Global IndianstorySonal Bhuchar: Indian-American gets a school named after her in Texas

Sonal Bhuchar: Indian-American gets a school named after her in Texas

Compiled by: Charu Thakur

(November 1, 2023) “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” — is the quote that guided Indian-American volunteer and public servant Sonal Bhuchar for the 58 years that she lived. Now four years after her passing away, her legacy has continued to live on and the biggest proof of it is that an elementary school in the heart of Missouri in Texas has been named after her. A trailblazer in the field of education in Fort Bend County, Buchar served as the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees for six years and later the Board President for two years. In 2019, she lost the battle to cancer.

Expressing his gratitude, Sonal’s husband Dr Subodh Bhuchar said, “The current Fort Bend citizens and FBISD board of Trustees recognised Sonal’s phenomenal service to the county by unanimously voting for an elementary school in her honour, so that her legacy in education and philanthropy continues for generations to come.”

Sonal Bhuchar | Global Indian

“Sonal was a quiet yet effective warrior, who weaved a path for generations of young women and men to follow. She led by example and showed them that their way to succeed in life is to give, without expecting anything in return. She ensured that her actions would lead to changes that would benefit all,” he added.

The school, which opened its doors in August 2023, has a Bengal Tiger named Royal as the mascot, thus embodying her Indian roots and heritage. ROYAL stands for Resilient, Optimistic, Youthful, Admirable, Leader. Their website reads, “The purpose of Bhuchar Elementary is connecting the Bengal community through inclusiveness, creativity, and an energised optimal learning experience.” Constructed with a capacity to accommodate 1,000 students, the school includes an outdoor classroom that can be utilized by both students and teachers on pleasant weather days.

Sonal Bhuchar Elementary

Born and brought up in Mumbai, she earned a bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy from the University of Mumbai. It was in 1984 that she moved to the US after her marriage, and soon made Houston her home, where after a few years, Sonal turned over a new leaf as a community activist. A firm believer in “making a difference”, Sonal didn’t leave any stone unturned to bring about a positive change in society and started working in the field of education. A dedicated volunteer with Child Advocates, the Literacy Council, the Cultural Arts Foundation, and the Fort Bend Education Foundation, she did everything possible to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Moreover, she gained recognition for her leadership in various initiatives, such as leading the WATCH program, which focused on promoting a healthy lifestyle education for elementary school students. She was also instrumental in conceiving the idea for the annual International Festival of the Fort Bend Education Foundation, aimed at fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within the district. Additionally, she played a pivotal role in establishing the Student Leadership Program and the Legislative Advocacy Program.

Sonal Bhuchar | Global Indian

Sonal extended her dedication to community service into the domain of politics, as she pursued the Republican Party’s nomination for the State Representative position in 2012. In 2015, Texas Governor Greg Abbott appointed Sonal to the One Star National Service Commission Board, a role dedicated to promoting volunteerism and overseeing the administration of AmeriCorps programs in Texas. When asked about her biggest accomplishment, the Global Indian said in an interview, “I’d say my ability to raise my family and my children in a country that I now call home, but wasn’t where I grew up, and adapt to the social structure here while still maintaining my cultural traditions that I value a lot.”

Sonal stands as a testament to the transformative power of dedicated individuals in the field of education. Her influential contributions in Texas, ranging from her advocacy for healthy lifestyles to her political pursuits, have left a lasting impact on countless students and communities. Today, the fact that an elementary school in Missouri bears her name serves as a fitting tribute to her unwavering commitment to the betterment of education. Sonal Bhuchar’s legacy is a reminder of the profound influence one person can have on the lives of many, and her name continues to inspire future generations to strive for excellence and inclusive education.

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omar

January 17, 2024 8:43 pm

i go to this school.

