Of all the modern politicians and statesmen, only Gandhi is an authentically global figure. No one could have predicted the heights he would scale when the scrawny little Mohandas was born in the humble Gandhi household in Porbandar, a port city on the south-west of Gujarat’s Kathiawar peninsula.
Gandhi’s childhood was average to say the least: an average school record, the usual run-ins and interactions with peers, and a fairly homely upbringing. Yet, there seemed to be some fundamental seeds that took root—the beginnings of a man that was going to be unlike any other the country had seen.
Gandhi’s Humble Beginnings by Ramachandra Guha examines his formative years in Kathiawar, offering a glimpse into a much lesser known side of the venerated figure.
Art mirrors life and shows people what they need to see, not what they want to see.’
The one rule Mallika Sarabhai has followed in her life is to not follow any rules. A danseuse, choreographer, publisher, activist, writer, actor and politician, she is the master of all trades and fearless in each role.
Breaking down barriers and creating her own vocabulary of leadership, it is not hard to imagine that if her father, Vikram Sarabhai, were alive, he would have applauded Mallika for the legacy that she has both upheld and made her own. In every way, she is a custodian of her legendary family’s steadfast values.
For someone whose life has never seen a dull moment, Sarabhai has truly seen it all. Read on as Gunjan Jain offers a glimpse into her fascinating life.
As artists, we are seekers. If you stop seeking, you stop being an artist.’
Among India’s finest contemporary artists, Anjolie Ela Menon found prodigious expression when she was quite young and has since sustained a prolific and inventive creative output. India’s art scene can barely be imagined without her signature nudes and portraits, or her work with murals and glass. Most importantly, through the process of forging her own artistic identity, she has helped Indians, especially women, visualize their own selves.
The task of finding one’s calling, the bridge between just being and being alive, is not simple. Many people spend a lifetime looking for their purpose in vain. Most don’t even try. A rare few, however, find it early, naturally and instinctively. Menon falls into this privileged category.
Read on as Gunjan Jain unravels the mysteries behind what it means to be Anjolie Ela Menon.
In India, badminton, like any other sport that isn’t cricket, was not given too much importance. However, on 22 October 2012, Saina Nehwal, with her Olympic bronze medal, managed to make badminton a serious, and fashionable, sport.
A fighter on court and an introvert off it, Saina has a spine of steel. She is a determined, intelligent young woman who keeps her eyes on her target. She has not only survived the maelstrom of fame but also managed to stay unscathed.
How does she do it all? Read on as Gunjan Jain sheds light on the inspiring journey of an incredible woman: Saina Nehwal.
I have always been true to myself and my family, and I don’t ever want to be any other way.’
The first time Sania Mirza picked up a tennis racquet, she was just six years old. Twenty-three years on, the ace tennis star with several incredible achievements and a Padma Bhushan to her credit, feels anything but tiny, both on and off the court.
In a country obsessed with cricket, and with few women sports stars, Mirza crossed the $4 million-mark in net worth in 2014. At an age when most tennis players retire, she has given her career a fresh lease of life by turning her focus entirely to the doubles, and her partnership with former world no. 1, Martina Hingis, is paying off handsomely.
But what did it take for Sania Mirza to become an icon, to break the taboo around professional sports for young Indian girls? Read on as Gunjan Jain offers a glimpse into a journey that is compelling to say the least.
I am most articulate in the boxing ring, with my fists.’
In a culture that does not encourage young girls to be sporty, Mary Kom has broken the rule twice—by becoming a sporting icon, that too in a sport traditionally considered hyper-masculine: boxing.
The daughter of a landless labourer from Manipur, Mary Kom was a mother of twins when she won her medal at the 2012 Olympics. While she knocked down five world champions to dominate the boxing arena, she also punched the living daylights out of every preconception under the sun about class, sports, India’s northeast and womanhood.
In this uplifting profile, Gunjan Jain offers a rare glimpse into the often misunderstood and misinterpreted world of sport personalities.
I am not a person who dwells on the past or future. I love to be here and now.’
While Indu Jain, a Padma Bhushan awardee and chairperson of Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd, is the seventy-eight-year-old matriarch overseeing an empire valued at over $4 billion, she is also someone who exhibits the capability to view everything in life through a spiritual prism.
In the maelstrom of adrenaline and change that the media world is, hers is a name synonymous with respect and the kind of power that cannot be calculated by circulation figures, rankings or revenue. She is regularly courted by India’s rich and powerful, all hoping to curry favour with the many newspapers, magazines, TV channels, radio stations, Internet and regional media brands that come under her jurisdiction.
How does one then, in the midst of all this chaos, manage to keep spirituality at the fulcrum of everything? Find out in this revealing profile penned by Gunjan Jain.
You can’t shy away from failure; instead, you learn from failure and you come back stronger and you take that risk again.’
Shobhana Bhartia, chairperson and editorial director of Hindustan Times, is someone who moulds the opinions of the world’s largest democracy every day. After taking over the reins of one of the country’s oldest newspapers, she, against a lot of odds, shifted the newspaper’s character from that of a follower to that of a leader and innovator.
In Bhartia, one finds the rare combination of an Indian woman professional, an international-standard manager and a news media executive with a sense of mission all rolled into one. Her journey is instructive not just for the media, but also for working women in India—fighting age-old stereotypes and chauvinistic attitudes.
Intriguing to say the least, this profile by Gunjan Jain of one of the most inspiring women in the media today is every bit as fascinating as it is candid.
On 23 March 2013, Jyotsna Darda lost her battle to cancer. Thousands of women thronged to pay their last respects in Mumbai and thousands more came together in Nagpur—all members of the Sakhi Manch, Darda’s organization to help women by giving them the means and confidence to start small-scale enterprises.
It was while working for the differently-abled in a deprived neighbourhood in Nagpur that Darda saw first-hand how hard and oppressive the lives of women in the lower strata of society could be. Like many people who are faced with a reality different from their own, Darda too could have done her bit for charity and retreated to her privileged life. Instead, she started Sakhi Manch.
In one of the most stimulating profiles, Gunjan Jain discovers what it is, besides simplicity, serenity, humility and willpower that made Darda the icon of women empowerment.
I would just like to be remembered as someone who came into this world, looked at beautiful textiles and created enduring designs.’
The beauty behind Ritu Kumar’s creations is how she marries age-old weaves and embroidery with modern cuts and silhouettes, making India one of the few cultures that haven’t fallen completely under the homogenizing spell of western fashion.
However, what is actually inspiring about Kumar’s journey is how it has taken her reserves of patience, tenacity, ingenuity, skill, knowledge and support to build both the brand and the documentation of her crafts. From working with four block-printers and two tables in a nondescript village near Kolkata to achieving international fame, the growth of Ritu Kumar’s label has been parallel and integral to the journey of the Indian fashion industry.
In this inspiring profile, Gunjan Jain uncovers what it means to be Ritu Kumar and how to stay moored in an industry as fickle as the Indian fashion industry.
