Kamla Bhatt Show show

Kamla Bhatt Show

Summary: Connecting the Indian diaspora across the world. It is all about life, people and ideas. Every week we speak to an interesting mix of people about business, technology, films, food, books and a host of other subjects. This is the place to come to listen to a stimulating conversation on India.

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Podcasts:

 Filmmaker Bill Siegel: The Trails of Muhammad Ali | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 16:34

(http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/BillSIegel-KamlaShow2-e1382157521121-150x150.jpg)Filmmaker Bill Siegel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTEYjMC3bNU&feature=c4-overview&list=UUg24IW2af8JjGE-DCbkPG0g)'s new documentary - The Trails of Muhammad Ali (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt_TD2oYS0A). The film looks at the "world's greatest" boxing champion's life  outside the boxing ring. Born and brought up in Kentucky, Cassius Clay made a name for himself at a very young age as a heavy weight boxing champion. In 1964 Clay won the world heavyweight champion (http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/25/newsid_4161000/4161687.stm) by defeating Sonny Liston. But, his meteoric rise to the top plateaued in the mid-1960s. That is when Clay's interest in his identify and Islam came to the forefront of his life. Called to serve in the army Clay declined to join the service on religious grounds and his opposition to Vietnam war. And for the next few  years he was involved in a legal battle that went up all the way to the US Supreme Court. The Trails of Muhammad Ali looks at this turbulent period of the boxing champion's life. How did Cassius Clay become Muhammad Ali? How did he discover Islam and the Nation of Islam? How did he define his identity? The film uses old archival footage of Ali along with interviews with people that were part of his team s team during this period like his former wife Khalilah 'Belinda' Ali (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1424229/?ref_=tt_cl_t2), his brother Rahaman Ali (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0019475/?ref_=tt_cl_t4), and Nation of Islam's Louis Farrakhan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Farrakhan). Siegel's idea for The Trails of Muhammad Ali was born from his extensive research on Ali that began in the 1990s. It was then that he worked on his first project on Ali. The project was shelved. Siegel went on to work on other projects like Hoop Dreams (http://www.kartemquin.com/films/hoop-dreams) and  Weather Underground (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Weather_Underground)that he co-directed. Besides being a filmmaker, Siegel works with the non-profit organization Great Books Foundation (http://www.greatbooks.org)in Chicago.

 NEA’s Kittu Kolluri on Venture Capitalism and Entrepreneurship | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 28:11

(http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/NEA_KittuKolluri-150x150.jpg)Kittu Kolluri (http://www.nea.com/team/krishna-kittu-kolluri)is a general partner at the venture capital firm  New Enterprise Associates (NEA)  in Menlo Park. A couple of weeks ago one of the startups he invested in was acquired by Monsanto for $1 billion (http://www.nea.com/blog/big-deal-for-big-data-climate-corp). This is one of the biggest acquisitions for NEA. This was also one of the biggest acquisitions in the big data space.  That startup was Climate Corporation (http://www.climate.com) founded by David Friedberg (http://ecorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=2789) and Siraj Khaliq (http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/11/big-data-in-the-dirt-and-the-cloud/?_r=0), who previously worked at Google. Kittu invested in the seed round of the startup, which was originally called WeatherBill. Later on Climate Corporation went on to raise multiple rounds of funding from other investors. In this interview Kittu shares his journey and the transition he made from an engineer/entrepreneur to a venture capitalist.  How does he work with entrepreneurs and what draws him to invest in a startup? And how do companies work with their original business plan? Or, do they pivot? One of the examples Kittu shares is how Climate Corporation's original focus was in a different market and how they shifted their focus to the agriculture space using big data. This interview was originally recorded (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOcpYZuprG4)for TV. Kittu joined NEA in 2006  after spending time on the other side of the negotiating table as an entrepreneur and engineer. He was the CEO of Netoteris that was acquired by Netscreen, which was then acquired by Juniper Networks. Prior to that he was co-founder of Healtheon that was acquired by WebMD. He began his engineering career at SGI as an engineer. You can listen to previous interviews with Kittu where he talks about how he became an engineer and entrepreneur and what does failure and success mean to him. Here are the links to Part-1 (http://kamlashow.com/podcast/2009/11/24/neas-kittu-kolluri-part-2/)and Part-2 (http://kamlashow.com/podcast/2009/11/24/neas-kittu-kolluri-part-2-2/)of the audio interview. Photo courtesy of NEA  

