Maharani Talks

It’s been a year since work from home became a norm across all companies. A recent survey by Microsoft revealed that 40% of global workers are considering leaving their employers this year based on how leaders managed this new challenge.

The pandemic has completely overhauled our idea of work culture. In this special episode, I discuss with Anitha M Lakshmi, a Human Resources advisor, what are employees looking for as the pandemic shows no abatement. What is the work culture going to look like? Will women get back their jobs? And more. 

As founder and director of Artifex HR, Anitha has over 15 years of experience advising start ups and growing companies in building a diverse team, with clients in industries such as tech, fashion, retail, healthcare etc. You can reach Anitha M Lakshmi on LinkedIn.

Check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

Coffee culture is a big part of our lives. But most of us know it as either instant, espresso or filter coffee. Step in: cold brew - the art of steeping ground coffee beans in cold temperature, bringing out a more intense flavour. 

And this is where Arman Sood and his two co-founders, Ashwajeet Singh and Ajai Thandi, decided to step in with their company, Sleepy Owl Coffee, one of the first movers in the cold brew coffee market.

What started in a two bedroom apartment in Delhi, Sleepy Owl has now managed to carve a niche space for itself in the coffee market, among bigger players like Starbucks, Nestlè and Amul.

So how did they manage to do that? Listen to the episode to find out more.

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/maharanitalks/

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As a parent, you’re always in search of heartfelt books that you can uncover for your children. For me, that search has also been to balance the storytelling not just by international authors, but equally by Indian authors. It’s this curiosity that has led me to have this wonderful conversation with one of the noted authors of children’s literature in India. 

In a decade long career, Natasha Sharma has written and published 21 books for children. After quitting a corporate job, her decision to become an author has seen many books of hers like Icky, Yucky, Mucky!, Rooster Raga, Squiggly Takes a Walk, Vikram and the Vampire, and History Mystery series have become hugely popular among children. 

Bonkers! won Natasha the 2014 Crystal Kite Award for Asia and the Middle East, given by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Her book Kaka and Munni is on the CBSE recommended reading list for schools.

In this podcast, Natasha talks about how she develops the idea behind the book, her favourite writing style, the problem of discoverability in India and much more. 

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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By now, most of you would’ve heard, if not read already, this lovely book called Ikigai by Francesc Miralles and Hector Garcia. What was initially thought to be a book that might interest a certain section of people caught the attention of the world.

Ikigai has gone on to sell millions of copies, stood #1 in non fiction categories and translated into many other languages, including Indian languages. 

But much before Ikigai the book happened, the award winning author Francesc has always lived in the pursuit of his Ikigai - following his heart’s desire. From studying journalism, working as a waiter, a primary school teacher, travelling, writing, bringing out a music album to becoming an editor and now helping others find their Ikigai. 

But Francesc also talks about the period between finding his next passion, which he refers to as a ‘desert crossing’ and how he stayed hopeful during that phase.

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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Did you know that about 50% of all Indian women take a break within three years of starting work. And 80% of them cannot find a way back to work.That’s an alarming drain of women talent in the workforce right?

It’s exactly this issue that I have a chat with Neha Bagaria, who started JobsForHer with the sole aim of getting women, especially mothers, to realise their potential. According to the United Nations Global Compact India study, raising women’s participation in the labour force to the same level as men can boost India’s GDP by 27%. ⠀

It was Neha's own break from her career when she became a mother that got Neha thinking about the need to fill this gap. Since its inception in 2015, JobsForHer has worked with over two million women and 7,500 companies. ⠀

A Wharton graduate, Neha has been listed in Forbes India’s 2018 W-Power Trailblazers and ‘Ten Most Impactful Women in Tech 2020’ by Analytics Insight.

Check out JobsForHer at www.jobsforher.com

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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It’s been about two weeks since India rolled out its Covid vaccination drive against the ongoing pandemic. While the current priority is to provide these vaccines to health professionals and other front line workers, many regular folk are either awaiting to take the shot or would like to delay it. 

