YT07 | Popular TV personality opens up about her life beyond the camera – Anita Kapoor

Meet Anita Kapoor. She boasts a 20+ year career spanning communication, storytelling, community building, and diverse media roles like moderator, host, emcee, spokesperson, voiceover artist, and podcaster. Her experience includes hosting travel shows on CNA and Discovery, magazine editing, and engagement in corporate, lifestyle, wellness, human development, and advocacy. She is also a two-time TEDx speaker and has lived in Singapore since the age of 7, originally hailing from Mumbai.

Get ready for an amazing ride as she shares her story of personal and professional transformation. From aspiring to be a ballerina, chef, and athlete to becoming a renowned TV presenter, Anita’s life has been anything but linear. Discover the defining moments, challenges, and the powerful impact of loss as she reveals her metamorphosis from fame to a deeper, more meaningful purpose. Tune in for a conversation that transcends age and celebrates the beauty of growth, resilience, and self-discovery.

Discussion Topics: Popular TV personality opens up about her life beyond the camera

• Metamorphosis
• Unfulfilled childhood dreams
• Becoming a TV host
• The good and bad of being on TV
• Life began at 50
• Struggling with identity
• Losing my mom
• What it means to be Singaporean

Transcript: Popular TV personality opens up about her life beyond the camera

Yana Fry: Welcome to YanaTV Our guest today is an international media personality, a travel and lifestyle presenter, MC, a writer and a speaker, our beloved Anita Kapoor. And today we’re going to be talking about her own journey of personal and business metamorphosis. And I’m so looking forward to hearing that. Anita. Hi. It’s so good to see you here.

Anita Kapoor: It’s so good to see you too. And It’s so warming and loving to be heard, to hear the word beloved. 

Yana Fry: You’re my beloved. The metamorphosis, let’s maybe start with the definition of what it is. Like, how do you understand this word?

What is metamorphosis?

Anita Kapoor: To me, it’s just a word that came to me over, after a period of time. It’s not something that you know when it’s happening, but what I see it as all the, It defines all the circles and the cycles and the shifts. And metamorphosis is the complete term for each of those things that you go through in life.

It’s what happens to the caterpillar to the butterfly. But then, that is a very linear thing, right? It feels that way. But I see metamorphosis as something that just keeps happening. It plays a role in actually shifting your life at different stages.

Yana Fry: Let’s start from the beginning. Oh my gosh. Shall we? Zero to seven, seven to fourteen. We’re going to go in seven year cycles. And I would love to hear a little bit more. What was your biggest childhood dream?

Anita Kapoor: I had so many. Oh my god. I wanted it to be just so typical and it’s ballerina.

Yes, because the outfit was clearly right, not because I wanted to put in hours of work. Of course, I wanted to be a chef because I really loved food and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my mother and grandmother. And that was something that really linked me to them. I also wanted to be an athlete.

I think these were just all parts of what I knew I was good at. I was actually quite a good short distance runner. I was really good in the kitchen. And the ballerina thing was, I’ve always loved how it looked and the grace and the beauty of ballet dancers really. None of those things happened. I wonder how that happens in life.

I was always meant to do many different types of things. things. And I think the whole world that we live in wants you to just do one thing because that’s neater and it’s easier and it’s very linear. But life has not turned out to be linear for me and I’m thankful for it. 

Yana Fry: You are a ballerina because you’re on stage, you are a chef because you put together different ingredients and you cook a masterpiece and every time you have to surprise your audience and you are an athlete because it takes a lot of stamina to actually do this kind of work. Again, once again, try to stand on those high heels on stage for hours and hours presenting.

Anita Kapoor: You said it. Absolutely, yeah. All those things happened and they happen in a different way.

Yana Fry: So the girl who was dreaming about all of those professions, and as you just said yourself, the life didn’t happen in this particular way, however, as we all know, it did unfold still in this creative part.

And so then here, there was this part of you with the career that simply people know you for being a TV presenter and a media personality. What was the best part of that part of your life?

What is the best part of Anita’s life?

Anita Kapoor: Oh, gosh. Yeah, I can say quite easily the best part was how I never expected any of it to happen. A lot of Entering the media industry as a television host and all those things was a fluke.

I was a an editor for a few years and I was writing and I was learning what it was like to approach strangers, and have interviews and connect and hear their stories and then write their stories in a way that other people could read and be happy with, and then that led to stepping onto stage, actually it led to being in front of camera and everything that I had learned as a writer and an editor was so useful in front of the camera because the added thing I needed to learn there was to think on my feet really quickly how we’re doing now.

Yana Fry: How we kind do it right now.

