Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveNeel Sethi: The boy who played ‘Mowgli’

Neel Sethi: The boy who played ‘Mowgli’

Compiled by: Amrita Priya

(May 21, 2023) When The Jungle Book was released in 2016, the film became an overnight success. The realistic depiction of the animals and the lush jungle environment captivated audiences, creating a visually immersive experience. Based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless story, which has a universal appeal, the film adaptation grossed $966 million worldwide against the budget of $175 million making it one of the highest-grossing films of the year.

The themes of friendship, self-discovery, and the connection between humans and nature resonated with audiences worldwide, contributing to its international success. Directed by Jon Favreau and produced by Walt Disney Pictures, it found success in tapping the nostalgia and familiarity associated with the book, the 1967-animated film and of course, the timeless story of the orphaned boy, ‘Mowgli’, who grows up in the jungles of India.

Indian Actor | Neel Sethi | Global Indian

Neel Sethi in The Jungle Book

Amidst the grandeur of the creatures and beauty of the jungle Neel Sethi’s portrayal of Mowgli as the only live-action actor in a computer-generated imagery (CGI) dominated film was widely praised. In his debut role, the then 12-year-old created magic with his powerful performance. Walt Disney Studios recruited puppeteers to give the debutant actor partners to act with. “Those animals weren’t really there, but they looked like they were,’ Neel said in an interview, talking about his experiences on set.

“I would just make it normal and pretend that’s it’s not a puppet. If it was a bear or a panther, I just thought to myself, it’s not a puppet. That made it a lot easier,” he remarked.

Impressing audiences with iconic debut

Selected from two thousand hopefuls during a worldwide casting search by Favreau and his team Neel stood out. Quite interestingly, he was not even looking for an acting assignment. His dance teacher had seen a flyer for the auditions and had suggested Neel to give a try. 

Director Jon Favreau revealed the details of the audition. “He was a little younger than we thought. But there was something that made me smile. Then he started doing martial arts. After the audition was over, he said, I do my own stunts. I thought, this kid’s having a good time and I met with his family.”

After his selection, the youngster underwent extensive training to prepare for the physically demanding role. He worked with a movement coach who taught him parkour and martial arts techniques to enhance his agility and coordination. The training was crucial for the scenes that required him to interact with the CGI animals and navigate through the jungle environment.

Neel Sethi on the sets of The Jungle Book

Sethi’s dedication and enthusiasm on set despite the challenges of acting in a predominantly virtual environment, impressed the cast and crew. He formed a strong bond with director Jon Favreau and received his guidance throughout the filming process. “I didn’t know acting. He taught me everything I know,” Neel said.

Director Jon Favreau praised him for bringing the beloved character of Mowgli to life so memorably, and for his ability to imagine and react to things that weren’t physically present during filming. “Jon actually got into the puppet sometimes and that helped me interact with them naturally,” Neel shared.

Life beyond ‘The Jungle Book’

After making a special place in the hearts of the audiences worldwide, Neel has continued to pursue acting. The same year in which The Jungle Book released; he lent his voice to the English version of the animated film The Guardian Brothers (also known as Little Door Gods). The film, originally produced in China, tells the story of two ancient Chinese deities who must save their town from a nefarious force. Sethi lent the voice to the character named Yu Lei.

Jon Favreau with Neel Sethi

In 2017, he appeared in a short film titled Diwali, directed by Raj Trivedi. The film explored the themes of family, tradition, and cultural identity through the perspective of a young Indian American boy – which Neel is in real life as well. Born in 2003 in New York City, the actor calls the place his natural habitat. “I was born and raised here. I love being here. I can see myself in New York and Los Angeles, that’s it,” he said in a recent interview.

Taking pride in cultural roots

Even while he loves living in the United States, he maintains a connection with his Indian heritage. His parents are of Indian descent with roots in Gujarat.

In interviews, he has mentioned his Indian background and expressed pride in his cultural roots. Sethi has mentioned celebrating Indian festivals like Diwali and expressed interest in learning more about his heritage. Taking a break from acting to study, he recently completed his degree in film studies and is now back on the lookout for acting opportunities. “I would like to work in challenging roles with famous actors,” the nineteen-year-old smiled while talking about his future.