Published on 01, Nov 2023

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Fame’s not a game for Anurag Shanker: His music restores folk music, & traditional riffs

(March 24, 2022) As he made music with his friends in high school, it was clear that Anurag Shanker had a special talent. It wasn’t as a glamorous frontman, or an even more glamorous lead guitarist. He knew early on that his gift lay in composition and arrangement, to take a song and turn it into something people would want to listen to. While ideas were abundant, good execution was not. “I have never just been a guitarist or a composer,” says Anurag Shanker, today a reputed composer and music supervisor for Netflix’s The Fame Game. For him, the excitement lay in meeting new artists, about taking a song and expanding it to an audio production perspective. “I want to arrange their music and produce their songs,” says Shanker to Global Indian. He was first approached by the OTT giant back in 2020, soon after the pandemic began. “It was to do music for one show - The Big Day,” he recalls. A series about six engaged couples, the show takes a look at India’s multibillion-dollar wedding industry. “They needed someone to handle Indian-centric stuff that was culturally accurate, and also contemporary,” he adds. The Fame Game allowed Anurag to “place

dian-centric stuff that was culturally accurate, and also contemporary,” he adds. The Fame Game allowed Anurag to “place some really nice indie music,” and that makes him a happy camper. One example is singer-songwriter Kamakshi Khanna's 2021 single Duur, which was featured.

[caption id="attachment_21803" align="aligncenter" width="575"] Anurag Shanker[/caption]

This space is Anurag's forte, to create music that is “culturally relevant and which sounds cool,” he avers. A repertoire of prolific- acoustic, rock and folk music (he collaborated with the Manganiyars of Rajasthan, for instance), and a classical collaboration with sarod player Pratyush Bannerjee (among the foremost sarod exponents of our day) who played songs in eight ragas that Anurag produced with an electronic sound. “We have to bring in a new perspective without alienating either form,” says the classicist. Cross-culture collaborations are all the rage and the word fusion is, arguably, overdone. “Putting a raga together with a drumbeat is not fusion. You have to be sensitive about it,” says the traditionalist.

Keeping up with the 'times'

Anurag's sensibilities were shaped at home, expectedly, as the son of late Promod Shanker, former VP, Times Music. “Dad had a knack for discovering new artists. He discovered Indian Ocean and Jasbeer Jassi. That was very inspiring to me,” says the musician with an eclectic ear. Growing up, he would often find the biggest names sitting in his living room – he recalls Indian Ocean and the composer duo Ajay-Atul. “There were artists coming home to jam all the time,” he adds.

Having been in the thick of things often, he has lost his taste for jam sessions. “If I’m playing music or creating it, it has to be for the music. It can’t be an evening of frolic where the music is incidental,” he mulls. It also showed him, at an early age, what lies beyond the glitz of show business - he understood the hard work and determination that goes into life as a professional musician.

Training began early, and at age nine it was tabla lessons. “It’s the best age to learn an art form,” Anurag says. “Rhythm became very much ingrained in me. Also, Indian rhythms are so complex that after learning them, everything else is simple. If a jazz musician says to me, this is a 7/4 time signature, I’m unfazed by that,” he says.

[caption id="attachment_21779" align="aligncenter" width="707"] Live with Namit Das. Picture: Vaishnavi Suresh[/caption]

Bengaluru days

Those early years were routine, and the joy came later, when he began to jam with friends in high school. “I hit the ground running. I was making songs when someone who started along with me was still trying to figure out the instrument. That was a huge plus,” which led him to visiting studios with his father, watching people organise recording sessions and learning how to make artists comfortable.

When he came to Christ University in Bengaluru, Anurag joined the college's thriving cultural scene during his third year. And that enabled him to take his music more seriously. Slowly, work started - jingles and promos. He was also part of a band then, Caesar's Palace, which performed in Bengaluru. “It was just a fun idea which helped me discover myself,” and his talent for arrangement and composition was noticed, and suddenly creative decisions were under his aegis. The band did an EP too.

In 2009, the composer moved to Delhi to be with his parents but found his career stalling. “I decided the only place to get really fired up is Mumbai - such an exciting city,” he says. He left home in 2010, carrying precious wisdom from his father. “Don’t look for a break,” he said. It put paid to the idea of starstruck youth swarming tinsel town looking for fame. Instead, his father said, “That big break will never happen. The world just doesn't work like that. Learn not to depend on what is in the pipeline. Instead, have a good time, collaborate with people and make music,” lessons he took to heart, created a repertoire of diverse projects.

[caption id="attachment_21781" align="aligncenter" width="556"] The composer recording Kinnaram from Tamil Nadu[/caption]

Bombay's acoustic people

A chance meeting with a friend from college (2010), Arfaaz Kagalwala, led to the formation of Slow Down Clown, an alternative outfit. The duo explored film work, like in Amit Masurkar's Suleimani Keeda. “We sent in a couple of ideas and they liked them. That was our first experience as composers,” smiles the composer whose wit and humour endears him to all. A web series, some film songs later, Arfaaz left for France. Anurag remained in Bombay - classical, folk music to film scores, and indie songwriting.

