Going Strong

Exuding intelligence, confidence and independence, Asha Gill is the epitome of the modern woman. Her mixed parentage of Punjabi and English has endowed her with beautiful, distinctive features which, combined with her bold and bubbly personality, make her a charming favourite on TV.

Although born in England, Gill spent most of her childhood in Seremban and she remembers it as a carefree and happy time. “I grew up with my cousins who lived next door. We loved to climb trees, swing from a tyre swing and play ‘masak-masak’ (cooking) with mud and grass. We were always running about, creating havoc,” she laughs.

“We also love to eat durians by the roadside. The chee cheong fun and putu mayam hawkers would always come up to our gate knowing we would be there waiting for them. Sometimes, we would travel to PD (Port Dickson) to picnic, swim and play. It was fun.”

Colourful Career
Gill’s foray into the media and entertainment industry began while she was studying for her bachelor’s degree in quantity surveying at Kingston Polytechnic.

“It was an absolute lucky mistake. I was broke, at a bar with my brother when Yasmin Yusoff (local singer, actress, host and ex-beauty queen) walked up to me and asked if I wanted to be in a commercial. I said ‘no way’, then after getting home and realising I could do with some cash, I agreed,” she shares.

“On the set of my first-ever commercial, I bugged the producer and director for a job and after three days of filming with me (I was being very annoying and insistent), they gave me a job in production as an assistant.”
From then onwards, there was no stopping for Gill. She dipped into various areas in media and entertainment. She tried her hands at screenwriting and line production in the studios of London. In 1995, she returned to Malaysia and became the host of the local RIM Chart Show.

In 1999, her stint with Channel [V], an Asia-Pacific music channel based in Hong Kong, propelled her to fame and recognition. She started off as a veejay and subsequently played an instrumental role on Channel [V] as writer, producer and director of various shows, including Asha Meets (her flagship interview show) and By Demand. She was awarded Best Entertainment Host for three years in a row by the Asian Television Awards during this period.
2003 provided her with opportunities to travel as she hosted Lonely Planet’s Six Degrees together with British veejay and photographer Toby Amies, travelling to the best cities in the world including Buenos Aires, Mumbai, Auckland, Cape Town, Istanbul, Dublin and Miami. The India episode of the people-centric travel series won the Best Entertainment Show award while she bagged the Best Entertainment Host award at the Asian Television Awards 2004.

In 2004, she joined the local radio station MIX.FM as a deejay and was handpicked as Tag Heuer’s ambassador.

Gill also dabbled in acting. Among the productions she had acted in were TV dramas, City of the Rich (1996-97) and Mimpi Moon (1998) and theatre, The Vagina Monologues (2002). She has also modelled for companies such as Sony, L’Oreal and Lipton.

New Roles
An illustrious and multi-role career aside, Gill has women’s rights close to her heart and has been campaigning for its cause since her student days.  Among the campaigns she has partaken include Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women campaign and MIX.FM’s Massive Appeal. Recently, she has been involved in the Women’s Aid Organisation’s ‘You Can Make a Difference Now!’ Campaign aimed at generating public awareness on the increasing number of women who want to leave a violent relationship and lead a life without violence, physical torment and/or sexual abuse.

Asked why she is so passionate about women’s rights, Gill says,:“Because I am a woman. Because until there is equality and freedom for women everywhere in the world, until rape and domestic  violence stop, until female genital mutilation is banned, until women are not the first to suffer in war zones and crises, until human trafficking is stopped, women will always be victims of power and control in society, culture and religion.”

Few years back, while she was at the pinnacle of her career, Gill made headlines by deciding to become a single mother. In 2007, she gave birth to a son whom she named Merjaan (or Jaan as she affectionately calls him). Since then, life has never been the same.

The initial part was especially hard as Gill was unwell and the baby came two months premature. Taking care of her son singlehandedly is no easy feat either. Instead of scooting around the world, life now revolves around an endless cycle of nappy-changing, bottle-washing and night time-waking. Through all these, Gill leans on the support of her parents.

In spite of all the struggles, Gill has never looked back on her decision and will not have it any other way. A glance at Jaan alone makes every struggle worth the effort.

Nowadays, Gill is selective of the work she does, so she can continue to be hands-on in taking care of her son. Among some of the things she has done ever since Jaan came into her life, include writing the Eco Kids Book Series, setting up eco-workshops for children and producing TV scripts.

 

This month onwards sees Gill in her latest role as deejay of Capital FM, sharing advice and insights on modern living with a lean towards parenting and child development in the  section Eat, Love, Play. Capital FM is the only radio station in Malaysia focusing on being a voice for women.

“Motherhood is tough since the beginning. I am a single mum. It’s a constant juggle and it’s exhausting! But it’s also amazing. Life is no longer just about me. It’s about him (Jaan) first, then us, and finally me. I just want my son to be happy,” she says with a contented smile.

Excerpts from the Interview:

Q: Who were your mentors?
I didn’t have mentors per say, but fabulous adults – my grandparents, my cousins’ parents, my mum and dad, who were always there for us.

Q: What prompted you to move back to Malaysia from London in 1995?
I hated the winter and I was suffering a broken heart.

Q: What are the main things you love about Malaysia?
The food! My family and friends, the weather, the way of life.

Q: Of all the shows you were involved in, which are the one(s) most memorable to you?
I think each phase of my career had its precious moments. They were all memorable, my years at Channel [V], my years at Discovery, and all the shows in between.

Q: Who influence you the most in life?
I am not sure if there is any single person. Influence and inspiration come from so many different sources as long as you are open to listening, watching and understanding the world around you.

Q: What are your greatest passions in life?
My son, books, cooking, chilli, learning.

Q:  What are your greatest achievements?
My greatest achievement in life is seeing how my love for my son has enabled him to find himself at such a young age.

Q:  What do you like about being a DJ?
Being able to reach out to people daily, real time and interact with them, that’s the best part of working in radio.

Q: What are your future plans?
Well, err… I haven’t thought about next week yet!!!!