 Nicole Holofcener On Her New Film – Enough Said | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 11:52

(http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/enough-said-22465335_max_rgb3-150x150.jpg)Film director and writer Nicole Holofcener has a new film out Enough Said (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R09EnVNGnio) that releases this month. We met with the talented and funny Holofcener in San Francisco to talk about the making of her film and what influences her filmmaking and writing. She also shares how she got Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini to act in the film.This is one of the last films of Gandolfini. Enough Said (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R09EnVNGnio)is about finding love and romance when you hit your middle age. Louis-Dreyfus and Gandolfini are single parents, who are gearing up to send their respective daughters to school. They both meet at a party where they hit it off, and start dating. And then comes a delicious twist. Louis-Drefyus become friends with Gandolfini's ex-wife and gets a whole different picture of the "slob" she is dating. The film is a honest and delightful take on middle age romance with sparkling dialog.This is the fifth film from Holofcener, who made her first film in 1996. Enough Said stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener and Toni Collette. Holofcener wrote and directed the film. The film releases in the San Francisco bay area this month. Photo Courtesy: Fox Searchlight Pictures.

 Atiq Rahimi: French-Afghan Filmmaker & Writer | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 30:59

(http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/800px-Atiq_Rahimi_2010_b-150x150.jpg)Atiq Rahimi is a French-Afghan filmmaker and an award-winning writer. His latest film The Patience Stone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XywUr9zBOWU)(Persian) is based on his 2008 award-winning novel by the same name. He won the prestigious Prix Goncourt (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/arts/11arts-AFGHANAUTHOR_BRF.html?scp=2&sq=Prix%20Goncourt%20rahimi&st=cse&_r=0)award for his novel, which was written in French. The film was chosen as Afghanistan's Oscar entry in 2013. We met with Atiq at the 56th San Francisco International Film Festival (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3wrjawV_9U) and spoke to him about the making of his film  inspired by a true story of an Afghan poetess, who was killed by her family. The Patience Stone explores and highlights the harrowing  status of women in modern day Afghanistan. Iranian actress Golshifeh Farahani essays the central role in the film of a woman caught in a war-torn Afghanistan.Through the course of the film Rahimi gently and deftly lifts the veil from the Afghan society and lays bare the tough and harrowing conditions under which they live and learn to survive. Rahimi also talks about his fondness for Bollywood film and his next project that is based on a Rabindranath Tagore's Kabuliwala (http://www.upperstall.com/films/1956/kabuliwala) The film he says will be shot mostly in India and will have Amitabh Bachchan and other well-known Indian actors. Rahimi was born in Afghanistan, but now lives in Paris with his family. Related Link: A video interview ( http://youtu.be/njf8XzJpan8) with Atiq Rahimi.  Photo Credit: Siren-Com (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Siren-Com)

 Hollywood’s Paul Feig on The Heat, Melissa McCarthy, Bollywood & Music | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 17:28

(http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/photo-150x150.jpg)Meet Hollywood filmaker, director & author Paul Feig (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Feig), who talks about his new film "The Heat (http://www.theheatmovie.com)," Melissa McCarthy, Marx Brothers, Blake Edwards (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake_Edwards), Bollywood and being an Anglophile. And oh! music is an integral part of his films. Feig enjoys making films about smart and funny women. His last film "Bridesmaids," did very well at the box-office. His new film "The Heat," is a female buddy cop film starring Sandra Bullock an Melissa McCarthy set in Boston. Born and brought up in Michigan, Feig moved to Los Angeles as a college student. He went to make the cult TV comedy "Freaks and Geeks," and has worked with other TV shows like "The Office," "Arrested Development," "Nurse Jackie," and "Mad Men." He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Laurie Feig. Related Link: Paul Feig on The Heat, Melissa McCarthy, Bollywood and music (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap_NaSNzWLo&feature=c4-overview&list=UUg24IW2af8JjGE-DCbkPG0g) - video  