And the questions over the administering of Covaxin vaccine (by Bharath Biotech) to the general public before completing it’s Phase III clinical trial has added to this confusion and anxiety. The other vaccine available is Covishield (by Serum Institute of India), which has completed all the three phases of clinical trials.

In this special episode, I discuss with Dr. Pavithra Venkatagopalan, a virologist whose specialisation has been in the field of coronoviruses and has spent many years studying the virus. She is also the director of Care Health Diagnostic Lab. Dr. Pavithra outlines the differences between both the vaccines, the ongoing concerns over Covaxin and the doubts people often have before getting the shot. 

This interview was recorded on January 29th, 2021. 

The content in this episode is for informational purpose only. Please consult an authorised medical professional for any queries concerning the vaccines. 

You can reach Dr. Pavithra on Instagram @pavithravenkatagopalan

You can check out Maharani Talks on Instagram @maharanitalks

When we want to catch up on news, there are countless sources at our disposal. But what about those who’re visually impaired? India is home to over 20% of the world’s blind population, yet other than the radio, there are no newspapers or magazines that can inform them about current affairs.  

It’s this troubling thought that made Upasana Makati launch White Print, India’s first lifestyle magazine in Braille, in May 2013.

White Print became such a novel  innovation that companies such as Coco Cola, Raymond, Tata Group, Mahindra ₹ Mahindra and others learnt how to advertise in Braille. For her remarkable feat, Upasana was presented the First Lady Award by the Women & Child Development Ministry of India (2018), and made it to Fortune India 40 Under 40 and Forbes India 30 Under 30 lists.

For more information about White Print, check out www.whiteprint.in

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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Meet Ram Devineni, the creator of India’s first female superhero - Priya’s Shakti. When Ram published the first comic book in 2014 at the Mumbai Comic Con, he didn’t expect his protagonist - a gangrape survivor, who overcomes her fear and stigma, to become such a viral hit, not just in India but globally as well. 

The poignant image of Priya riding bravely on her tiger and friend, Saahas ended up denoting a symbolic crusader against gender violence. 

Since then, Priya’s Shakti has been honoured by UN Women as a ‘Gender Equality Champion’, and has been covered in countless international and national publications such as The Huffington Post, Forbes, The Guardian etc. The subsequent comic series tackled equally pressing issues like acid attacks and sex trafficking. 

The latest one, Priya’s Mask, released this month highlights the issue of children coping through this pandemic. Along with an animated short film with actors Vidya Balan and Mrunal Thakur voicing the characters.

As a documentary filmmaker, Ram had, through his company, Rattapallax produced The Russian Woodpecker, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and later directed The Karma Killings, based on the horrific Nithari murders.

To find out more about Priya and Saahas, please visit www.priyashakti.com

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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Shazia Iqbal was one of the lead production designers of Emmy nominated and India’s first original Netflix series, Sacred Games and Emmy nominated mini-series Lust Stories. Sacred Games is also the only Indian series to feature in The New York Times list of ‘The 30 Best International TV Shows of the Decade.’⠀

Her powerful short movie, "Bebaak' that discusses religious and patriarchal preoccupation over women's bodies, won many awards including Best Debut Director, International and Audience Choice award at the 35th Sao Paulo International Shorts Film festival and Filmfare Best Short Film.

Bebaak was produced by Anurag Kashyap and features actors Sarah Hashmi and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

In this episode, I sit down with Shazia Iqbal to discuss:⠀

▪Working on Sacred Games⠀

▪Her transition from a production designer to a director⠀

▪Her powerful short movie, "Bebaak' that discusses religious and patriarchal preoccupation over women's bodies⠀

▪Stereotyping of movies directed by women 

You can watch Bebaak streaming on Mubi.

