Essentially Mira - The Extraordinary Journey Behind Forest Essentials

 I am back with my 2026 resolution: writing book reviews!

The elegant portrait of Ms. Mira Kulkarni, the founder of Forest Essentials, is enough to compel you to choose this book. Of all the books scheduled for this year, I decided to make this my first read of 2026.

My reading list is dominated by books of, for and by women.

Returning to the book, what I liked is the short and crisp chapters, not much melancholy, and straight to the point. This also reflects on who Ms. Mira is. And her straight-to-the-point approach helped her build a luxurious brand. 

Her life, like everyone's, is full of ups and downs, happy and unhappy events, fortunate and unfortunate incidents. From my understanding, she had a rich father, a flamboyant lifestyle, a luxurious childhood, and a perfect life like a bollywood movie. This was all transient. It collapsed. But she collected herself and the fallen pieces and built a magnanimous palace. 

The book does not glorify her misfortune. There is no mud-slinging but only gratitude towards everyone who helped her in her toughest times. Her words are classy. The feel is classy. She does not pull anyone down, neither her late husband nor her ex-husband. She revered her Biji and father and his dreams. She mentions that she is less religious and more spiritual. Her belief in Lord Balaji, Lord Ganesha, and WaheGuru testifies her belief in prayers. She has asked for help wherever needed and has acknowledged it too! She is honest about her mistakes and the learnings from them. She 

Her grit and vision helped her reach the highest pedestal. Her emphasis on building a brand and just not making products is the key to her success. The attention to detail of Ayurveda, the preparation, and the presentation are spot-on. Starting small and making it big...rather huge, is not everybody's cup of tea. Her father was an influential figure, but he never trained his daughters to take over his business. He was crestfallen when she chose marriage over going to Cambridge for higher studies. 

Her story is unfinished and exemplary for many. Little did she realize that she would meet the world-renowned dignitaries through her work that budded in the garage. One of the reasons for her success was and is her opulent clientele base. Although Indian, a luxurious Ayurveda brand, is unaffordable to a middle class Indian. Nevertheless, it is motivational to anyone who reads it. 

My rating: ****

It is a quick read and a page turner. It certainly is not a rags to riches but 'riches to rags and back to super riches'. 

Happy Reading, 

Trupti