In 2013, Anurag became one-half of the now-dormant guitar duo Bombay Acoustic People with Sankarshan 'Shanks' Kini, who was playing with Kailash Kher's ensemble at the time. Kini, he says, is an “all-round, holistic musician,” who was “so welcoming.” The Bombay Acoustic People toured India, entranced Shillong, also toured Europe. They began the warm and inclusive living room gigs long before they entered mainstream cultural discourse.

“That started out in Sankarshan's room. We would bring speakers and debut material for some 25 guests,” and the shows were instant hits with fans offering their homes. Those intimate sessions call for the best in a musician, he believes, “One can play loud electric guitar to already loud music. Yet, if you're playing a real acoustic instrument in a small room where people are paying attention only to you, that’s the true test of your skill and personal peace.” In 2014, Namit Das + Anurag Shanker came to be, and still active though in the middle he was also a part of another alternative outfit, Last Remaining Light, in Mumbai.

That's all 'folk'

Working with folk artists is close to his heart. Accompanying his father to Mumbai's Western Outdoor studio in 2000, (now closed) where legends like Bhimsen Joshi and Abida Parveen would come in to record, he says, "Abida ji would walk into the studio and produce seven or eight hours of content at a shot. She just goes in and starts singing - Kabir for an hour, Punjabi folk for an hour. They were legends on the brink of something new. And simply to be in the presence of that spark - these are things that cannot be taught."

Producing at the core of his musicology - he has worked with the Manganiyar singers from Rajasthan including upcoming artist Peeru Khan, produced an album with sarod player Pratyush Bannerjee, the Urban Grooves Project series for Virgin EMI and a string of Indian music releases for a Bengaluru-label, Pragnya.

[caption id="attachment_21783" align="aligncenter" width="642"] Anurag with Manganiyar singer Peeru Khan[/caption]

At his home studio, he is busy working for an NGO, recording one folk song from every state of India. With 22 done, the collection will be presented on a website, where people can discover more about the song, its state of origin and the culture to which it belongs. “I have made so many friends and connections in the folk music community so this is my way of protecting our cultural heritage,” says the guy who can croon a mean tune.

The pandemic saw him long for the surrounds of Bengaluru, where he and his wife Malini currently live – an idyllic villa near Nandi Hills. “After living in cities all my life, I didn’t even realise this was something I needed,” he laughs.

Follow Anurag on Instagram and YouTube

Reading Time: 6 min

Lodhi Art District: India’s first open gallery is a celebration of street art

(September 19, 2021) The sun is peeping through the curtains longing to know if 20-year-old Manish Singh is happy to bask in its warmth. It finds him languidly sprawled on his bed, listening to the commotion outside his quiet neighborhood. Armed with tripods and light reflectors, a string of chirpy photographers and his Indian art have momentarily taken over the colossal wall art right outside his block. Resting against the metal door of his ground floor house in shorts and blue t-shirt, Singh finds himself gazing at a new bunch of visitors every few minutes admiring the breathtaking murals in the leafy lanes of his colony. "This is a common sight now. So much has changed in Lodhi Colony, all thanks to these murals. A few years ago, we were just another residential colony but now the art has given this neighborhood a fresh lease of life. People from all walks of life often find themselves admiring these murals that have made Lodhi Colony quite popular," says Singh, a Delhi University student. Pop colors, asymmetric patterns and thought-provoking themes is what draws hundreds of Dilliwallas to one of the hottest spots in the capital. A true celebration of street Indian

often find themselves admiring these murals that have made Lodhi Colony quite popular," says Singh, a Delhi University student.

Pop colors, asymmetric patterns and thought-provoking themes is what draws hundreds of Dilliwallas to one of the hottest spots in the capital. A true celebration of street Indian art in its purest form, Lodhi Art District is an open art gallery that has grabbed the attention of every art lover.

[caption id="attachment_10554" align="aligncenter" width="1007"] Indian Art | Lodhi Art District | Indian Street Art | Global Indian Gupt Dwar mural made by Singaporean artists Yok and Sheryo[/caption]

Nestled between the hip Meherchand Market - that's lined with designer boutiques and eateries on one side - and the unadorned modest shops of Khanna Market on the other, Lodhi Colony is the last residential area of Lutyens Delhi to be built by the British. The soaring arches and the plain tall walls of these two-storeyed structures have turned into the perfect canvases for artists from across the globe to splash their creativity, all thanks to St+Art India Foundation, the NGO behind the government colony's glammed-up avatar.