Anita Kapoor: Yes. And then after that, when I wrapped up with the TV world. Standing on stages, I could take all of the things, so stepping stones, right? And live, and the immediacy of life. I felt yeah, I’ve picked up these skills along the way, and I’ve brought them along with me, and now here I am,

Just commanding the stage, cause that’s that’s your… That’s your stage. That’s your easel. That’s your everything, right? And then, actually what I would say is, I realised what I was good at was, I’m deeply curious and interested in people’s stories.

And I really actually want to know, who are they really? And a lot of the challenges I used to have in my entire career so far is that what I was being asked to find out was not what I really wanted to find out. I’d be like, there’s a bigger story here. But yeah, that’s just how I got here.

Yana Fry: Now we are on different sides of the couch and sofa, so I’m the one who’s curious about your story. It’s hard for us, I know, right? It’s only just ready for everything. Again, your TV life, this part, your most favourite part, just being a TV presenter, like a memory, would say, the..

Favourite memory as a TV presenter

Anita Kapoor: What I loved overall was that it made me really good at being able to see things, patterns, styles, and things really quickly.

And I loved that. And of course, yeah, I can’t deny that I got to travel to so many interesting places. But I also then learned what it was like to… To be in a community all the time, as a TV host, it’s not just about you, it’s your entire team, everybody that’s there. And I used to enjoy that part so much when we were done and we got to hang out and talk to each other and figure out where you are in life.

I think those are the big memories next to the whole memories, like things like, being in a helicopter over Hong Kong.

Yana Fry: What was the toughest part of the job?

Toughest part of the job

Anita Kapoor: I think the toughest part of the job was when I knew that I had a particular creative direction in my mind and then having to follow the creative direction that felt like Wow, there could be so much more here. Why are we not going there? And having to You know be gracious about that and okay it’s not my show.

I am the host but over a period of time What was really great was working with people who then began to trust that I knew where to take it And that would get something more out of it So then I could actually bring a little bit more of my curiosity and my style and what I want out of this story into the show.

Yana Fry: Yeah.

It’s so interesting because, again, the TV is an independent show, and as you, a TV presenter, would know, it has its own pros and cons. So on the one hand, you have all this flexibility and freedom to do whatever you want, ask any questions you want, and pivot it in any direction. On the other hand, you have to figure out every single big production you probably know for many years already.

Anita Kapoor: Absolutely. But it’s a really wonderful journey to be on. It totally is. And the thing about this that I think is special is that When you’re doing your own stuff, you. You have to ask yourself very serious questions, like what’s my intention at the end of the day. When you are doing other people’s work, you have to go with their intention.

Yana Fry: And I think that’s what I was trying to get at, I think that was tough because after many years, of course in the beginning, when you’re first learning, everything is a learning process and everything is a learning process even after 10 or 15 years. It’s still, you just keep learning. So I also have seen your transformation and your metamorphosis.

Do you remember the First time you met me?

Anita Kapoor: Yes.

Yana Fry: And I also you were the speaker’s association and you wanted to step towards becoming a professional speaker.

Anita Kapoor: Yeah, and you were the only person who actually came up to me and actually talked to me as if you’d known me for the last 15 years.

And this has been our conversation since then, and this is the beauty of it. And I also remember when you said it’s considering changing the direction of your career.

Yana Fry: Yeah. And we had this phone call about a different style of business, wellness, being, human development, helping people, working with women. Which brings us to this point that here you are this. You have been very prominent, you could say, famous, I would not be afraid of this word.

Anita Kapoor: You’re on the front pages, your face is known, you, like people recognize you, you get to travel as you said.

Yana Fry: And yet, you decided to move to the next stage in your life. Yeah. So what happened? What was that turning point inside?

Metamorphosis – the final act

Anita Kapoor: Yeah, I think, earlier on we were talking about what is metamorphosis, right? And I think metamorphosis is the final act. Actually, when you think about it, it’s all of those things, but the actual word metamorphosis is like, Oh, so I think it’s been a few years in the making, just prior to COVID.

I said, Yeah, I think it’s time. There’s just a feeling. It’s a shift. I’ve had all these experiences, I’ve gained all of this information and this understanding. What do I do with it? I would like to actually pass it on to other people because why should it just be for me?

Yana Fry: I’m 52 and I’m not saying that because 52 feels Okay, I’m on my way out of this world.

Anita Kapoor: It’s a wonderful age. It’s beautiful.

Yana Fry: It’s a wonderful age. It’s like ripening. 

Anita Kapoor: Absolutely. I actually now only feel like I’m ripening. And as a woman also, it’s oh, so this is what it feels like.

But you don’t care about the things that you actually thought were important before. And so as a result, now, you feel, at least I feel more grounded. I now understand what that feeling is because it’s an actual physical feeling inside your body.

