'I don't want to be the next big thing'

Avantika Mohan with husband Durjoy Datta and daughter Rayna

We first got to know fashion influencer Avantika Mohan when she married bestselling author Durjoy Datta in 2016. Datta famously proposed to her on Twitter through his fans, as she was on a flight. "You made me famous with your article," she giggles over the phone from Dubai, where the couple now resides, referring to the article this writer did at the time. It's been three years since then, and the couple have a baby, Rayna, and Mohan is now a bona fide celebrity in her own right with 136K followers. Her main job, though, is being a flight attendant - and she had been flying for almost a decade before the grand proposal and fairytale wedding. And, even though many of Datta's 321K followers added to Mohan's growing tribe, she has managed to maintain a solo identity. "Of course, Durjoy paved the path, but I don't make my Instagram about him. It's about me." But, they didn't try and make this Instagram uncoupling happen consciously. "I think our Instagram reflects who we are, and what we do. We're not together all the time. I fly a lot, and he's home a lot. Since we spend time separately, our lives are different. We don't put special posts to prove that we are together. We don't force each other, and do our own thing." Their feeds do clash when pictures of their adorable daughter crop up. "I am a much kinder person now thanks to my daughter. And on social media, how that helps me is that my fans are kinder to me. They say things like, 'You [are] fit for a mother.' Though, they also do ask me, who looks after the child when you are flying? And I say, 'Durjoy'."

Avantika Mohan

Learning more about Mohan proves to be interesting. The middle-class girl grew up in Dehradun in a humble home. Her mother had a boutique, and she would accompany her on buying and selling trips. Little known to her, she was developing a skill and penchant for fashion. But it wasn't till 2016 that she started taking fashion seriously after the Instagram boom. Her pictures show an innate sense of style, and it's all about putting together wearable looks, which any of her followers can replicate. "I think my USP is that I understand fabric. My body has undergone lots of changes in the past few years. I was obese level 1 when I was pregnant, and even later my body was not fit. But I knew how to dress it up. I also don't wear necessarily expensive clothing, but do a mix and match. So, I think people can relate to me," says the 34-year-old.

Yes, she has come a long way from being the girl heartthrob Durjoy Datta had chosen, and she says the proof is in the fact that she now has her own fans, who talk to her on flights and strange airports. "So, I am not talking about cities that have Indians. Think of places like Ghana, Chile and Dusseldorf, where I have recently met fans who follow me." Datta, who we can hear talking in the background, says, "I think she works for audiences as she is 'real', even if that sounds cliché. She is like herself: slow and languid. There is no frenzy like of most fashion bloggers." Though she does get asked why she needs to work if her husband is such a well-established writer. "I don't know how rich they think he is," she laughs, and he chimes in, "I am not." She continues, "I started working because my aim in life was to build a home for my parents. By the time I did that at the age of 23, I had started enjoying my work, so I continued doing that. For me, it's most important that I make my own money." Ask her about future plans and she is still keeping it humble. "I don't have any agendas and I just want people to enjoy what I am creating, and remain relevant. I don't want to be the next big thing."

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