Das Kahaniyaan Archives - Think Talent Services

A Catalyst of Change – Ayush Sarda

vivek mohapatra — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 04:40:34 +0000

A Catalyst of Change

with Ayush Sarda

The Sundarbans, a 4,000-square-mile swampland that straddles the India-Bangladesh border, are thought to be the world’s largest continuous mangrove forest.

There are about 102 islands in the area, which is connected by a complex network of waterways, often suffering from massive cyclones.

As the first wave of the Coronavirus outbreak hit, and the world stood still, the magnitude of destruction caused by the Cyclone Amphan was unprecedented, Empathetic to the adversity and determined to actively bring positive change and work on the rehabilitation of the Sunderbans – Ayush Sarda, a 22-year-old, began collecting funds to build and repair 1200 homes in the Sunderban with his Nonprofit, Ek Packet Umeed. In our conversation with Ayush, we talked to him about his journey at starting a successful student-run social enterprise, his insights on the communities he worked with, and the story of his growth.

Ayush’s interest in volunteering and non-profit work began in high school when he and his classmates from school gathered relief supplies to deliver to Nepal earthquake victims in 2015.

Ayush chose to leverage the area’s traditional economic stream (Bali village) by launching an organic honey brand through which residents could sell hibiscus honey. Because of its high pollen concentration, the flower grows abundantly in the area and is a favourite of the bees.

The honey is organic and completely cruelty-free. Most big companies need more honey than the hive can produce so they extract the entire honey and leave nothing for the bees. In the process, they end up killing the bees. The villagers give enough time for the bees to leave the comb before gathering the honey, he observes.
This was thus, the beginning of Ek Packet Umeed.

"We undertake a lot of activities as part of the NGO, and did not want Sweetness of Ethics to get lost in that," he says. 70% of the proceeds from the sales go back into the community while the remaining 30% is used to sustain the brand.

The charity assists widows of fishermen murdered by tigers by training them, educating their children, and providing medical assistance, including free eye exams and the delivery of spectacles to those who require them.

“We have created a scenario where both men and women are earning and children are getting an education. Today, the average income of the villagers in Bali village has increased from Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000,” Ayush remarks.

A firm believer of the power of student-run initiative, he talks about his journey as a catalyst of change, inspiring young people to explore the social enterprise space, and furthering causes they care about.

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The power of right words – Yuvraj Nathani

vivek mohapatra — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 12:07:37 +0000

The Power of Right Words

with Yuvraj Nathani

Yuvraj Nathani, the founder of ALMA Magazine, a first of its kind creative publication, believes that "Great copywriting is more than alliterations and pretty words — it is steeped in effective marketing and clear strategic aims."

ALMA is one of Asia’s leading creative and literary publications. Traditional in some ways and unconventional in others, they admire newfangled ideas, tried-and-tested literary forms and even create visual and performing arts. Across the categories they concoct, one can find something or the other that triggers a thought or a smile.

In today’s conversation, we discuss how his independent publication has made him grow as a writer and influenced his views on people, pop culture, and art.

An artist, a traveller and a musician—Yuvraj has always admired writing as a medium of expression and storytelling. Yuvraj’s dream of creating a home-bred, globally recognised magazine, was ignited while his friends were talking about illustrious publications, but all from abroad.

He believes in personalising a unique approach depending on the nature of the piece. The timeline, the editing process as well as the editor assigned varies accordingly.

He describes writing as an “excellent medium for producing and consuming content.” It provides writers with incredible and ‘accessible scope for creativity in terms of structure, style, and content. The nature of the medium itself leans on the power of our imaginations. Curating a new magazine is all about balance, he observes. From editing to publishing, he makes sure that the voice and uniqueness of creators are preserved.

Running the magazine has taught Yuvraj the art of management — to get people together and make them believe in an idea.

"The journey from believing to creating is full of risks. However, if one dares to plunge in and give it their absolute best, it is one of the most beautiful and rewarding things ever." ALMA has taught him to be consistent, even when times are tough and nothing seems to be working out.

Time has made Yuvraj and his team better editors. They have acquired the ingenious and delicate skill of editing while trying to preserve the essence of each author’s writing. The process of publication and editing has picked up pace in recent times and the magazine might be heading towards a logistical change in the future.

The lockdown gave Yuvraj the time and the mental space to come up with the idea of the magazine “Covid has been a blessing in disguise”— it helped him put together a team and kick start the entire publication. “Accommodating the needs of everyone while keeping up with efficiency has been rigorous, but worthwhile.” he says.