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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Shaili Chopra was a prime time anchor and a well known business journalist who had interviewed eminent people such as Warren Buffet, Indra Nooyi, Christine Lagarde among many others. She had also covered the horrific 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. Shaili quit at the peak of her career and decided to launch a women-only platform when she witnessed conversations concerning women are considered niche. And hence was born, SheThePeople.TV, considered to be India's largest media platform for women's voices. 

Shaili Chopra was awarded the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Business Journalism and named one of India's 50 most influential women in media by Impact Magazine.

You can check out SheThePeople website at www.shethepeople.tv

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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This episode is the second part of my conversation with digital marketing expert Jag Sharma, where we sit down and talk about all things social media. If you have come here directly, I'd suggest that you check out the first part as this episode is a continuation of the earlier one. To recount from the first part, some of the topics we talk about are measuring social media success, rise of bot accounts, the role of social media in the US Presidential election this year and Facebook's Oversight Board. So let's continue where we left off.

Highlights:

• From sparking political tensions in Myanmar to Ethiopia, why is Facebook failing to curb false information? [1:17]
• The movie 'The Social Dilemma' doesn't discuss the needs of small creators and businesses [29:43]
• The rise of influencer marketing [38:09]
• Predictions for social media for the next decade [45:43]

You can reach Jag Sharma at www.instagram.com/jagsharma and check out his podcast Society 4.0 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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We no longer log off social media like in the early days. It's available literally at our fingertips. And that's exactly how the social media companies would want it. But to what end? How is it changing us in ways we don't notice? Where is it headed? In this two part series, these are some of the points I discuss with Jag Sharma.

Jag Sharma has over a decade of experience driving social media campaigns in industries such as FMCG, luxury goods, automobile and finance among others and for companies like Nissan, HSBC and Mondelez. His passion is social media and he also hosts a podcast Society 4.0 where he talks about this very phenomenon.

Highlights:

• What got him interested in social media? [6:03]
• Driving social media campaigns for corporates vs. influencers [18:30]
• Why we're stuck in measuring social media success with followers and likes [27:07]
• How is social media being used for the 2020 US Presidential election [33:06]

This interview was recorded prior to the 2020 US Presidential election results. 

You can reach Jag Sharma on LinkedIn @JagSharma and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/jagsharma. Check out his podcast Society 4.0 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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One in three women are sexually harassed over the course of their lifetime. That's an alarming statistic but yet, violence against women no longer brings out a reaction in us unless it's a rarest of rare case like the brutal rape and death of Jyoti Singh in 2012.

This led Dr. Shruti to set up Sayfty in 2013, an organisation that educates and equips women to fight against violence through workshops and offering support to survivors. For her work, Dr. Shruti has been named as One of the Most Influential People in Global Policy 2019 by Apolitical and one of EU top 200 Women in the World of Development Wall of Fame 2016 and a nominated changemakers for the United State of Women 2016.

Join me as I discuss with Dr.Shruti the steps that need to be addressed to combat this problem.

To learn more about Sayfty, please check out their website: www.sayfty.com

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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"I hope when people see my art, they are able to get some sense of our connection to the world - seeing the planet and skies anew. To just look up and change their perspectives. That would be wonderful." - Rohini Devasher, artist.

When I came across Rohini's work, I was intrigued how she used her art form to explore our natural world - how science, fiction and speculation can transform our construct of this planet. Having trained as a painter and printmaker, Rohini enjoys working in a variety of media such as video, prints and wall drawings. Her art has been showcased in museums across the world. Rohini was named as Forbes Contemporary Artist of the Year in 2014 and Skoda Breakthrough Artist Award in 2013. So let's find out what draws her to this subject.

To learn more about her work, do check out her website: www.rohinidevasher.com

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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We see hunger all around us yet we're immune to it. This is where a cause like The Plated Project has stepped in by raising our interest with its beautiful plates and an interesting tagline, 'Buy a plate. Fill a plate.' For Chitresh Sinha, its founder and director of Chlorophyll Innovation Lab, the aim is also to start conversations around charity.