Embodied. It’s embodied, right? And there’s still years to go. But it comes with all the downside of it where you do go through, and I did go through a whole period of time where I was like, who am I?

I’ve been defined by. A ballgown and a pretty face and somebody who can command the stage, but who am I really? And that was actually the beginning bit of the… I’m getting goosebumps. Yeah. Where are you on this journey? Yeah. What am I doing? And also there’s this other part, was like, do I need to be anything?

Because aren’t we all nothing also? But that’s a whole other existential thing. So I’ve had a few existential crises. I’ve had a few identity crises. Largely, I think what happened was when I was about 40, 45, I think it was, when my mother passed away.

Yeah, it’s just seven years. I think that was… Because there’s a big removal of a very prominent… Person in your life, right? Not just your mother, but a female and a dominant personality and you’re growing up and all of those things.

So that’s gone. And yeah, okay now what? And I was also so close to my mom. All my sisters are, but I, because ironically, I worked for myself, got a lot more time with her. And so we did a lot of our own healing and growing. And by the time my mom was gone, I thought, I got this we’re good.

But that wasn’t true at all, because now I had to begin. And for those 10 or 15 years where I was working, but I was also, you have one part of your brain on the caregiving, and making sure that another person’s life is still worthy for them, because they can’t give it to themselves as much.

Suddenly there was this empty space, and now what, now? What? And I’m glad for all of it because it was horrible and also beautiful and painful and it helped me to get to where I am now to say, okay, I can look back on those six years and next year will be seven years. I see why all these things had to happen.

Something leaves, you lose a parent, there’s a whole big thing that leaves, but they are also paving the way for you forward. That’s why they’re gone.

Yana Fry: Absolutely. The passing of our parents is one of those initiation periods where you, whether you like it or not, it’s going to have to, you have to become mature, whatever it is, right? Whatever age it happens, you have to take responsibility for your life.

Anita Kapoor: You think that you’ve got it. But actually you’re starting a whole new cycle of growth, development and growing up. And now you’re growing up without your parents.

Yeah. Regardless of what, and everybody has different relationships, different closeness, regardless of all of that. there is still this big vacuum, so do you fill it? Do you just get drunk every night because you miss your mother? Or do you go travelling a lot, which is what I did?

But then eventually you had to come back to yourself, and so it helped me to move myself through this because I don’t believe in going around it or trying to pretend it’s not there. So working with a lot of my emotions and a lot of my feelings and also all of the unresolved issues, traumas, all of that.

Yeah, that’s what I’ve been doing for the last six years.

Yana Fry: If you look back at maybe when you’re in your twenties, what was your outlook at life? Let’s just go decade by decade.

Going back to where it started

Anita Kapoor: In my twenties, I lost my dad. Oh, so that’s another one. It’s boom, I was married. I was very much in love, I thought, Oh and through that process, I found out that, Oh, actually, this is not really, this is not where I want to be.

There is something I want, and I don’t know how to go there and what that is, so in my twenties I was probably thinking that I knew, but I didn’t know, and a lot of confusion, And I chose to discover my life through love and marriage and all those things.

But it was actually in my 20s that I made the first move to be a more independent person. And I had been working in companies and in 95 jobs and I just, it was just like, no I no, this is not me.

And then I remember I decided that I’m going to be, I’m going to be just like, I’m going to be a TV host. I’m going to be a freelance writer because I can write, so people were supportive and I had good mentors and people who said, yeah, okay, sure, come and try. So that was my twenties. It was a lot of trial, a lot of trial and error. the 30s were also a lot of trial and error, but a little bit my, okay, I’ve got my feet, and then in my 30s it was like I was still experimenting.

And then I would say the 40s was when a lot of things got really real and really serious. My mom had her couple of strokes, and now she needed help.

That was me learning to be an adult. A grown up, a caregiver, takes care of other people. What’s that about? Yeah. Now, I’m in my 50s.

Yana Fry: Yeah. You’re just beginning.

So now that you’re coming in your 50s, what is happening?

Anita Kapoor: Feet are on the ground. Heart is wide open. Wide open.

Feeling that compassion and that empathy and that love universally. But still wanting to learn, wanting to know, still curious. And wanting to do things that help people actually.

And I still get this opportunity to see and meet so many interesting people. And the one thing I noticed is that we’ve all entered into a period of time over the last five to seven or 10 years where our self esteem has taken a real beating, and I noticed a lot of people are not trusting of themselves or don’t know how to heal the broken parts of themselves.

I think I’m in a really great position. I think all of us who are in our 40s and 50s are, because we’ve seen it, actually, we’ve seen all of it. we’re not rejecting the digital world. We’re actually quite adept at it and we’re in it. But how do we actually pull these two things together?

