instinct: “I just lived in the moment.”
• Turning “no’s” into power: “It’s the many nos that have made me. Not the yeses.” (Shilpa, [19:36])
• “Branding with yoga and wellness happened quite naturally because I walked the talk.”

5. Angelic Intelligence vs Artificial Intelligence

[23:31–26:11]

• Shekhar introduces “angelic intelligence”—replicating the empathy, compassion, and ‘soul’ that AI lacks.
• “Can I bring the soul of a human, the heart of a human into the intelligence?” (Shekhar, [00:00]/[23:43])
• Shilpa: “That’s what we lack actually in today's AI.”
  • Discussion points toward designing tech for future generations, and balancing efficiency with context and morality.

6. On Strength, Bending but Not Breaking

[27:19–28:25]

• “Yes, you can bend me, you can’t break me.” (Shilpa, [27:33])
• Shift from validation to vision: “You know, now I’m not going to compromise. I’m not going to be undervalued…That’s when the flip happens.” (Shilpa, [37:34])
• Manifesting: “I’m a living example of how one can actually manifest what one really, really wants…with effort, consistency, discipline, and sacrifices.”

7. The Double-Edged Sword of Fame

[31:31–35:21]

• Gratitude for fame, love, identity.
• Big cost: “Once you’re famous, you're not allowed to make mistakes…But I feel the one who will face the brunt of that will be my kids…that added pressure on them.” (Shilpa, [32:50])
• True success: “Satisfaction for me is the true definition of success.” (Shilpa, [35:25])
• Kindness and consistency are cornerstones of her ethos.

8. Lessons for Young Women (& Men)

[38:20–41:30]

• “Don’t try to be like someone else. Be someone other people will want to be like.” (Shilpa, [38:35])
• “If you love what you are doing, keep consistently doing it with discipline and be kind in any situation. Kindness goes a long way.”
• Story of working through pain and showing up—hard work, ethics matter more than talent alone.
• “If you have that kind of work ethic, you’ll always be successful.”

9. Becoming an Entrepreneur: Guts, Instinct, No Accidents

[41:34–48:12]

• Entrepreneurship “just happened”—born out of instinct, never a master plan.
• Early investments (e.g., MamaEarth) happened because she believed in the intent, not just the product.
• “I don't just invest in the product. I invest in the people that have that vision for the product and the intent with which they've made the product.” (Shilpa, [47:23])
• Emphasizes trusting her gut, the universe, and intention-driven choices.

10. Women’s Empowerment: Beyond Slogans

[48:24–53:54]

• “#Empowerment is not just a hashtag. It’s an infrastructure, and it has to be built.”
• Women across India multitask and are conditioned for resilience—“Asian women are built very differently.”
• Shekhar recounts personal stories of women’s sacrifices in his family; both agree society often overlooks these.

11. Recognizing & Breaking Patterns of Disrespect

[55:41–58:25]

• “If someone disrespects you…it's time to wake up and break it…Until you do not learn from that pattern, it’ll keep getting repeated. And that's God's way of teaching you to become stronger.” (Shilpa, [57:21])
• Encourages women: “Empower yourselves and be that stronger person.”

12. Self-Reliance, Strong vs. Looking Strong

[59:00–63:37]

• “Don't bend so much that will break your spine. Bend only as much as you can.” (Shilpa, [59:00])
• Difference between physical and mental strength: “Yoga is training the mind.” (Shilpa, [62:22])
• Living in awareness and consistency is key to real strength.

13. Reclaiming Indian Wellness Wisdom

[64:14–69:18]

• Both bemoan how Indians disregard their own traditions (turmeric, ghee, yoga) until validated by the West.
• “We as Indians must wake up and smell the ghee.” (Shilpa, [65:48])
• Ayurveda, yoga, and mindful living are a treasure trove, need consistency and gratitude.

14. Mental Health, Pressure & Therapy

[71:30–75:52]

• Shekhar shares personal family story with mental illness.
• Shilpa: “The mind is more powerful than the body.” Stresses regimen and seeking professional help or yoga/pranayama for mental well-being.

15. Parenting, Authenticity & Values

[76:56–79:26]

• On her children’s understanding of fame: “Who I am at home is just Mama for them. They know that screen persona is one thing.”
• Prioritizes “to be good human beings and to be kind.” (Shilpa, [79:19])

16. Technology & AI: Threat, Tool, or Opportunity?

[80:04–84:50]

• AI is neutral; “really depends on the hands that use it.” (Shilpa, [80:04])
• Discernment, ethics, and education vital for navigating AI and deepfakes.
• Kids teach parents—her son spotted AI manipulation before she did.

Memorable Quotes

“Poverty was my origin story. It was not my destination.”
—Shekhar Natarajan, [00:26] & [10:24]

“You can bend me, you can't break me.”
—Shilpa Shetty Kundra, [00:52] & [27:33]

“It's the many nos that have made me. It's not the yeses.”
—Shilpa Shetty Kundra, [00:34] & [19:36]

“Faith and patience have to be unconditional. And when you have faith, patience means…how you behave in the time when you don’t even have those answers.”
—Shilpa Shetty Kundra, [07:13]

“Don’t try to be like someone else. Be someone other people will want to be like.”
—Shilpa Shetty Kundra, [38:35]

“#Empowerment is not just a hashtag. It’s an infrastructure, and it has to be built.”
—Shilpa Shetty Kundra, [48:54]

“If someone disrespects you…it’s time to wake up and break it. Because till you do not learn from that pattern, it’ll keep getting repeated. And that’s God’s way of teaching you to become stronger.”
—Shilpa Shetty Kundra, [57:21]

“Yoga is training the mind.”
—Shilpa Shetty Kundra, [62:22]

“We as Indians must wake up and smell the ghee.”
—Shilpa Shetty Kundra, [65:48]

Key Timestamps of Note

| Segment | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------|---------------| | Shilpa on spirituality & private side | 04:00–06:00 | | Sai Baba & spiritual patience | 06:35–08:47 | | Shekhar’s story: mother’s sacrifices | 10:24–15:07 | | “It’s the many nos that have made me” | 19:36 | | On entrepreneurship & instinct | 41:34–48:12 | | Women’s empowerment goes beyond hashtags | 48:24–53:54 | | “If someone disrespects you…break it” | 57:21 | | Real strength: physical vs. mental | 59:00–63:37 | | Reclaiming Indian wellness | 64:14–69:18 | | Mental health must be addressed | 71:30–75:52 | | Raising kind children | 79:14 | | AI as tool vs. threat, teaching discernment| 80:04–84:50 |

Tone and Style

The conversation is candid, reflective, and peppered with moments of humor, humility, and warmth. Both guests balance gravitas with optimism. Shilpa’s voice remains practical yet empathetic, emphasizing kindness, discipline, and faith as cornerstones for navigating modern life.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Personal reinvention is driven by gut, purpose, and discipline, not external validation.
• Spirituality, faith, and patience are anchors amidst uncertainty.
• Real empowerment is structural, not performative—women must both support and recognize each other.
• Authenticity is a decision, not an accident; consistency and kindness compound over the years.
• Recognize and value our indigenous wisdom: yoga, Ayurveda, mindful eating.
• Technology is a tool—critical thinking and discernment are essential.
• Model strength for the next generation by teaching resilience, boundaries, and grace.
• Seek help openly for mental health; healing is as vital as achievement.

For those who haven’t listened:
This episode is an inspiring, soulful roadmap for anyone looking to stay real, resilient, and relevant while shaping their own success story amid change. Expect candid vulnerability, practical advice, and a hopeful blueprint for navigating both the inner and outer worlds of tomorrow.