What began in 2015 as a three-wall experiment has now taken over the seven-kilometer area of Lodhi Colony that's adorned with some of the best public Indian art in the city. The idea of challenging the conventional notion of practicing art and encouraging a culture where artists are making cities their studio is what made St+Art Foundation take their first big step into street art. "For the longest time, art environment seemed to have a high gaze. The idea was to take art out of gallery spaces and bring it closer to the community. When we first began the project, we worked with the community asking them what it was that they would want to see and how they wanted to see it. We engaged with the community to find its pulse and then translated it into art work," says Arjun Bahl, co-founder of St+Art India Foundation.

[caption id="attachment_10555" align="aligncenter" width="1007"] Indian Art | Lodhi Art District | Indian Street Art | Global Indian Trans Lives Matter by Aravani Art Project[/caption]

With art mostly restricted to closed spaces, St+Art Foundation has been on a mission to make it accessible to the common people. "People are often intimidated at the thought of visiting an art gallery. It's the elite that has dominated art spaces but we wanted to change that by bringing inclusivity. This idea led to the birth of St+Art Foundation. Initially, when we started the journey of bringing art to the people, it was without any formula. But a year and a half into it, we started looking at the city as an organism that is fragmented and diverse," Giulia Ambrogi, co-founder and curator at St+ Art India Foundation chimes in.

This impressive initiative of bringing Indian art to the people gave birth to Lodhi Art District that now has over 50 murals. If one wall has graffiti artist Harsh Raman Singh Paul's Crazy Katha Twins bringing alive the beautiful amalgamation of Kathakali and street art, another has the endangered Asian elephants painted into Lodhi Colony's landscape by Majili Art Forum. "Each wall has a locally-rooted meaning. We invited artists from different genres as diversity was the key element in the project," adds Ambrogi, who joined forces with Bahl and three others to launch the Indian street art movement.

[caption id="attachment_10559" align="aligncenter" width="1007"] Indian Art | Lodhi Art District | Indian Street Art | Global Indian Gracious Heritage by Majili Art Forum[/caption]

Every corner of Lodhi Colony holds a surprise for its visitors. If one turn leads you to a mother figure with diverse manifestations, the other draws you in by being a reminder of our flawed relationship with Nature. It's the mesmerizing fusion of color, patterns and themes that have enveloped the streets of Lodhi, all thanks to a wide array of home grown and international artists. It's their brush strokes that have cast magic on the otherwise plain walls bringing them alive.

If New Zealand artist Aaron Glasson's The Sacrosanct Whole is a tribute to the Indus Valley civilization, Colors of the Soul by a Mexican artist Sankoe signifies the diversity of the people of Lodhi Colony. "We keep in mind the characteristic of the space and bring in artists who can activate a dialogue. Every art work should make you feel. We try to create an orchestra with the sound of the city, the imagination of the artists and the love of the people," adds Ambrogi.

[caption id="attachment_10560" align="aligncenter" width="1007"] Lodhi Art District The Sacrosanct Whole by New Zealand artist Aaron Glasson.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_10561" align="aligncenter" width="1007"] Lodhi Art District Colors of the Soul by Mexican artist Sanoke.[/caption]

One such mural that is typically Dilli finds itself tucked in the beautiful lane of Block 13. With a balloon seller on one side, a mithaiwali on the other, and a cow in between, this wall art by Singaporean artist Yip Yew Chong is an appealing homage to Lodhi Colony. Ambrogi, who learnt about Chong on her visit to Singapore in 2017, knew that she had found the perfect artist for the Lodhi Indian art project. "His work is not predominantly featured online. But the moment you step into Singapore, you get to see his work almost everywhere. When we asked him to paint for us, he walked around the entire colony to get a feel of the place and ended up making this wonderful mural which is so Delhi," recalls Ambrogi.

For her, art is much more than colors and designs. It is something that stirs up something inside of you, and to create the right impact she patiently spends hours looking for the right talent. From keeping herself updated on the emerging new artists to calling out for talent on Instagram, Ambrogi is always on her toes to add something new to the street art movement.