Neel Sethi with his parents and sister in a recent trip to Goa

‘The Jungle Book’ in India

The film that won accolades for achievements in visual effects at the 89th Academy Awards, 70th British Academy Film Awards, and 22nd Critics’ Choice Awards, got dubbed in Hindi. Child actor Jasleen Singh Chadda gave voice to Mowgli’s character. Famous actors lent their voices to other characters - Irrfan Khan to Baloo, Om Puri to Bagheera, Priyanka Chopra to Ka, Nana Patekar to Sher Khan and Shefali Shah to Raksha.

As the Japanese anime TV series Jungle Book had been very popular in India in the 1990s, Disney India also commissioned a contemporary recording of ‘Jungle Jungle Baat Chali Hai’ (the popular song of the series) and released it as part of the film’s promotional campaign in India. Neel Sethi has been to India on a few occasions after that and has enjoyed a huge fan following in his country of origin.

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Published on 21, May 2023

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The journey of golfer prodigy Aadil Bedi: From childhood passion to international stardom

(May 4, 2023) Punctuating the monotony of cricket-dominated narratives in the Indian sports scene are a few youngsters, who are picking the golf clubs instead of bats. The once exclusive, verdant golf courses are now teeming with eager, youthful aspirants, their eyes alight with dreams of becoming the next golfing prodigy. And one such rising star is Aadil Bedi, who is currently preparing for the upcoming Asian Tour event, followed by two more events of the European Challenge Tour. Described as the most promising young golfer in India by several experts, the young golfer finished tied-11th at the Kapil Dev Invitational Golf event recently, with a consistent score of 72, 75, 71, and 70. At an age when many kids play with plastic bats and balls, a four-year-old Aadil would accompany his father to the golf club and watch him play shots. During one such session, his father handed him the golf club to try his hand. “From that moment on, I was hooked,” shares the young golfer, during an interview with Global Indian. Today at 22, he is an upcoming name in the world of golf, with many medals to his credit. In 2018, Aadil became the youngest player

, I was hooked,” shares the young golfer, during an interview with Global Indian. Today at 22, he is an upcoming name in the world of golf, with many medals to his credit. In 2018, Aadil became the youngest player to represent India in golf at the Asian Games.

The youngster, who is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamonga, California, is confident of a good season ahead. “I recently had an injury, but I have recovered. I am training very hard to push myself to perform better at the upcoming tournaments,” shares the young golfer, as he discusses his personal life, training schedule, upcoming games, and much more with us.

Ascending the ranks

Crediting his dad for introducing him to the sport, the Chandigarh lad shares he had a growing interest in other sports as well. But it was golf that found a spot in his mind and heart. Born to two officers who serve in the Government of Punjab, discipline was a virtue he lived by. “My father started playing golf when I was one or two years old. Since my day school would get over by afternoon, my father would take me along to the golf club. He wanted me to be outdoors and do something productive, rather than locked up indoors,” the golfer shares.

Playing his first tournament when he was just six, Aadil shares an interesting anecdote from the event. “This was in 2007, and back then there weren’t many junior golfing tournaments in the country. There was an under-10 golf championship, organised by the Indian Golfing Union, taking place at the Chandigarh golf club and my father took me there. However, the organisers outright refused to let me play as I was too young. But my father persisted and they gave me one chance,” laughs the golfer, who although finished third-last in the tournament, was appreciated by several in the audience, including the organisers.

[caption id="attachment_19614" align="aligncenter" width="642"] Aadil with his father, Harinder Pal Singh Bedi[/caption]

While he took an instant liking to the game, it wasn’t until he was 11 years old that he started dabbling in other series. He bagged the first position during the 2011 Junior Order of Merit standings in the 7–10 age group, and later in 2013. The young golfer went on to win the All India Final at Coimbatore and Mumbai in 2013. At a young age, he was able to achieve a lot, and he credits his teachers for the immense support. “I had to travel a lot, and my school was very supportive,” says Aadil.