“You get quality only from quantity” — being religiously consistent with writing is the only means to ensure an improvement of the quality. He urges young people to be passionate about their stories and be authentic in their creative output.

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Podcasting and the journey of a story – Radha Puranik

vivek mohapatra — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 11:48:51 +0000

Podcasting and the Journey of a Story

with Radha Puranik

Radha Puranik, a journalist at Citizen Matters, loves meeting new people, conversing with them and learning their stories.

This compelled her to start her podcast “Dissecting Virality”, in which she explores the content making space and nuances of contemporary internet culture.

In our conversation, she tells us about her road to becoming a confident orator — from debates, public speaking, to exposure to school activities. Once a timid toddler, her mother did everything in her power to encourage Radha to come out of her shell and be more proactive. Her love for internet content and her belief in the fact that every story deserves a medium kickstarted her storytelling journey.

According to Puranik, scouting for people and getting them to be a part of her podcast is the most strenuous part of the process. Everything else — the research work as well as the pre and post-production work are a breeze for her. Podcasts, by virtue of being accommodative of everyone’s busy schedules, have always attracted Puranik. “If I want to be friends with them, I want them to be on the podcast” — Radha’s mantra for choosing participants is quite simple. The podcast, for Puranik, is what gives the conversations a structure and propels the participants to talk about what they love.

The journey of starting her podcast made Radha value the virtues of Empathy, Patience and Consistency.

It taught me that the world doesn’t revolve around my calendar.

Dissecting Virality has been a course in adaptability and dependence.

Being a podcaster has helped her prioritize the most important aspects of being a journalist: that questions are the greatest tools to being successful. It has also made her value the power of time and research.

Puranik credits Covid as one of the main propelling forces behind the birth of her podcast. Sitting behind computer screens and having nothing to do all day put her in a mental and creative slump. Keeping a check on her lifestyle as well as navigating through the jobs as a fresh graduate was arduous. This was exactly around when one of her friends decided to start a podcast of his own. This was the tipping point for her and she decided to start working on the podcast, a dream that she had harboured all her life.

“Get rid of inertia and just start. It might start badly but with time, it will get better” is Puranik’s hack to everyone who wants to work on their passion projects.

Today, we are in conversation with her, tracing her journey of growth and self-discovery.

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Lights, Camera, Action! In conversation with Siddhartha Bedi

vivek mohapatra — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 11:20:06 +0000

Lights, Camera, Action!

In conversation with Siddhartha Bedi

Siddhartha Bedi is a filmmaker, writer and director. In September of 2020, his short film ‘My Sister and Hand-me-downs’ gained massive acclaim.

The Instagram stories of young people, writers and art enthusiasts were collectively filled with shares and re-shares of his perfectly symmetrical, color-coordinated, almost-dreamily-crafted film.

This was the first piece of his series ‘Sidling & Sibling’. In our conversation, we discussed his journey from an aspiring actor to a filmmaker, his insights on finding his own genre & inspirations, and how young budding filmmakers can grow with their art.

Tracing the beginning of his interest in the world of cinema – Bedi credits two of his friends: one, who instilled in him the idea of cinema as a broader entity outside of the mainstream; and the other, who introduced him to Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Watching the film, Heath Ledger’s immersive performance drew Bedi in. Keeping in mind his ability to cry on cue while persuading his parents and having the “looks for it” – he was sure that acting was his calling. For three years, he pursued theatre at a collegiate level.

He says, “It was there that I realised that I’m actually a bad actor. Crying on cue at home and crying in front of an audience are entirely different things.
Exploring newer aspects of theatre, he directed a play that went on to do quite well. It was after this, that with the help of his peers, he realised his knack for directing.

Siddhartha categorises his genre as a slice of life.

He credits the people around him and relations he forms with them as his main inspiration. He believes in “crafting moments particular to life and one’s experiences. Acknowledging the way the pandemic brought the world and so many people’s lives to a halt, he expresses his gratitude that most of the difficulties he faced due to the pandemic were in the sphere of his work.

He recounts how it actualised as a boon for him and allowed him the unique opportunity to work and grow as an artist. Now, however, almost two years into the pandemic, the executive difficulties of being a filmmaker are worsened by distances and travel restrictions.

The praise and success that ‘Sidling and Sibling’ garnered was a “welcome surprise” for the filmmaker. The experience of making the series was one that entailed learning and growth. However, after having gained such traction, it’s not numbers and algorithmic statistics he focuses on. Quoting lines from modern-day Bollywood classics like Om Shanti Om and 3 idiots, he tells us that it’s always the art and the effort put into it which sits at the forefront.