[caption id="attachment_10562" align="aligncenter" width="1007"] Lodhi Art District Ode to Feminity by Mumbai artist Sajid Wajid Sheik[/caption]

When Lodhi Art District was in its nascent stage, it was the sheer beauty of the colony that grabbed her attention. "Being the last colony in Delhi to be built by the British, the houses have a certain charm to them with their soaring arches, the tall walls, courtyards, and beautiful sidewalks. So while crossing the area many a times, it stayed with us since it isn't a gated colony it is accessible to people. Since the area belongs to the government, we found it to be clean and without any signboards. A perfect haven for art lovers without any sort of distraction," says the curator.

[caption id="attachment_10649" align="aligncenter" width="497"] St Art Foundation | Global Indian Thanish Thomas, Arjun Bahl, Giulia Ambrogi and Hanif Kureshi are the co-founders of St+ Art India Foundation.[/caption]

It's been six years since this mega project was launched and the journey has been quite a roller coaster for the Foundation, for it had to face a few challenges to start something that was unheard of in Delhi. Bahl reveals, "There were initial hiccups as nothing on this scale was done in Delhi. It took us a while to understand under whose jurisdiction Lodhi Colony fell and from whom we needed to seek permission. While there was initial hesitation things started falling in place once they understood the purpose of the project."

[caption id="attachment_10563" align="aligncenter" width="1007"] Indian Art | Lodhi Art District | Indian Street Art | Global Indian
Nature's Arch and Visions of Altered Landscapes by Canadian artist Li-Hill[/caption]

With the pandemic putting the entire world in lockdown, things started to look a bit awry for Lodhi Art District. With no new murals for a while now, Delhites are waiting with bated breath to see some new art pop up on one of the walls. Bahl is feverishly working with his team to pack a surprise soon as he promises to restart work at Lodhi Art Colony by October 2021. "We would be doing more work in Delhi. In fact, we have plans for restoring the art that has been marred by the weather. We are coming soon. Hang in there."

Reading Time: 8 min

Meet Mangesh Ghogre, the only Indian to construct crosswords for New York Times and LA Times

(November 2, 2021) The next time you attempt solving an NYT or LA Times crossword, do keep an eye out for the byline. It’s quite likely that the crossword you’re attempting to solve would have been constructed by a young Mumbai-based investment banker, who’s had a passion for crosswords since his engineering days. Meet Mangesh Ghogre, the 41-year-old executive director and head of equity capital at Nomura Holdings, who has been the only Indian to have his crosswords published in some of America’s top publications and is the first Indian to have judged the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament directed by New York Times. At a time when most of his peers were busy cracking the GRE and GMAT to go to the US, Ghogre was busy solving crosswords least expecting the puzzle to one day transform his life in ways he could only imagine. Today, while most of his peers are settled either in the US or UK, it is Ghogre who holds the unique distinction of being the only Indian to earn prime spot in some of America’s top publications. The Panvel boy who made it big Born in Panvel, on the outskirts of Mumbai, in 1980, Ghogre led the life a typically middle-class Indian in the 1980s would. His father worked at the Reliance plant there and his mother was a homemaker. Their lives revolved

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Global Indian Mangesh Ghogre

The Panvel boy who made it big

Born in Panvel, on the outskirts of Mumbai, in 1980, Ghogre led the life a typically middle-class Indian in the 1980s would. His father worked at the Reliance plant there and his mother was a homemaker. Their lives revolved around Mumbai and Nagpur (their hometown) and there was little to no exposure to a world outside of India. This was after all an era with no internet connectivity, cable TV or Hollywood films in the country. After his schooling, Ghogre opted to study Mechanical Engineering from VJTI in Matunga and moved into a hostel to avoid long commutes.

It was around this time that he and a few friends got together and decided to move to the US after their engineering course in search of greener pastures. There was a hitch though: English was not their strong language, most of them were more fluent in Hindi. Their go-to resource back then while preparing for GRE and GMAT, was the Barron’s word list. “But these were not words that we used in everyday lives,” Ghogre tells Global Indian, “It was around this time that I began trying to solve the crosswords that would appear in The Times of India in a bid to improve my vocabulary.”

For the love of crossword

The crossword though was no easy feat and many of his friends eventually gave up. But Ghogre kept at it. “In retrospect it was my motivation to crack the GMAT and also the fact that I was curious about the answers which I would refer to the next day,” he explains, adding, “It was only much later that I realized that these crosswords were syndicated from the LA Times. We didn’t have any exposure to American culture, let alone American slang, back then. And the crossword is usually a reflection of society and its culture.”