Golfing against the odds

One of the biggest wins in Aadil’s career came when he topped the SSG-BLR International Amateur Golf Championship in Singapore and the World Star of Junior Golf Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada – both in 2017. “There was no looking back after that,” quips the golfer, “Contrary to popular belief, golf is a very tough sport – not just physically, but mentally too. Despite putting in a lot of effort, we win so little in our career. However, that is what fascinates me the most about this sport.” The same year Aadil was awarded the Budding Golfer of the Year at the Indian Sports Honour Awards and was named the “Future Star Champion”.

In 2018, Aadil became the youngest player to represent the country at the Asian Games. While he individually finished T13 at the event, the youngster shares that it was a great learning opportunity. “It was a dream come true for me. Asian Games are held every four years, and one has to fall in the right age bracket to be a part of this prestigious tournament. I feel I was very lucky to be chosen,” share Aadil, “The trials lasted for six days, over two courses, which was very tough for me. But I was eager to wear the Indian blazer, and that kept me going. During the tournament, I met many big names, and just observing their game was quite a learning experience. I was just 17 then, so to be able to compete with established international golfers also gave me a lot of confidence.”

[caption id="attachment_19617" align="aligncenter" width="652"] Aadil with Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma at the Indian Sports Honour Awards[/caption]

The golfer, who is gearing up for the next Asian Games and Korn Ferry Tour, however, did experience some hiccups during his journey. “Golf is an expensive sport. If you just want to play for fun, it is different, however, to make a career in it can be financially challenging.” Noticing his consistent performance, Virat Kohli Foundation took him under its wings. “They came in at the right time,” he shares. “They have played a very important role in my career, especially by funding my sport. I’m very grateful for their support.”

Gearing up for future triumphs

After winning some major titles in 2019 and 2020, including Bengal Open Championship, Aadil is pumped to represent India in several tournaments internationally. Recovering from a serious wrist injury, Aadil shares that while the pandemic was a tough time for the sports, he is looking forward to playing some good golf. “There were no matches in the last two years. I am preparing very hard to win as many titles as possible. I am a part of tournaments in Indonesia, Singapore, and Korea, taking place later this year. There is an event in Australia as well. Frankly, I will be playing about 10-12 tournaments by the end of this year,” shares the golfer, who was a part of the team that won the Mixed Pro Challenge recently.

As he prepares for his international championships, the young golfer is also managing his kinesiology classes. It was his curiosity to understand the human body better that led him to choose this path. “Kinesiology is a study of human muscles and their movements. It focuses on physiological, biomechanical, and pathological mechanisms of body movement,” explains the golfer, adding, “I am big into fitness and a staunch believer that one must take care of their body. Even as a player when I used to train, I would question each exercise to understand how it affected my body. So, I picked this field of study and it is helping me in my sport as well.”

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Adrit Rao: Indian-American teen using AI to revolutionise healthcare

(March 31, 2024) "During the Covid-19 pandemic, a single smartphone app averted up to 900,000 covid cases in just Wales and England. This single app reached the smartphones of 21 million people and made an impact by performing automatic contact tracing and helping people feel safe during the pandemic. For every 1 percent increase in the number of this app's download, there was a reduction in 2.3 percent reduction in Covid cases," says Adrit Rao during TEDxGunnHighSchool, emphasising the revolution in how innovation can reach people instantly at scale around the world. Palo Alto-based Adrit might be young but he is on a mission to revolutionise healthcare through the use of AI. [caption id="attachment_36917" align="aligncenter" width="540"] Adrit Rao[/caption] At the age when most of his friends and classmates were playing with Lego, Adrit was toying with block programming. This was his introduction to computer science and coding when he was only eight. "I found it fun because it was very visual." Soon he progressed to app development. At 13, the Global Indian began his research internship with Stanford University and soon became one of the youngest students honoured by Apple during its annual Swift Student Challenge for his ability to

At 13, the Global Indian began his research internship with Stanford University and soon became one of the youngest students honoured by Apple during its annual Swift Student Challenge for his ability to push the boundaries of technology and provide solutions for people worldwide.

