It’s been more than three decades since she was crowned Miss India but even today, after so many years, Swaroop Sampat or Swaroop Rawal as she is now called, still looks so charming. The same alluring smile, the same splendid personality, the one embossed in our memory as the young Renu of the popular tele-series on Doordarshan, Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi .
Swaroop, now 54, gives the credit for her elegant and youthful looks to her genes. “In terms of beauty, I am blessed and it is genetic,” she says, smiling.
She is very conscious about keeping fit and never ignores her health because of a busy schedule. Good health is important because a healthy body is the secret to one’s peace of mind. “I walk a lot, I routinely do it for 45 minutes daily, it is the best way to burn your calories,” she says. She also practices Pilates, a Western form of exercise. “Pilates is not about losing weight but it is more about boosting your resistance, it gives you immense strength. It is a process by following which you move every part of your body. I do Pilates with Pilates Studio which has the best of instructors trained in Canada.”
Swaroop says she is pretty conscious of what is on her plate. “I take care of what I eat and I emphasise on taking fruits as a part of my everyday meal. Even otherwise, I love eating fruits,” says the talented wife of actor Paresh Rawal. She believes that eating salad could be helpful and boosts one’s energy levels. “Therefore, I make salads a part of my meals.”
On the down side, she admits with a smile that resisting sweets has been difficult for her. “I love sweets and cannot resist eating them. I can avoid fried food but sweets are something which I can’t avoid.”
Though she is not often seen on the screen these days, Swaroop has been working to bring about a change in the education system. She is a teacher’s trainer and has been travelling across India, conducting workshops for teachers to enhance their skills so that they could teach children about life skills particularly using drama as a medium. She is also working with the international NGO Save The Children.