Ghogre would religiously try to solve the crossword every single day and would check the solutions the next day and make elaborate notes. His diaries were divided into neat sections: slang, animals, religion, geography, flowers, etc. He’d created his own mini-Wikipedia. Over the years, he began to put two and two together and was finally able to begin solving the crossword completely about eight years later. By this time, it had become a habit that he couldn’t do without.

Global Indian Mangesh Ghogre

The crossword had opened up a whole new world for him: of American culture, society, geography, food, wildlife and even cinema. American slang like dough, grand, hero (sandwich), break a leg etc became commonplace for him. It also introduced him to the rivers in the US and animals like coyote, llama, and emu. “I’d never heard of these animals before, let alone seen them. When internet finally came to India, I went to a cybercafé to look these animals up to see what they looked like,” he recalls.

Life changing grid

The crossword had fascinated him and he’d carry it with him everywhere. “In the process, I was thrown out of class for solving the crossword mid-lecture, I’d carry it to the canteen and even the washroom. My friends would laugh at me,” smiles Ghogre. “Now they’re in awe of what the small black and white grid did for me.”

The crossword had truly changed his life; he is now considered an authority on it. As time went by, Ghogre got better and better at solving the puzzle. Though he didn’t manage to crack the GMAT and move to the US, he did land a good job when he graduated in 2000. However, a few months later, that job offer was withdrawn due to the dot come bust. “I spent a year at home jobless because of the market situation. I prepared for CAT to do my MBA but didn’t get into the IIMs; it wasn’t a great time. That’s when I took to crossword more strongly. It was my solace; it was addictive.”

Global Indian Mangesh Ghogre

He eventually did his MBA from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies and embarked on a career as an investment banker with ICICI Securities. He also worked with SBI Capital and HSBC before being appointed by Nomura as executive director in 2016.

Through it all, his love for crossword was going strong. “But I also began noticing that all these crosswords had American bylines, there were no Indian names on the scene. I began researching and came across blogs that analyse the puzzle and also spoke about how to construct one. So, I thought why not give constructing a crossword a shot,” says Ghogre.

The only Indian constructor

He sent his first one to the editor of LA Times. Though it wasn’t selected, the editor did encourage him to keep at it. That’s when Ghogre came across a lady Nancy Salomon, a veteran crossword constructor. The two began corresponding by email and she coached him through the nuances of the making a good puzzle. Several tries later, Ghogre’s first crossword was published in the LA Times in September 2010.

Since then, Ghogre has had several of his crosswords published in international publications. The ultimate though was when his work was featured in New York Times, which is considered the Holy Grail of crosswords. Today, he is counted among the top crossword constructors in the world and has been invited to judge the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament as well. That was when Ghogre finally got on a plane to visit the continent he’d learnt so much about through his 15x15 black and white grid. “It was a fantasy come true for me. I finally saw so many of the things I’d learnt about,” he says.

Global Indian Mangesh Ghogre

Bringing in the desi flavour

In his own way, Ghogre also ensures that he educates Americans on some Indian nuances. In 2019, on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary, he designed a special crossword with the word Gandhi and a few other Indian terms that was published in New York Times. “There is no other icon as Global Indian as Gandhi and I, in my own way, had the world celebrate him on that landmark occasion,” he smiles.

A typical crossword takes Ghogre about a year or 1.5 years to construct, due to the complexity involved. “Each crossword has to have a specific theme, has to pass the breakfast test (words that one would be comfortable using at the start of one’s day), and conform to the grid’s symmetry. So, it is rather time consuming to construct a crossword; it is a solitary activity,” says the father of two, who has had his crosswords displayed at the prestigious Kala Ghoda Arts Festival.

“Crossword didn’t just change my life, it is my life,” says Ghogre, who has been an investment banker for 17 years, but has been solving crosswords for 25. “My nirvana moment was to be able to sit on the same local train that I used to all those years ago in college and solve a crossword with my byline.”