It earned him the chance to meet Apple CEO Tim Cook, a meeting that left him "super excited." "I was just actually around two to three weeks into my app development journey, Honestly, that experience motivated me to continue my journey," he said in an interview.

Love for coding and app development

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, Adrit had a lot of time on hand and was keen to explore coding on a deeper level that can help have an impact on people. He turned to YouTube and online resources for additional knowledge and began working on developing apps. "I was inspired by how technology was solving major problems around the world and that's when I thought of apps on the App Store and how apps are accessible and reach so many people," he said. He began with MoTV, which was designed as a platform for discovering movies and TV shows. Following its success, he moved on to his second creation, ShopQuik which could determine the wait time at local grocery stores during the pandemic. "I did that so that you could minimise exposure to infectious diseases."

Later, he went on to develop Signer, an AI-powered app that translates sign language into speech with the help of an iPhone camera. He began by researching statistics on the number of deaf people around the world and the communication gap between deaf and non-deaf communities. "Around that time, Apple had just introduced hand pose tracking and classification at WWDC using their machine learning models. So, I could train my own AI algorithm on that new technology to enable the sign-to-speech conversion," he added.

Using AI to create an impact

Ever since he joined Stanford for a research internship, he has been building AI-powered apps for healthcare. "I use AI to make the apps work," he said, elaborating on the two sides of AI. "I have seen what it can do to help, especially in healthcare. Signer itself is proof of the positive impacts that AI has. Just like any powerful tool, it can be used for good and bad," says Adrit, who is the founder of Aretech Inc, a nonprofit that teaches app development to young people. His commitment to

Currently, he has five apps on the App Store that aim to solve real-world problems and create an impact in society. For the past three years, he has devoted himself to creating inclusive applications that utilize AI for diagnosing vascular diseases. Adrit's passion for integrating AI into healthcare shines through in his latest endeavour focusing on abdominal aneurysms. He delves into the deployment of cutting-edge models and algorithms for diagnosis and prognosis, underscoring the transformative potential these technologies hold for conventional diagnostic approaches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONXmYJl6O5k

Moreover, his remarkable creation, AutoABI, stands out as an iPhone application capable of identifying peripheral arterial disease through the analysis of arterial sounds. This groundbreaking technology is presently undergoing clinical trials and the patenting process. Currently working on its patent, he calls it a passion project. "It showed me how I was able to apply my app development and AI knowledge to actually build a medical solution, which was able to be put into clinics and tested and now has the ability to reach so many people," he said in an interview.

The high school student, who loves playing basketball, started his journey after stumbling upon an article that opened up a Pandora's box on the potential of AI to transform healthcare and now years later, he is glad to be working in the field and creating an impact in the world. He believes it's important to find a problem that is closer to your heart so that one doesn't leave any stone unturned in finding the solution. "The main goal in developing an app is solving a problem in an accessible manner so that your innovation reaches the people."

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Swimming with sharks: Into the wild with Malaika Vaz

(February 15, 2023) When they spot the uniformed men with walkie-talkies watching them - again - Malaika Vaz and her companion, the cinematographer Nitye Sood switch instantly into tourist mode. They huddle together for a selfie and gush over a shawl at a nearby stall. "I don't want to tell you what country I'm in because I feel like that could expose me to danger," Malaika Vaz says, in hushed tones, to the Nat Geo podcaster on the other end. This was 2017 and the intrepid young wildlife filmmaker was undercover in a 'city in east Asia' in a seafood market in a shopping mall. They were following the illegal trade of manta rays, a convoluted and perilous pipeline that took them from fishing vessels in the Indian Ocean to the Indo-Myanmar border and Guangzhou in China. This was back in 2021 and one of Vaz's most explosive documentaries. As one might already have noted, the now twenty-five-year-old Malaika Vaz's life beggars' belief. It's the kind of thing young filmmakers and journalists dream of doing, but rarely gather the courage to accomplish. For Vaz, however, it was almost second nature. Growing up in Goa, Vaz began diving in the ocean

diving in the ocean when she was 12 years old, immersing herself in the beauty of underwater life.