So it’s literally like How do we really remind everybody that for everything that the brain has produced, the heart also is there, the soul is also there. We mustn’t forget our humanness. And how can I do that is the wonderful curious position that I’m in. How am I going to do that? Is it going to be through having conversations?

Is it going to be through workshops? Is it going to be through events? It’s going to be all of those things.

Yana Fry: And we’re doing it right now, right here, in this conversation, it’s one of those elements.

And if we look now at the, let’s say, entertainment industry all together after you being so many years there, since you said that, you want to give back and share your knowledge. Maybe if we talk to people in their 16, 18, 20, 25 sort of bracket, when you make a decision whether you want to go for this or not, if this is your thing, then what Would you tell them?

Advice to younger TV personality aspirants

Anita Kapoor: I would say you’re too young to actually know. Try all the different things to see what. You really feel a draw too. Because when I was 16, 17 and 18, Yeah, I had all those, I’m going to be an athlete.

But actually a lot of other stuff was happening. I was also really quite good at writing, and I used to write lots of little things and I completely forgot about that until I actually became a writer. Try everything. The world really is so open now, everybody can produce content.

Everybody can learn things. You just turn on a YouTube video or a TikTok video and you can learn stuff. please do not fall for the idea that there is, that you are nothing as compared to all of this.

Don’t fall for it. Fall for yourself. Keep falling for yourself. Go out and really experience different types of things. Whether that’s to travel, whether that’s to eat widely, whether that’s to have a conversation with someone, whether it’s to talk to somebody you’ve never talked to before.

Curiosity is going to get you places. Really, it’s going to get you places. But with respect, with dignity, think about other people’s needs. I think these things are what we need to learn about this time of our life.

Yana Fry: So you were born in Mumbai and only then you came to Singapore and from here you started doing your work.

So it has been here for many years.

Anita Kapoor: Oh my god, like 40 something years.

Yana Fry: Exactly. And I’m just curious. What do you see is happening right now in this part of the world when you look around? These people are just industry and businesses.

Anita Kapoor: Asia is Pretty much the most diverse continent In the world. What I feel is happening is that there’s a lot more content that is coming out of this part of the world. It’s not enough yet. We’re working on it.

Yes, everyone. We have to work on it Because for the longest time I think a lot of what has informed our cultures and stuff is the dominance of Western culture. We got great comedy shows and wonderful series and all those things. But really we’re on our own now. And so I think we need to really be proud of it. Share it. You’d be amazed at how many people have still not travelled to this part of the world, don’t understand it, still think Singapore is in China, all that stuff.

Or Malaysia. But if you look at a lot of the bigger countries, like China and like India, Korea, all of these, they are producing a lot of content, I wish for the ability to see a lot more of that.

And because of social media, unless you are particularly following particular people, sometimes you don’t get to see South Asian, Southeast Asian content. You have to go looking for it quite often.

I think that’s what’s missing, still till today. And I think the other thing on the downside that’s tending to happen is that there’s a kind of a tendency to be a little bit monocultural about, if, It’s in India. It’s only this content. No, it’s actually a super diverse country, and if it’s in Singapore It’s got a following in particular.

No, I wish you would just mix it up. But yet Be conscious and aware of all our differences, but be curious.

Yana Fry: Let’s own the uniqueness of what it means to be from this part of the world. I love that, Anita.

So I was just reflecting to myself as I was listening to you here, we are sitting at those sofas looking so different and both being Singaporeans. Yeah. And I just recently saw your video where you were interviewed about what it means to be a Singaporean, Singapore identity.

Yeah. And I’m just curious, like in a few words how does it feel for you to be here at home?

How does it feel to call Singapore home?

Anita Kapoor: Yeah. I came here in 1978, where a lot of other people were coming here to live in Singapore. I was seven years old and I still remember that.

It’s a country at the crossroads of Asia. It is a port city. It’s what I expect. That there would be lots of different cycles of people coming through. What I hope is that we all, the people coming in and us who live here, see it as an opportunity to actually get to know one another and make each other available to each other. Because that’s what’s going to make it more interesting. That’s what’s going to make it more rich and juicy. Let’s just, let’s create together.

Yana Fry: Let’s create together. Let’s create together. Thank you. Thank you so much, Anita, for joining us today. That was Anita Kapoor on YanaTV, sharing her metamorphosis story with us. And I love all the insights that you shared, Anita, that was really wonderful. And from everyone out there, connect with us, leave in the comments, how do you feel about it? Are you going through the metamorphosis yourself right now or you can’t pronounce it how I still can’t?

Share all of this in the comments and of course we always appreciate when you share with a friend and subscribe to our community. See you another time with another guest.