Hong Kong is a place brimming with talented and intriguing people from all over the world. In our 27 Questions column, we get up close and personal with these notable personalities, learning about their whims and aversions, pivotal life moments, and hopes and dreams — all in roughly the same duration of a casual speed date. Our next segment of 27 Questions brings us to Waris Ahluwalia, the Indian-American designer, actor, and Founder of House of Waris as he came to Hong Kong to launch his new non-alcoholic drink, Love Conquers All.
Waris Ahluwalia is a man of many talents and endeavours. He doesn’t concern himself with going on a straight, narrow path. Instead, he simply follows wherever his creativity takes him. “I think that can be confusing for a lot of people,” he commented. “What I do isn’t that premeditated.”
This approach has taken Waris to many places across many fields under his brand, House of Waris. Jewellery, tea, clothing… you’ve probably also seen him on the screen a couple of times, most notably as an occasional collaborator with Wes Anderson. His first role in a film was as Vikram Ray in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Over the years, he’s appeared in a few more movies by the acclaimed director, such as The Darjeeling Limited and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
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His latest project, Love Conquers All, took him to Hong Kong for its launch at The Upper House. Not just any non-alcoholic drink, Waris considers it “the sparkling non-alcoholic elixir,” the perfect beverage to celebrate all your big moments. With zero calories and zero sugar, the drink takes away all the guilt and hangovers from the usual celebratory rituals.
In this edition of 27 Questions, we spoke to Waris about the many things he’s tried and the many more things he will do. Of course, we also had to find out just what kind of person he is and what he finds most important in life. Get to know Waris Ahluwalia down below.
27 Questions: Waris Ahluwalia
Name: Waris Ahluwalia
Age: 50
Neighbourhood: New York
Occupation: Designer, actor, and Founder of House of Waris
1. Congratulations on the launch of Love Conquers All! What are your hopes for the drink now that it’s out?
Thank you. I hope everyone gets to enjoy a glass of LOVE for all human- and alien-kind to celebrate every one of life’s beautiful moments.
2. What inspired you to create Love Conquers All?
It feels like, now more than ever, the world could use a little extra love. We spent many years sourcing ingredients, meeting with herbalists and formulators to create not just another non-alcoholic beverage, but the best non-alcoholic beverage in the market, hands-down.
I’ve noticed more and more in the past few years that there are more non-alcoholic options on the menu at restaurants and bars. However, they’re de-alcoholised, which leaves the product tasting pretty bad, and what you have is a product that’s half of a wine or half of a champagne. It’s sort of an afterthought, like “People want non-alcoholic drinks? Let’s remove the alcohol.” For us, we’re not about the removal. This isn’t about Dry January.
This is about adding more and creating more because our audience and fans want more. Just because they’re not drinking, doesn’t mean they’re living less. They’re living even more now, in fact. We wanted to find the most luscious ingredients in the world and put them in one bottle. That was our approach: we didn’t look for a shortcut, we didn’t look for the quick answer. It didn’t matter how long it took, but we wanted to create the most exquisite drink that could be in a bottle, alcohol or no alcohol. We wanted to create something that inspired a new outlook on life. Something utterly delicious and sexy.
3. Why did you choose to launch Love Conquers All in Hong Kong?
As a lifelong New Yorker, I’ve walked through the streets of New York for decades and decades and still feel that electricity in the streets. I feel a similar electricity here. Hong Kong has that special something. I feel an enthusiasm, an exuberance, a joy. It’s not the buildings — the buildings are great, but I’m more drawn to the electricity of the people. There’s a thirst and joy for more, which pairs perfectly with what we’re doing.
4. What is your favourite thing about Hong Kong?
My friends, dim sum, The Upper House, discovering traditional restaurants, RONIN, and neon lights.
5. Have you learned any Cantonese phrases?
我想食蘿蔔糕、烤肉包同燒賣. (I want to eat turnip cake, barbecue buns, and siu mai.)
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6. What is your life motto?
Omnia Vincit Amor. (Love Conquers All.)
7. Who is your role model?
My mother and my late father. She taught me love and he taught me laughter. What more do I need?