His advice to young budding filmmakers is two fold. Firstly, to study and absorb as much information as they can.

Our education systems can often make us complacent in our pursuit of knowledge, he observes. Doing well in any art form – theatre or film comes after meticulously studying and observing nuances and predecessors. Film school isn’t compulsory for all aspiring filmmakers – he advises young people to download books in form of PDFs, watch video essays on Youtube and immerse themselves in the various art forms. Secondly, he emphasises the inherent human proclivity to tell stories. He says, “All of us have a voice, it’s a voice deep within us who wants to tell stories. It can be observed when, as kids, we narrate our summer vacations to our peers.” All of us have different ways of telling our stories, Bedi believes. Some are erratic, some logical, and some do it with an added dash of humor.

The key to filmmaking is “finding that voice, capturing it and presenting it in film.”

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Art to Education, The Jigyasa Labroo way.

vivek mohapatra — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 11:00:02 +0000

Art to Education

The Jigyasa Labroo way

Jigyasa Labroo, social entrepreneur and Co-Founder of Slam Out Loud, talks to us about her journey in using art and poetry as a tool to engage with underprivileged kids.

Slam Out Loud, as a not-for-profit organization, aims to encourage youngsters to speak up, with the purpose of "every individual having a voice that empowers them to impact lives."

Slam Out Loud accomplishes this by harnessing the transformative power of performing and visual arts to help children from underserved communities find their voice via creative expression, allowing them to learn to imagine what could be rather than what is.

Tracing the origins of what sparked her interest in starting this venture, Jigyasa tells us how she started her journey as a Teach for India fellow, working with low-income students. As a child, she was an introvert. Her 4th-grade teacher, Manisha, with her caring aura, helped Jigyasa find the confidence to explore her interests. Jigyasa’s mother used to take her to mushayaras, where she would perform her poetry and win Rs.100. For the first time, she tasted accomplishment and realised that she, too, had potential. She grew to believe that with enough love and acceptance, anybody could be happy. This sparked in her the interest to move on to the next larger, natural progression of her goals.

In a short while, Jigyasa has been able to create substantial influence with her work. What’s more impressive is that Jigyasa started when she was only 22 years old. At a time when people are still figuring out who they are, thinking about the next stages in their career, she was able to make her mark, and impact the lives of hundreds of kids. Her trajectory and success stand to impress.

The methodology behind Slam Out Loud’s approach is holistic, simple, and evidently efficient.

While in India, classrooms emphasise rote learning over critical thinking, and students are under pressure to attain high grades and enter competitive fields, arts education is frequently disregarded or dismissed.

In order to bridge the gap, SoL emphasises the importance of a well-rounded, artistically fuelled education. While arts education is important for children’s mental and emotional health, Slam Out Loud believes that it also has the ability to catalyse social change. The objective is that through instilling values such as tolerance, reflective listening, empathy, and respect in the children, they will pass such values on to their families and communities.

To young entrepreneurs aspiring to work in similar spheres, Jigyasa advises, “I’d once read that all generalisations, including this one, are false, and deeply believe that all of us are on our own journeys as entrepreneurs. So while it might be important to keep our eyes and ears open to feedback and advice, we all need to discover our own truths, and sometimes make our own unique mistakes. As long as we keep listening deeply to our beneficiaries or customers, we are good. Additionally, having interests outside of work helps as a gentle reminder that we are but a speck in the scheme of things, and pausing to stop and smell the roses on this path hurt no one.”

The post Art to Education, The Jigyasa Labroo way. appeared first on Think Talent Services.

A tale of Madhubani and doodles with Shikha Karn

vivek mohapatra — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 10:06:49 +0000

A tale of Madhubani and Doodles

with Shikha Karn

Shikha Karn, a Madhubani artist, video producer, and documentary filmmaker based out of Chennai talks to us about her journey, anecdotes of art excursions, and how young artists can find their footing in the industry.

We delved into her journey and process of self-actualization, and how her growth as an artist has changed her perspective from art being a means to an end and made it more process-oriented.

On being asked where her fascination and interest stems from, Karn tells us about her mother – also a Madhubani artist, who imbibed in her the skills to hone the art form from a very young age. While interested in other art forms, and trying to find her footing as an artist, Karn says that “I realised my flair for Madhubani only after a series of trials and errors.”

While Madhubani was the first artform she ever dipped her foot in, the chase, for me, was always for the unknown.”, she tells us.

