“This is by far one of the most stupendous adventures I have been on; and I’ve been on quite a few in my time,” begins the well-connected actor, producer and designer, Waris Ahluwalia, who has been a patron for the Elephant Family for over a decade. Known for his cheeky posts on social media, besides his work with directors Spike Lee, Wes Anderson and recently, Deepa Mehta, this flamboyant Sikh is also muse to ‘It’ French brand, The Kooples. Back in August, at a dinner hosted by him for World Elephant Day, he had everyone from Freida Pinto to Sabine Heller drop by to offer support.
Tell us about your efforts to raise awareness about the charity through your trek, Travels to my Elephant. You have said that you choose ‘celebration’ over ‘guilt’ to spread the message. How has the first edition in Madhya Pradesh prepared you for this year’s event in Rajasthan?
Our task is simple — to protect the largest land mammal, for its numbers have dropped 90% in the last 100 years. This majestic creature is on the verge of extinction, and could be lost all together within the next 30 years if we don’t act now. That’s a hard statistic for me to accept — even if I live thousands of miles away... You understand that when you protect the elephant you protect a larger ecosystem. By protecting nature, you protect humanity.
Your lessons in a tuk-tuk ? What went into scoping out the route this time? How did you choose the exotic hotel overnighters and luxury glamping?
Last time we went through rural Madhya Pradesh and everyone was in tuk-tuks . This time, we chose all manners of vehicles. The main thing I learned is that the roads are alive — flowing in every direction. We are travelling from Jodhpur to Jaipur, stopping in Pushkar and Khimsar along the way. We are in Jeeps, tuk-tuks , motorcycles, chagdas (for those of you who don’t know, it’s a motorcycle cut in half with a carriage attached to the back) and classic Ambassador cars. In each city, we stayed at a different ITC Luxury Collection Hotel, our partners on the race.
You have brought in other associations to support the cause, with installations and tea-infused cocktails. In August, you had a House of Waris Dinner Club event.
Just three weeks ago, with the generous support of Luxury Collection Hotels and Resorts, we launched installations and tea-infused cocktails at their London properties, The Westbury Mayfair, The Wellseley and the Park Tower. We made a special drink that each hotel sells in their bar and 100% of the profits go to the Elephant Family. Earlier in the summer, we celebrated World Elephant Day with one of our dinner clubs in the Hamptons. Every month, we host a private dinner club in New York City to explore the healing power of plant based food - this seemed like a perfect tie in to support a conservation organisation.
Meanwhile, what is going on at House of Waris?
The aim of House of Waris is to engage people in a more thoughtful way of living through design and beauty. How we run the company and live our lives are intertwined. This is a path of self -discovery guided by my quest to find balance in a world that moves forward at the speed of light… We have a few secret projects in the lab. All will be revealed soon.
Royal gala: Ahluwalia and Pinto at the dinner
Music and cinema have informed your sartorial behaviour for years…
Music is there always — it’s a soundtrack to the great adventure that is life. Currently, I can’t stop listening to the Lijadu Sisters from Nigeria.
You have played an active role in promoting respect among individuals and the ability to live without fear…
We have to look no further than our own hearts to understand the political climate we’re living in. America. Britain. Europe. India. We live in a world where fear guides policy. Where leaders — political and business — use fear to subjugate the masses and benefit from the chaos.
(American Tibetan Buddhist) Pema Chodron says, “We’re part of a dynamic system in which everything and everyone is in flux.” The search for identity is the search for truth. When you can see the truth in yourself, you can recognise it in the other.
And this is where understanding and empathy begin. This is where we step out of the shadow of fear and into the light of love. This is where we find a strength that comes with compassion.