 Zal Batmanglij: On The East | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 16:42

(http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/thumbnail-150x130.jpg)When director Zal Batmanglij's indie film The Sound of My Voice  released in 2011 it earned him and Brit Marling, his collaborator and star of the film wide acclaim. Their first film was made on a shoe-strong budget. Batmanglij is back with his second film The Eas (http://www.foxsearchlight.com/theeast/)t, a suspense thriller that he co-wrote with Marling.  The film got favorable review at this year's  Sundance film festival. The East opens in the San Francisco bay area on June 7th, 2013 and stars stars Brit Marling, Alexander Skargard, Ellen Page and Patricia Clarkson. screenplay Batmangalij and Marling wrote the screenplay. His brother Rostam Batmanglij (https://twitter.com/matsoR) of Vampire Weekend (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire_Weekend) composed a music track for the film. In The East we see the unfolding of an unusual story involving corporate America, an elite intelligence agency and a radical eco-hactivist group called the East. This radical group has targeted a handful of large,well-known corporations and are intent on unmasking their unethical and damaging business practices to the world. Think of  The East as Wikileaks meets The Anonymous (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_events_associated_with_Anonymous). Marling works for an elite intelligence agency  whose clients include the Who's Who of American business. Marling's task is to go undercover and infiltrate The East,and collect information on how they operate and report it to her office. But in the process of collecting that information and creating a profile of these radical activists,  Marling undergoes a change herself. We caught up with Batmangalij in San Francisco when he came to attend the 56th San Francisco International Film Festival. In this interview he talks about the making of the film and the significance behind the title of the film. "The East is a thriller for now that explores the frustration that we all feel…," is how Batmanglij describes his film that raises interesting questions and the notion of  accountability in a community.   Photo credit: Myles Aronowitz and Fox Searchlight  

 Sukhi’s – A Blender And A Bucket And The Start Of An Entrepreneurial Journey | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 29:04

(http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/Sukhi-150x150.jpg)Meet Sukhi Singh. She started with a blender and a bucket in her kitchen and conjured up different curry pastes and thus began her entrepreneurial journey.  "We bring Indian food to the mainstream table," is how she describes her company. Today, her company - Sukhis (http://kamlashow.com/content/910370/maincontent/mp3/broadband/Sukhi-KamlaShow.mp3)- is part of the fastest growing ethnic food market in the US. Guided by her instincts and passion for cooking  Sukhi went through some rocky times in the first few years of her American journey. Sukhi along with her husband and their 3 children migrated to the USA in 1984 and settled in the San Francisco Bay area. The couple bought a deli, but they lost it during the 1989 earthquake, which is when she switched to creating curry pastes in her home kitchen. She was 45 yrs old with 3 kids and were in the red by $70,000. Times were tough for the family and sometimes they bought groceries using their credit card.Her husband asked her to get a job, but Sukhi stuck to her instincts and told him she was  going to make her business work. And through sheer dint and hard work she made it work. Today, Sukhi's is a multi-million dollar company that employs 120 people. Her husband and 3 children work with her. Her son designs the packaging for their food products, while her daughters take care of sales and marketing.  Her husband is in charge of the company's finance. And Sukhi spends time in the kitchen testing and creating new products. Sukhis food products are available in various grocery stores including Whole Foods and Costco in the US.  She still uses the local farmer's market in the San Francisco Bay area as her testing ground. Sukhi and her family live in the San Francisco bay area. This interview with Sukhi was originally aired on TV. Related Links: Sukhi Singh interview Part-1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAg3JAjj1n0)and Part-2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbQCUjwLXmo)  - video  