In our conversation, as we trace the path of her growth, she tells us about an art excursion trip to Jitwarpur in 2018. In the same, she immersed herself in the culture of her surroundings and had an opportunity to interact with artisans whose livelihoods depended on their paintings. This trip exposed Karn to the nuanced history and heritage of the art form. She stresses heavily the importance of artists putting in the effort to learn the nitty-gritties and the cultural backgrounds of their art forms. The trip catalysed her focus on the art form, imploring her to practice it with utmost diligence. On the importance of cultural understanding of art forms, she expands on her inspirations and muse – which isn’t a person or event, rather the history and philosophy of the art itself – she believes that it would be an insincere disservice to the art form, were she to choose one person as her only influence. The gradations and depth of the form motivate her to continue exploring it further: she’s constantly found asking questions like “Why are there fishes in most Madhubani paintings? Why do leaves look the way they do in these paintings?”

Describing her relationship with her art form as one that took some time to solidify, Karn tells us about the inherent sense of self-doubt that comes with being an artist.

She credits her actualising as an artist and moving forward from crippling self-doubt to her friends and their constant encouragement. Previously, she practiced art as a way to reach the end goal, the tangible, visual product.

In the growth she has experienced, she now finds the process of making art meditative and considerably more enjoyable: finding serenity in having the agency to make art out of scratch and having the ability to correct mistakes with care and precision, even if it takes time. Telling us about her routine of unwinding; every evening, after having finished her tasks and chores for the day, she turns to her art as a means of slowing down from the hustle and bustle of productivity: feeling at one with her art.

For her younger audiences interested in art, she advises, “paying attention to their natural talents and building on them. The same goes for filmmaking.” The creative field of art, while varied, requires precision, practice, and time. It is practice and perfecting one’s skills that will help them incorporate their ideas and channel their emotions into their art. For artists suffering from creative blocks, she suggests, “recreating their favorite pieces and keeping those for themselves.” She strongly advises that younger artists utilise the internet in order to learn and grow, as there is no dearth of resources to learn the art from, especially today.

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The magic of brush strokes – In conversation with Chinmaya Panda

vivek mohapatra — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 09:53:55 +0000

The Magic of Brush Strokes

In conversation with Chinmaya Panda

Chinmaya Panda is an internationally acclaimed
self-taught artist.

His mastery and talent is hard to miss once one witnesses his powerful work. The subject of his art is often the beauty of our very own nation, portrayed through villages, indigenous people, animals, and devotees. Among the many accolades under his belt, he is the recipient of the Masters Award at National Watercolour Society, USA and an Exhibitor at the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, UK. Today, we are in conversation with him, tracing his journey of growth and self-discovery.

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Through the Camera Lens- In conversation with Ragini Bhasin

vivek mohapatra — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 09:45:50 +0000

Through the Camera Lens

In conversation with Ragini Bhasin

Ragini Bhasin is a filmmaker of South Asian heritage, born and raised in India.

She has made award-winning films like Ghazaal, which revolves around a feisty Afghan teenager who hustles around in a refugee camp when she experiences her period. The film has played over 30 festivals worldwide, including IIFLA, Oscar-qualifying Tirana International, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and Femme Filmmakers in the same line-up as Olivia Wilde and Lulu Wang.

Her work, which de-stigmatizes topics that are deemed controversial and explore the psyche of underrepresented communities, has garnered millions of views on Jubilee Media’s Youtube channel where she works as a director. Today, we are in conversation with her, tracing her journey of growth and self-discovery.

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The way forward in content writing, with Anchal Malik

vivek mohapatra — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 09:29:29 +0000

The Way Forward in Content Writing

with Anchal Malik

Anchal Malik is a content writing coach with over 7 years of experience in content creation, writing, and digital marketing.

She coaches budding writers and people with a passion for writing – how to pave their way towards a successful career in the corporate field. A persistent instructor, she always makes sure that her students efficiently reach their goals, and often surpass them.

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Fitness, the Kinetic Way: In Conversation with Coach Urmi Kothari

vivek mohapatra — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 06:00:47 +0000

Fitness, the Kinetic way

In conversation with Coach Urmi Kothari

Urmi Kothari is a fitness coach and has over 21 years of experience in fitness, sports, martial arts, professional dance, and yoga.

She is a Nike trainer and a Master trainer who has coached over 200 aspiring coaches in the country, all while building up an eclectic mix of clientele consisting of artists, actors, comics, models, writers, directors, photographers, over the last 7 years. Coach Urmi is the founder of Kinetic Living, a fitness and wellness ‘boo’tique based in Mumbai. Join us as we take you through an inspiring journey of fitness and healthy living.

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