8. What is the best thing in or about your apartment?
My wife, who is also the best thing in my life.
9. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
A reformed night owl who loves early, early mornings.
10. What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
Flourless chocolate cake. Chocolate ice cream. Raw dark chocolate, chocolate-covered almonds, chocolate-covered biscuits… I think you get the idea.
11. What is your drink of choice (outside of Love Conquers All)?
Our Turmeric Honeybush tea, all winter long. And water.
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12. Which moment in your life would you most like to relive?
Childhood, teenage, young adult, adult and now — all of it.
13. What is your typical Sunday like?
On Sundays, we usually visit Mom after breakfast. We get there in time for a late lunch. We do the things on her list, play some backgammon, go for a walk, and eat dinner. Full day.
14. Where do you go when you want to be alone?
You can be alone in a crowded room. I just go deep inside my head.
15. Who is the best teacher you’ve ever had and what is one important lesson that they taught you?
My mother, who is now a retired teacher, taught me by the way she lives to treat everyone with respect and kindness.
16. Do you listen to your heart or your head?
It’s a constant battle, but the heart always wins.
17. What was the best gift you ever received?
The best gift I received was my name, given to me by my father. He named me after his favourite poet, Waris Shah.
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18. What is your most prized possession?
Photos of my childhood and family.
19. What is one item you can’t travel without?
A pen and notebook.
20. What is the best or worst career advice you’ve ever received?
Get a job.
21. If you could do it all over again, what is one thing you would do differently?
Take more pictures. It’s been one heck of an adventure.
22. What is your greatest fear?
Winter. But I like a nice wool suit.
23. How did you get cast for The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou?
It was so long ago. I was a younger man then. It was over dinner and Wes said to come by his office to read a script. I went in and sat in his office, and while he was working, I read The Life Aquatic. I finished it, and he said, “Vikram Ray, I’d love you to do that. Would you come to Italy with us?” and I said, “You don’t have to ask me twice.” (laughs) It was a lot easier than most castings.
24. What was it like working with Wes Anderson?
He’s a craftsman. He knows exactly what he wants, where he wants it, and how he wants it. There’s a very clear, defined vision to tell his story. You get to be a part of that. It’s a mastery of craft and you get to see him in action. Some directors are like, “Let’s try it this way, let’s try that.” With him, he’s like, “We’re doing it this way.”
It’s fun as well to work with directors who are exploring, but with Wes, you can let go a little bit because he knows what he wants. It’s such a treat when you work with any sort of craftsman. He’s more than just a director — he’s honed his craft and you get to watch that. It’s history in the making.
25. What was the biggest lesson you learned from creating Love Conquers All?
Don’t stop. Persistence is key.
26. What is the one thing that keeps you driven to do your work?
Creating and making. To me, they’re the same as breathing. They’re not choices.
27. After acting, jewellery, fashion, and beverages… What else do you want to explore in the future?
I have done a lot of things. I think that can be confusing for a lot of people. People like to do one thing, and that’s it. Even though it looks like I’m doing a lot of things, in my mind, I just feel like I’m doing the same thing over and over again and taking it to the next chapter. A lot of times, they’re not that premeditated. Ten years ago, I didn’t know I was going to do a beverage. Ten years ago, I did a jewellery collection, and it was called Love Conquers All but in Latin, Omnia Vincit Amor.
So, what am I going to do in the future? The short answer is, I have no idea. If it’s the closer future, I’m writing more and working just to keep creating more, if I could be so lucky. As for how or what comes out, I have no idea. These things reveal themselves to me. I just follow. If I can keep doing what I’m doing and do more of it with friends and travelling, that’d be great.
Image/Video: Ryan Putranto
Interviewer: Johanna Muliani
Venue: The Upper House
For more 27 Questions, click here.
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Written by
Johanna Muliani
Editorial Assistant, Dining and Culture
An Indonesian enamoured with the sights of Hong Kong, Jo is a curious spirit who loves telling stories with a focus on Art, People, and F&B. After work, you'll find Jo knitting, dabbling in gaming, and looking for where to eat next.