 Mira Nair On The Reluctant Fundamentalist | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 29:07

(http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/MiraNair-150x150.jpg)Mira Nair (http://www.mirabaifilms.com/mirabai/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=1&Itemid=28)'s latest films is The Reluctant Fundamentalist (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfC45oq_drU).  The picture is based on a novel by the same name by Mohsin Hamid. The Reluctant Fundamentalist is an intimate portrait told with anguish and love about the 2 societies: American and South Asian says Mira, who came to the US as a 19 year old undergraduate to Harvard University. And Mohsin Hamid (http://www.mohsinhamid.com/) studied at Harvard and Princeton and now lives in Pakistan. The film is in essence a dialog between a young Pakistani and an American in a tea shop in Pakistan says Mira. She describes The Reluctant Fundamentalist as a coming-of-age story and a human thriller. By far this was one of the most difficult films she has made points out Mira. It took  5 years to complete the picture. The film is dedicated to her father, who grew up in Lahore, which is where The Reluctant Fundamentalist is based. In this wide ranging interview Mira talks about how the idea for the film was born, the process of making the film and the music in the film. She also talks about living and working in Uganda. She talks about the meaning of fundamentalism - both economic and political - and how both make the human being subservient to the system. The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a deeply secular film she points out. She talks about the inspiration of' (http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2006/oct/14/guardianobituaries.obituaries) Gillo Pontecorvo (http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2006/oct/14/guardianobituaries.obituaries)'s seminal film Battle of Algiers in the making of The Reluctant Fundamentalist and the compliment paid by Mrs. Potecorvo when she saw the film at the Venice Film Festival. Mira's film repertoire includes Saalam Bombay, Mississippi Masala, Kama Sutra, The Perez Family, Monsoon Wedding, Namesake and Amelia (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioZCEpRLpxo).   Related Links: Mira Nair on The Namesake (http://kamlashow.com/podcast/2006/11/02/the-namesake-mira-nair-and-kal-penn/) - audio Mira Nair on The Reluctant Fundamentalist Part-1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2w_-a9rt7s) and Part-2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spaoqDmJsK0) - video 

 Playwright Anupama Chandrasekhar Part-2 | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 27:06

(http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/Anupama-Kevin-Berne-150x150.jpg)Anupama Chandrasekhar's (http://kamlashow.com/podcast/2013/04/08/playwright-anupama-chandrasekhar/) play Disconnect (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2-d6OkKHzg) was staged at San Jose Rep (http://www.sjrep.com/) in March 2013. We caught up with the Chennai-based playwright when she was in San Jose to attend the West Coast premier of her play. In Part-2 of our conversation Anupama  takes us back to her childhood growing up in Madras, now known as Chennai.  How did she discover plays? How does she write? What are her writing rituals, and how has playwriting changed and made her brave  are some of the things Anupama shares in this interview. Anupama grew up at a time when her world was not controlled by smart phones, Internet or Google calendar. Her childhood was filled with books, music and long stretches of laziness that fed her fecund imagination. She was  allowed to roam free and explore her neighborhood with friends, be lazy and devour books is how she put it. Her indulgent family fed her books all through her childhood and that sparked off her interest in English literature, which is what she majored in college. She went on to become a business journalist. She was shocked to discover that her creative streak had diminished during her stint as a journalist. She quit her journalism job, went back to graduate school and discovered a whole new world of plays in Chennal. She went on to win a playwright competition and scholarships that took her to the UK and USA. After completing her graduate studies at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (http://illinois.edu/) she went back to her hometown in India where she has carved a niche for herself as a playwright (http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/theatre/50-shows-and-still-going-strong/article3711858.ece). She has written 5 plays and is in the process of writing her 6th play  Bay, Sea, Ocean.  Her plays have been translated in a couple of European languages and staged in India, UK and the USA. Writing is not an easy process and gets even more difficult as you get to know the truth of it points out Anupama. Truth is not easy to discover and it is slippery is how she describes her writing process. Emotional fortitude is an important element in her writing process. "I grow with every play. I become brave with every play." she says. Anupama lives in Chennai when she is not traveling. Related Post: Anupama Chandrasekhar on Disconnect Part-1 (http://kamlashow.com/podcast/2013/04/08/playwright-anupama-chandrasekhar/) - audio Photo credit: Kevin-Berne