The Plated Project which has so far sponsored 4.8 lakh meals and collaborated with numerous artists and NGOs such as CRY, Creative Dignity and Goonj, has also received support from many celebrity chefs, influencers and big brands who've shared it on their social media feed. So what makes a worthy cause like The Plated Project successful? 

Please check out The Plated Project on Instagram at www.instagram.com/theplatedproject

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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Gunjan Menon was so passionate about telling the story of the diminishing numbers of the red panda that she trekked 12,000 feet in Nepal. The short documentary film, The Firefox Guardian, soon caught the attention of the world and went on to win numerous awards and nominations across several countries, including a student BAFTA nomination.

She also donned many hats for a conservation series, "On the Brink', that aired on Animal Planet and Discovery Channel. Let's listen to Gunjan Menon as she talks about the impact storytelling can have on wildlife conservation. 

You can reach Gunjan Menon on Instagram at www.instagram.com/gunjunglebook

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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For someone born with spina bifida, a condition where the spine is not completely developed, and hence was paralysed from the waist down, Niranjan Mukundan is now training to compete in the Tokyo Paralympics as a para swimmer. At the 2015 International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports World Junior Games, he won a medal for all 10 events he competed in and became the Junior World Champion.

Niranjan also received the National Award for Best Para Sportsperson that same year and Karnataka's Eklavya Award for Outstanding Performance in Sports in 2016. Listen to his journey that exemplifies his mental fortitude and the sacrifices made by him and his family to get him to where he is now.

Niranjan Mukundan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niranjan_mukund/

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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If you haven't seen P.C.Ramakrishna on stage, the chances are you would've heard his voice. An eminent theatre and voice artist in India, he completes 51 years in theatre and is a member of the oldest theatre group in the country, The Madras Players.

The group itself celebrates 65 years in theatre this year and during this lifespan has given a huge boost to India's English theatre scene and encouraged many Indian playwrights in the process, like Vijay Tendulkar and Girish Karnad.

Ramakrishna is also among the first few English newsreaders in the country and his distinctive voice is considered as one of the most recorded voices in English in India. In this podcast, he talks about his early days in theatre playing 'chocolate hero' roles, handling criticism and what sets a good voice actor apart. 

You can check out The Madras Players (@themadrasplayers) on Facebook and Instagram.

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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Parth Upadhyaya fulfilled his nine year long dream of successfully scaling Mt. Everest summit (8848m) on May 23, 2019. As a professional mountaineer, who has climbed many high peaks including Stok Kangri (over 6000m), he often deals with the gargantuan task of raising funds for mountaineering that is sometimes not considered nor supported as a sport but the wins are celebrated.

Parth is currently preparing for his expedition to climb Mt. Annapurna (8091m) on March 24, 2021. His goal is to climb all 14 mountains that are over 8000m. Check out the podcast to listen to his interesting stories during his climb, about his gruelling routine and having the right mindset to conquer a mountain. 

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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"My best design is still to come. A successful design needn't always be your best design." - Mukul Goyal. The versatile designer has created many acclaimed designs in home decor, furniture, art, jewellery, installations and sculpture. Though he is often known for his lean men series of home decor, Goyal enjoys experimenting whether through different materials or mediums. For instance, his installation 'Flying Locomotives' adorns the new Mumbai international airport. Goyal is a Fellow of Royal Society of Arts, London and an alumnus of Domus Academy, Milan, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.

Listen to the podcast as he talks about pushing his boundaries and why he calls himself an accidental designer.

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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Show Notes:

• Childhood dream of being an inventor [01:18]
• Accidental designer [05:06]
• Facing resistance during early days [26:34]
• Lean men series [28:38]
• Going past a successful design [36:10]
• What's your design process? [38:40]
• From designing products to sculptures [43:10]
• Design trends [50:41]
• Art in public spaces [59:12]