Follow Mangesh Ghogre on Twitter

Reading Time: 10 mins

Ramya Ravi: The Harvard educated entrepreneur bringing alive the magic of her grandmother’s biryani

(March 13, 2022) Growing up Ramya Ravi remembers feasting on the fragrant donne biryani whipped up by her grandmother. With each grain of the jeera samba rice coated in her secret blend of masalas and aromatic herbs, the greenish hued biryani left behind memories of its lusciousness long after it had been demolished. But the entrepreneur wondered why the donne biryani that filled her childhood with its deliciousness failed to enjoy its moment in the sun pan India like the Hyderabadi or Lucknowi biryanis. It was this desire to popularise the typically Karnataka style of biryani that led the Harvard alum to launch RNR Biryani as a cloud kitchen bang in the middle of the pandemic. However, the entrepreneur’s gamble paid off and today, RNR is a hugely profitable enterprise with dine in restaurants too. What started off as a cloud kitchen with an investment of ₹5 lakh in late 2020 is now a flourishing business clocking in a turnover of ₹10 crore. With a considerable presence across Bengaluru, RNR Biryani is set to spread its branches to neighbouring states this year. The fact that it was launched in the midst of a pandemic and managed to successfully grow at a

f a pandemic and managed to successfully grow at a time when the hospitality and F&B industries took a hit, makes it a unique story of spotting an opportunity at the right time.

[caption id="attachment_21258" align="aligncenter" width="670"] Entrepreneur | Ramya Ravi Ramya Ravi with her sister Shweta[/caption]

Born in Bengaluru into a family that owns a chain of hotels, Ramya and her two sisters – Shweta and Raveena – were always encouraged to be independent and come into their own. “We were always taught that it was all about what we brought to the table as individuals,” says Ramya, who schooled at The Valley School before doing her B.Com from Christ College.

“My father would always share stories of successful women entrepreneurs with us from early on,” says Ramya, who went on to do a short-term management course from Harvard University. “As I watched my father work, it influenced me to get into the hospitality sector myself,” the 27-year-old tells Global Indian. She also pursued multiple internships with various establishments and also worked with her father R Ravichandar, which gave her more exposure into the hospitality and F&B industries.

“But I always wanted to start up on my own,” says the entrepreneur, who often wondered why naati style Karnataka cuisine wasn’t celebrated across India; specifically the donne biryani. She launched RNR Biryani (named after her father Ravichandar and grandfather Ramaswamy) in November 2020 along with her sister Shweta as a tribute to their grandmother’s recipe. “The whole idea was to make RNR Biryani a family affair and dedicate it to my father and grandfather.”

Entrepreneur | RNR Biryani

They first began as a delivery-only model from a 200 square feet space in Nagarabhavi in Bengaluru with a single cook, two assistants and an investment of ₹5 lakh. “What gave us the confidence to start up in the middle of a pandemic is the fact that we saw an opportunity to deliver good quality donne biryani at a time when people were ordering in a lot,” says the entrepreneur, adding, “Given that during the pandemic hygiene was paramount, we found very joints that could deliver a hygienically made donne biryani; most of them were the small local joints.”

That became RNR Biryani’s USP – hygienic, authentic naati style donne biryani. Packaged in a blue tin box, RNR Biryani soon became quite popular as the startup tied up with Swiggy for delivery and in their first month clocked in over 10,000 deliveries. Soon, they’d launched their second kitchen in JP Nagar and there was no looking back. A year later, in November 2021, RNR also opened doors to its first dine in restaurant in Bengaluru’s Jayanagar. Today, RNR also has a delivery radius that covers almost every corner of the metropolitan city.

Entrepreneur | Ramya Ravi

So what is it that makes the donne biryani so unique when compared to other biryanis? To start off, it’s more robust in its flavours, says the entrepreneur. “Since it is made with jeera samba rice, as opposed to basmati, the rice itself absorbs the flavours of the masala and herbs very well.” The RNR offers its biryanis in chicken, mutton, and vegetarian variants along with a slew of sides and kebabs, ghee roast, tender coconut payasam and a fusion rasmalai cremeux. Another unique offering they’ve developed is the drumstick chilli, a hit with vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.

“We also paid great attention to packaging and opted for tin boxes that also become collectibles. It turned out to be a talking point when we first launched our donne biryani in the market,” says Ramya, a trained Bharatanatyam dancer.

As RNR has made its way into the hearts of Bengalureans, Ramya is now set to take her offering to other states as well. “I want to make the naati style donne biryani as popular as the Hyderabadi biryani. The plan is to first introduce it to other South Indian states and popularise it there,” says the entrepreneur, who also loves to travel, explore new places and cuisines in her free time.

