Opening Doorz

By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | October 23, 2017

Perizaad Zorabian has always been a go-getter. That’s been her strong point, a trait she has inherited from Mr. Khoram Zorabian, her father who heads Zorabian Chicken.

When she was young, free and single, she had dreams and desires on how her professional life should take shape. Zorabian Chicken was a thriving business. She was back from the USA after a stint with The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York. The silver screen was her dream.

Her Dad wanted her to take charge of his chicks; Perizaad was in another world. Soon he realized his daughter had other plans. Being a dad who did not want to disappoint his daughter, he let her spread her wings. She flew; made her mark with offbeat cinema and soon found herself in the company of one Mr. Boman Irani at a table when the two met for the first time as judges at a competition, somewhere in the deep suburbs.

She was not really over the moon after the first meeting, but after over 10 years of marriage and two lovely children, she definitely is. “Boman has brought tremendous changes in me as a person. He has centered me. He has made me calmer. He believes in me much more than I believe in myself. He is so much more than my husband and the father of my children. He is my best friend and soulmate,” Perizaad once told me about the man she married.

My first meeting with Perizaad was through a photograph of hers. There were scores of photographs of models on the teapoy at a friend’s place and after skimming through a few, I picked up this skinny babe with jeans and a cap on. I found her number at the back!

At that time I had a column featuring fresh faces on the modelling scene. A call later Perizaad came over to the Times of India building to meet me. That was in 1998! Our interview was conducted at the Press Club.

Today, Perizaad is back to where her father wanted her in the first place… managing his chicks. He knew well she would come back to roost. After all, she had an MBA with a specialization in Marketing and Advertising from Baruch University New York. “Cocky”, as she fondly calls her dad, had invested well. He had seen ahead of the road!

Once back, she immediately went into overdrive focusing towards making Zorabian a household Brand. Being a home-maker and a working professional, she realized the importance of convenience and quality. She obsessed about ensuring that Zorabian’s Retail Products focused on both Quality and Convenience. And that has been the story ever since she took over as President, marketing.

Marriage has certainly made her look beyond herself. “I have learnt how to love unconditionally,” she says. The stress at work is tremendous. Add to it Boman’s hectic work schedule and this is a surefire recipe for disaster where being there for children in their growing up years is concerned. But the two have decided that their commitment as parents will never be compromised.

Since Boman works longer hours than her, she ensures that once she is home her focus remains her children. “Nothing gives me more happiness than reading my kids a story and putting them to bed. After a long challenging day at work, my time with my kids is my biggest stress buster.”

Seeing his daughter back, bolstering the business he started, is probably the biggest stress buster for Mr Khoram, too. After all, they share the same office!

Happy Birthday, Perizaad.

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