 Cisco’s Padmasree Warrior | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 31:17

(http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/Padmashree-Photocredit-cisco-150x150.jpg)Padmasree Warrior is Cisco's Chief Technology and Strategy Officer. She joined Cisco in 2007 after having spent many years working at Motorola in Chicago. At Motorola she was an Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO). In this wide ranging interview we talk about role of CTO to Cisco's strategy in an economic downturn to growing up in a small town in India, and the role her parents played in inspiring and shaping her world view. And of course, we get to ask her about Twitter, where she currently has almost 1.5 million followers. You can follow Padmasree on Twitter (http://twitter.com/Padmasree). Interestingly, Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=CSCO)) was founded in the 1980s during an economic downturn and in a short span of  less than 25 years has grown to become one of the largest networking companies in the world. We recorded this interview in 2009 when Padmasree (http://www.cnbc.com/id/100631540) was CTO of Cisco. Since then her role at Cisco has expanded. This interview originally ran on LiveMint Radio. Photo credit: Cisco

 Playwright Anupama Chandrasekhar | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 13:30

(http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/Anupama-Kevin-Berne-150x150.jpg)Meet Anupama Chandrasekhar, a playwright based in Chennai. Her play Disconnect made its West Coast debut at the San Jose Rep (http://www.sjrep.com/) in March 2013. This is perhaps the first time that an Indian playwright's work is being staged at San Jose Rep. Disconnect is translated in a couple of European languages and made its European debut at London's Royal Court Theatre. Disconnect is set in a modern call center in India, where a group of young workers work the phones and their American customers to pay up their credit card debts. They have American names, speak in an American accent, and are steeped in American pop culture, but work in a windowless room in Chennai (Madras), India. Disconnec (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAFVjuzQj5g)t examines the dichotomy that exists between the personal and professional lives of the young call center workers, and what is the price they pay for dreaming their American Dream? The play is directed by Rick Lombardo (http://www.sjrep.com/about/staff/). Anupama has written 5 plays so far, and is working on her 6th play. She has won various awards and is the Asian winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Award and was a fellow at the Royal Court International Residency. We caught up with her during her visit to Silicon Valley to talk about Disconnect, Silicon Valley and the call center business in India and American influence. How did she come up with the idea for the play? How long did it take her to write the play? Does she tweak the play even after its written?

 Usha Raghunathan – Never, Ever Quit | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 15:41

(http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/Usha-56-150x150.png)Usha Raghunathan's motto is never, ever quit. Be a survivor is her advice for those who want to do do something in their life, especially women. Usha  should know what it is like to survive and make your dreams come true in a tough and conservative environment in South India. Brought up in a liberal family in Madras, now known as Chennai she married into a conservative, traditional family. Her mother-in-law did not believe that women should go out and work, and neither should they continue their studies once they get married. Interestingly her conservative future mother-in-law had agreed and let Usha to complete her pilot training and obtain her license. Usha was pregnant with her first child when she trained and got her license. Life in a conservative family meant that Usha had to learn to negotiate and find ways to keep herself occupied. She started a ladies club and then in a serendipitous fashion started writing for a Tamil magazine. Of course, she wrote under a pseudonym - Shashikala.  She wrote mostly about women and how they survived tough situations and came out winning. She then forayed into TV and eventually into the world of textiles and fashion. At the age of 60 she opened a sari boutique in Madras and continues to manage it. She is in her mid-70's and still continues to travel around India on business. So, is it any wonder then that her motto in life is never, ever quit. Be a surivor. And that distilled advice comes from a woman who has navigated choppy waters and did not know the words "give up."  Related Links: Usha Raghunathan on How She Learnt to Fly (http://kamlashow.com/podcast/2013/03/07/usha-raghunathan-how-she-learnt-to-fly-a-tiger-moth/) - audio Usha Raghunathan - The First Female Pilot from South India (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOHRjoEIUNQ)- video

