She is slightly crazy, has boundless energy and a captivating smile. Meet the vivacious media personality and television presenter Kriya Gangiah, who talks to us about her love of spreadsheets, whipping up the perfect biryani and her next travel destination.
This gorgeous thirty-something infotainment professional has come a long way since presenting Craz-E on eTV in 2009. For the past four years, Kriya (meaning ‘creative’ in the Indian language) Gangiah has been one of the hosts of the popular magazine show, Mela, on SABC 3 … the series known for showcasing the uniquely South African Indian experience and a staple in almost every Indian home.
‘Mela,’ Kriya tells us, ‘continues the legacy of Eastern Mosaic, and gives South Africans a window into the exciting, diverse and colourful Indian culture, food and traditions. As South Africans, we need to learn and understand different cultures and I believe Mela represents the Indian community in such a beautiful way.
Kriya says she’s extremely proud to be a South African Indian and thinks it’s an honour to be able to showcase the community and what it has to offer. ‘I find that for us as South African Indians, there aren’t many platforms in the country that celebrate what we have to offer as much as Mela does. While we are brought up to be conservative, I think it’s so important to highlight and honour our Indian culture and heritage, and being part of a brand that does this so proudly is a dream come true.’
The Indian community plays a major role in the framework of South Africa, she says, and shows such as Mela play an imperative part in keeping that alive.
Kriya’s favourite segment on Mela is anything travel-related. It comes as no surprise because this jet-setter has seen quite a bit of the world.
She fondly reminisces about her first assignment on Mela, travelling to Zanzibar. ‘Besides the fact that I got to travel to one of the most spectacular destinations in the world, I also got to understand the local culture, the people and their traditions. It’s such a vibrant community. Being on location blended two of my absolute passions – telling stories and travel.’
Kriya admits that the moment she has saved enough for a trip, she jumps on a plane to explore a new destination. Unfortunately, lockdown happened and she had to keep her wanderlust at bay … but only for now.
‘Quite a few of our trips were postponed due to the travelling restrictions. I was supposed to go to Florence, London and Turkey in August. Once the travel ban is lifted, I would love to explore the Garden Route, Tsitsikamma, Knysna and George.
‘Internationally, I would love to follow the cherry blossoms through Japan. I think Japan is full of culture, great food and people. Being able to see one of the most amazing natural occurrences will be very special.’
Kriya is quite the foodie as well. The dish she can flawlessly whip up that Mela viewers (and anyone for that matter) would be proud of is a mutton biryani.
‘I think I have got the hang of a good mutton biryani. It’s something I always wanted to learn to cook … it’s a special dish that takes hours to prepare and you always find it at important events and functions. It reminds you of home.
‘I’ve been trying so many new recipes during the lockdown. I have perfected the potjie with dumplings, I made a delicious batch of koesisters and recently found the perfect cheesecake recipe as well. Next on my food bucket list is to make macaroons.’
To add to an already impressive résumé, Kriya is also a presenter for Absolute F1 on SuperSport, and has met the mysterious racing legend, The Stig.
‘I have always had a passion for cars and gadgets, so landing the lead presenter role for Absolute F1 is a dream come true. What an experience I’ve had so far … One of them being to meet The Stig. We took a lap around Kyalami. Having grown up watching Top Gear, it was amazing to experience The Stig’s driving skills first-hand.
Talking about driving skills, Kriya believes her best skill by far is parallel parking. And if she had to single out the best-skilled Formula 1 driver, it would be Lewis Hamilton.
‘But, I do think Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris are the ones to watch. If I ever get the opportunity to race in a Formula 1 car I would take one of the Mercs just to experience the power and precision it displays. I often imagine I’m on a race track … Everyone who often drives with me will tell you I’m absolutely crazy on the road!’
Proving Kriya is more than just a pretty face, she is also a digital brand specialist. Her extensive experience in both the corporate space and the entertainment industry has earned her the title of ‘infotainment specialist’. Juggling her time between all her responsibilities is no mean feat but she admits to being a slightly over-obsessive planner.
‘I plan everything out to the last minute and you will get a detailed spreadsheet with all the information needed … I mean, if the ship I was to be on were to sink I would try to plan our survival on an Excel spreadsheet. I’m such an organised person that I will flip into full-on survival mode … and you cannot do that without spreadsheets!
‘Then again, I thrive on inspired insanity and tend to operate at my best when things are a little crazy. I enjoy being busy, it keeps me going. Once things start to quiet down, I feel that my brain and body go into hibernation. So the busier, the better!
‘But at the moment I just want to get through the year. It has been challenging with a lot of lessons learnt. Next year is going to be amazing, I can feel it!’
Details: Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
Kriya’s tried-and-tested cheesecake recipe:
You’ll need:
1 packet Tennis biscuits;
150g butter (melted);
250g creamed cottage cheese;
85ml lemon juice;
250ml condensed milk;
250ml whipped cream
Method:
- Crush the biscuits and mix in the butter. Line a pie dish with the mixture and place in the fridge to cool.
- Preheat oven to 180°C
- In a bowl, mix the cottage cheese, lemon juice and condensed milk. Fold in the whipped cream and pour onto the crust.
- Turn off the oven and place the dish in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place in the fridge to chill.
- Serve as is, or top with berries or a topping of your choice.
Text: RIALIEN FURSTENBERG. Photographer: FRANCOIS PISTORIUS. Dress designer: ERRE.