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Discovering the manta ray

She was swimming in the Maldives the first time she spotted a manta ray - "I saw a beautiful black shadow coming out of nowhere. It was curious about me. I was frozen, I wasn't expecting this giant cloud to come up to me. It was poetic. Ever since then, I have been obsessed with them."

Even as a child, the Global Indian was captivated by the great outdoors. She is the youngest person to reach the Arctic and the Antarctic with the students at the Ice Foundation. Early on, she learned windsurfing, and sailing and is a professional diver. As she grew older, though, she felt she needed more than just adventure. Having witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by unsustainable tourism, illegal trade, and climate change on the marine ecosystem. And she decided to do something about it.

Foray into filmmaking

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She had always had an interest in filmmaking and a conviction strong enough to compel her to quit college and follow her passion instead. She joined a production company as a researcher and not long afterward, was asked to go in front of the camera.

"I realised that while I loved being on camera, shaping the stories and bringing in new perspectives and narratives that hadn't traditionally been seen on television was what I liked best," she said. She turned to other roles - she has been a director, writer, and producer, apart from presenting. She is also the founder of 'Untamed Planet', a production company that seeks to make an impact in the conservation world.

Scaling new heights in Ladakh

In 2014, she travelled to Ladakh, to train a group of village women to climb mountains. The message: Even the most perilous wilderness might prove safer for India's women than its cities and villages. At the time she was a student at Mahindra United World College and had already found herself a place in the Limca Book of Records as the youngest Indian to travel to both Polar regions in 2011-12. She headed off to Ladakh with a group of students from school, all part of the UWC's Outdoor Education Programme. Together, they climbed the Stok Kangri and Lungser Kangri. "The nine women who are training with us are all from villages in the Muslhi valley," she said. Many had a history of domestic abuse.

Documenting wildlife to conservation

Vaz and her team travel around the world documenting wildlife and exotic locations but that's only one part of what they do. Vaz also takes on issues like animal trafficking, travelling undercover, and coming face-to-face with dangerous kingpins across the globe. Like tracing manta ray traffickers across Asia, for instance. That became Peng Yu Sai, which was nominated for the 'Green Oscars' and takes the viewer into a murky world comprising fishermen, middlemen, traffickers, and even armed forces personnel as Vaz tries to protect her beloved nautical giants.

She describes, in the Overheard podcast, seeing the manta ray trade for the first time. She was in a village in eastern India when a local farmer told her to come to see the "flat pancake fish." Intrigued, she wandered through the bustling seafood market, which overflowed with every kind of exotic marine life - more than she had seen in the ocean itself. Hundreds of people jostled through the market, the air ripe with the smell of sweat and dead fish - "You cannot wash that smell off you," she remarks. She saw piles of tuna, crab, prawn, bull shark - and then, to her dread, "twenty-five dead manta rays lying on the floor. It felt like a waste of life."

Malaika Vaz is also behind Nat Geo Wild: Living with Predators, a three-episode series that "documents the stories of the real heroes of Big Cat conservation - local communities." In each episode, Vaz talks with ex-poachers, tribal communities, and the forest guards who are at the forefront of protecting India's Asiatic Lions, leopards, and tigers. The series aired across the Asia-Pacific, South Asia, Middle East, and North Africa, starting on August 15, 2020.

The power of stories

She has also produced films about migrant workers through the National Geographic Covid-19 fund for Journalists, explored bat conservation after the species received a bad rep during the pandemic, and elephant tourism.

Through it all, filmmaking has been her medium. "We need to phase out wildlife trade," she told Business Insider. "Given that consuming wildlife is still seen as a marker of 'making it' in parts of Asia and globally, I think storytelling can make a difference. Powerful films can advocate for a world where we're not consuming endangered species."