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Reading Time: 5 min

Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi: The bestselling author weaving magic with words

(May 6, 2023) In 2020, when the world was in lockdown and mourning the loss of their loved ones due to the pandemic, Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi's latest release Loss hit hard. The book was a reminder of the harsh reality of how boys are raised to become men in a world where nothing hurts or destroys them, and weeping in public or emoting is considered nothing less than blasphemy. For someone who lost his mother and father in about a decade, he invites readers to embrace their loss with compassion. It's this connection, the complexities of love, relationships, and loss that the 45-year-old portrays in its most authentic form which has made him stand out in the literary circles. With a Betty Trask Award to his credit, Siddharth has become a name to reckon with in the world of literature. At 22, he wrote his first book, but it took him four years to get it published. Despite the delay, it turned out to be an international bestseller, making Siddharth an instant hit in the literary world. However, it has been a long journey for this author to find his true calling. [caption id="attachment_38210" align="aligncenter" width="558"] Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi[/caption] From

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From solitude to storytelling

Born into a Gujarati family in Mumbai, Siddharth always loved his space. Even as a child, he would often escape to his tree house where he would find solace after running away from his school and would spend hours, either reading books or just being alone. It's these years that laid a solid ground for this then-teenager to silently absorb every moment and be on his own. "That I was left alone as a child was the most precious gift my parents gave me. I was allowed the space to not become anyone in particular but myself," he told Verve in an interview.

It was the world of books that captivated Siddharth. So, after completing his schooling, he moved to London to pursue his MA in International Journalism at the University of Westminster, where he specialised in photography and learnt how to sell his stories. For someone who was often broke and would crave a beer or two, he used to spin yarns for his friends while hanging out at pubs with them, and in return, they would pick up his tab. "I realised that I had the gift of storytelling - and that I was a lousy photographer," he said in an interview.

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The journey of a bestseller

After graduating, he moved to Northern California post securing a scholarship at San Jose State University for a master's degree in mass communication. But the course was set to begin the following year. In the interim, Sanghvi moved to Mumbai in 2002 to nurse his broken heart after a bombed love affair. With still a year left for his course to start, he spent most of his time with a manuscript he started writing a few years ago. He feverishly wrote a love story of sorts that later took the shape of his debut novel The Last Song of Dusk. It took him one year to cull out the first draft and three more years to deepen the themes. However, he dropped it after his agent suggested a few changes. Instead, he left for his course in California, and it was only in 2004 that his first novel saw the light of day.

Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi | Global Indian | Author

In no time, it won one of the UK's most prestigious prizes for debut novels - the Betty Trask Award, the Premio Grinzane Cavour in Italy, and was nominated for the IMPAC Prize in Ireland. Translated into 16 languages, The Last Song of Dusk became an international bestseller. At the age of 26, Shanghvi was hailed as the next big thing after Salman Rushdie and Vikram Seth, following the success of his debut novel. It was the use of magic realism and the exploration of themes like karma and sexuality that drew such comparisons. While he rose to popularity with his debut novel, Shanghvi took five years to release his second book. In between, he curated shows and travelled while writing The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay. Inspired by the events of Jessica Lall's murder case, the novel epitomises Mumbai's essence in the backdrop of a love story. The book was short-listed for the Man Asian Literary Prize.

Love, pain, hope - his muses

Around the same time, Shanghvi turned to photography after his dad was diagnosed with cancer. His photograph series The House Next Door, which captured the loneliness and seclusion that his father subjected himself to while battling cancer, opened at Galleri Kontrast in Stockholm in 2010. It was later showcased at the Matthieu Foss Gallery in Mumbai and Delhi's Vadhera Art Gallery. Acclaimed author Salman Rushdie praised Shanghvi's body of work calling it touching. "They are at a once intimate and clear-sighted objective, precise and affectionate. The quietness of their world is the silence of memory and sorrow, but there is, too, considerable artistry in the composition, and joy taken in detail, and character, and place," he said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2-_mEKJ6iM&t=7s

This Global Indian's next masterpiece came in the form of The Rabbit and the Squirrel which was released in 2018. The book that Shanghvi wrote as a parting gift for his friend soon made its way to the shelves of bookstores and struck the right chord with the audience for being a profound story of love, friendship, longing, and reunion.

Shanghvi, who has given book lovers a great gift in the form of his novels, has scaled literary heights with pieces of writing and innumerable accolades. The 45-year-old has been bringing stories that matter to the forefront with his body of work, and that's what sets him apart from his other contemporaries.

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Reading Time: 5 min