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Swinging his best: Indian Golfer Hardik Chawda is aiming for the big shot

(April 2, 2022) As a child, Hardik S Chawda would often wonder where his father Sunil would go early each morning. One such morning in 2008 when Hardik was eight, he insisted on accompanying his father and Sunil drove him straight to the golf course. “This is where I come every morning,” the businessman told his son, who scanned the golf course with excitement. That was also the first time he held a golf club. Today, at 21, Hardik is at his golfing best. He recently became the first from the Hyderabad Golf Association and Telangana to crack the professional golf tour of India's "B" card, on his first attempt. Hardik achieved this feat at the PGTI qualifying school which was held in Ahmedabad at Kalhaar Blue and Greens golf course in February this year. [caption id="attachment_13785" align="aligncenter" width="469"] Hardik S Chawda[/caption] His driving force “My dad introduced me to golf. He often told me to focus on one sport and indulge in it with complete dedication. So I chose golf over everything,” smiles Hardik, speaking with Global Indian. He went through the pre-qualifying events out of which 130 qualified for the final stage. "After four days of competition, the

ge in it with complete dedication. So I chose golf over everything,” smiles Hardik, speaking with Global Indian. He went through the pre-qualifying events out of which 130 qualified for the final stage. "After four days of competition, the top 40 made the 'A' card and those who finished 41 to 80 got the 'B' card. I finished 51st," says the beaming golfer. With an 'A' card, one can play all the events irrespective of the prize money at stake while the 'B' card holders will get to participate in fewer events. Nonetheless the 'B' card gives him access to about 20 tournaments across the country and he will also be eligible to play tourneys in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.

"It was a great week for me and kind of a mixed bag. After the third day, I was doing well and in contention for the 'A' card. But during the final round, I had two bad holes which denied me a top 40 finish and I slipped to 51,” says the young golfer about the recent tournament.

What it takes

"One of the key aspects in this sport is patience. At my level of game, it is all about your mental strength,” says Hardik, a BCom final year student of St Mary’s college in Yousufguda, Hyderabad. He is now completely focussed on his game, putting in many hours of practice, shaping his game to the best.

The youngster says that you either win or lose a tournament with your decision making. "On a professional tour, everyone has a good swing, short game and able putting. A player who makes the right decisions on the course and plays with a very relaxed and confident mindset wins,” says the professional golfer, who has 14 clubs in his 'arsenal' besides other equipment. “Golf equipment is quite expensive and not affordable to most but I'm very thankful to my parents who support me," he says.

Practice makes perfect

Hardik spends anywhere between six to eight hours on his full golf days, which includes close to two hours of fitness. “I do try to play every day except for the days when I have an exam or other academic commitments,” says the Hyderabad-born lad, who studied in Delhi Public School. During lockdown and post lockdown, when there was no golfing, he assisted his father in their chemical business. “But now that I have turned pro, I barely get any time.” The Chawda family originally belongs to Gujarat but have settled in Hyderabad for decades.

[caption id="attachment_13787" align="aligncenter" width="638"] Hardik S Chawda with his family[/caption]

He says fitness plays a huge role in professional golfing. “Golf is no more for a short hitter. Everyone now understands the importance of fitness and how it can benefit their game and we see players hitting more than 320- 330 yards of carry distance,” says Hardik. His workout comprises warm up stretches which he does before he leaves to play. Upon return, he does foam rolling just to release and relax the whole body. “I also do a little bit of meditation before my rounds. I try to eat healthy and avoid oily and junk food as much as I can,” informs the golfer, who likes to play cricket and basketball with friends in his free time besides watching adventure or rom-coms on Netflix and other OTT platforms.

So what are Hardik’s future plans? “Firstly, I want to play well on the Professional Golf Tour Of India this year. Thereafter, I aim to move on to the Asian Tour, European tour and ultimately the PGA tour. For me nothing matters until I'm on the PGA tour. It's like a dream come true for me competing against the world's top golfers,” smiles the golfer, who is hoping he would compete against the greatest golfer of all times Tiger Woods himself one day. He credits his coach Sanjay Kumar Singh (Hyderabad), Jesse Grewal (Chandigarh), Muneer sir (fitness coach Hyderabad) and Sagar Diwan (fitness Coach Chandigarh). "Importantly, my whole family supported me and backed me throughout," says Hardik, for whom the Hyderabad Golf Association has been his home club, since he started his golf career from there.

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Golfing trailblazer: Aditi Ashok’s journey in golf and triumphs in 2023

(December 3, 2023)The 2023 Ladies European Tour (LET) was a series of golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world held at multiple locations around the world. India’s Aditi Ashok competed with golfers from France, Spain, Thailand, Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic and many other countries in the race to the Costa del Sol rankings - a season-long competition to crown the LET’s number one player. The Indian professional golfer who recently bagged silver at the Asian Games 2023, won both the opening and closing tournaments of the season at Kenya and Spain respectively. With these significant wins she made 2023 the best-ever year for Indian women golfers at the LET. “It was a great battle,” said Aditi after winning the closing tournament of LET at Spain. In May this year, Aditi had achieved a ground-breaking milestone as the first Indian female golfer to break into the top 50 in the world rankings following her T5 finish at the LPGA Founders Cup. “I have grown up with golf being a part of my life. It means a lot. A few days without golf and I start feeling a void. It is an ingrained aspect of my life,” she

days without golf and I start feeling a void. It is an ingrained aspect of my life,” she had remarked in a previous interview.

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Aditi clinched the fourth position in the tournament, whereas her counterpart Diksha Dagar attained the third spot, marking the first time in history when two Indian golfers achieved top-five rankings in the LET season.

Starting young

The 25-year-old had started playing golf when she was merely five. Born and brought up in Bengaluru, the golfer made her Olympic Games debut at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Later, she also qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, representing India, finishing fourth.

Although she was unhappy about the result, the Global Indian said, “So many people in India are writing and talking about golf, and even watching it. I am looking at the positive side. The fact that my Olympic performance has generated more interest is great.”

[caption id="attachment_34409" align="aligncenter" width="827"] Aditi Ashok with budding golfers[/caption]

Finding support in parents

The golfer’s parents supported her dreams from the beginning. At the age of five when she expressed interest in the sport, her father took her to the Karnataka Golf Association driving range. So invested were her parents in Aditi’s goals of life that her father Ashok became her caddie in the 2016 Olympics, while her mother Maheshwari Ashok was her caddie at the Olympics of 2020 in Tokyo.

“Both my parents supported me a lot when I was young. My dad would take me to the golf course every day and teach me how to manage my game. My mom has been a pillar of strength. From her, I have learnt how to create a positive environment around oneself,” she remarked.

[caption id="attachment_34410" align="aligncenter" width="789"] Aditi Ashok with her father as caddie in 2016 Olympics[/caption]

Turning heads

When Aditi was still a teenager, she was the lone Indian golfer participating in the Asian Youth Games of 2013, the Youth Olympics, and the Asian Games in 2014. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, she emerged as the youngest competitor among all golfers, securing the 41st position, not a bright spot yet a milestone of sorts for the youngster who was trying hard to make a mark internationally.

She had got successful in clinching the National Junior Championship consecutively in 2012, 2013, and 2014, holding both junior and senior titles simultaneously in 2014. Following her victory in the Ladies British Amateur Stroke Play Championship in 2015, she had transitioned to the professional circuit the following year.

The golfer made history by becoming the youngest and the first Indian to triumph in the Lalla Aicha Qualifying School, earning her Ladies European Tour card for the 2016 season. This achievement marked her as the youngest victor of a Q School for an international tour.

[caption id="attachment_34408" align="aligncenter" width="601"] Aditi Ashok[/caption]

She secured her landmark win at the 2016 Hero Women's Indian Open, carding an impressive 3-under-par 213. This victory established her as the first Indian winner of a Ladies European Tour (LET) title. Her success in a country traditionally fixated on cricket brought exceptional attention to the sport of golf.

International triumphs

Since then Aditi has been performing consistently well at major international golf tournaments creating a mark for herself. The dedicated player remarked, “I think the game itself is pretty motivating. Every day is different. Just having played well yesterday or last week does not guarantee anything this week. You are always on your toes to improve every aspect of your game.”

In a remarkable year for Indian women golfers, Aditi Ashok's 2023 triumphs, securing victories and marking history alongside Diksha Dagar has contributed to India’s glory in the global stage of golf.

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