 Mrinal Pande on Technology & Media in India | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 24:28

(http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/MrinalPande-150x150.jpg)Mrinal Pande (http://kamlashow.com/podcast/2013/03/14/mrinal-pande-on-shivani-writing-and-journalism/) shares her thoughts on technology, media and the vibrant, youthful energy in India. Pande has over 30 years of experience as a writer and journalist, and a decade as editor-in-chief of a leading newspaper. Pande was the first woman to become the chief editor-in-chief  (2001-2009) of a leading Indian newspaper - The Hindustan Times, the Hindi edition. During her decade long stint at the newspaper she helped change and expand its footprint in India  Deploying the right kind of technological solutions helped the newspaper leapfrog to the digital age of the 21stc. Currently she is the head of Prasar Bharati (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prasar_Bharati), an apex body of the broadcast and television in India.Established in 1997 Prasar Bharti is working on making All India Radio (http://allindiaradio.gov.in)and Doordarshan (http://www.ddindia.gov.in/), the government-owned media channels modern and viable entities. In the last 25 years the media landscape in India has undergone huge transformations especially with the entry of new, private companies. Prior to the 1990s, All India Radio and Doordarshan were the chief source of news and information for most people in India. She lives in New Delhi with her family. In case  you missed, in Part-1 (http://kamlashow.com/podcast/2013/03/14/mrinal-pande-on-shivani-writing-and-journalism/) of our conversation she talks about her mother the well-known Hindi writer Shivani and also about her own "peculiar launch" as a writer. Photo credit: Wikipedia Related Links: Micky Pant on his mother Shivani (http://kamlashow.com/podcast/2006/03/23/in-conversation-with-micky-pant/) – audio Ira Pande on her mother Shivani (http://kamlashow.com/podcast/2006/03/18/ira-pande-remembers-shivani/) – audio

 Mrinal Pande on Shivani, Writing and Journalism | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 22:09

(http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/MrinalPande-150x150.jpg)Mrinal Pande (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrinal_Pande) is a journalist, author and TV personality. She was the first woman in Indian media to become the chief editor of a national newspaper. This was for the Hindi edition of The Hindustan Times. Mrinal  was a teenager when cut her teeth as a copy editor. She helped her mother, the well-known Hindi author Shivani (http://kamlashow.com/podcast/2006/03/18/ira-pande-remembers-shivani/) with her stories. She was only 13 years when her mother got her to help by saying "put the comma, fullstop" and mail the story to the editor of the magazine. "She trusted my capacity in language to a frightening degree," recollect Mirnal. And it was her mother's trust that gave her the confidence to edit. And then there was Mrinal's own "peculiar launch" as a writer when she was 21 years old when she penned her first story without any hesitation and mailed it to the same editor as her mother's.To her surprise the editor sent her a handwritten note saying they were publishing her story and wanted to have her send more stories. Interestingly, the editor did not know of Mrinal's connection to Shivani and discovered it only after a couple of years. She taught for a couple of years in a college before starting her journey in the print media that led her to become the chief editor of the Hindi edition of The Hindustan Times (http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx).Her biggest challenge in her new position was to prove that she was a good editor. She also had to deal with a belligerent union that was opposed to the introduction of technology. She took the initiative to introduce the color edition of the newspaper and they were the first Hindi newspaper to go "all-color" The paper went from being number 8 to the number one Hindi newspaper in India. Mrinal lives in Delhii with her family. Related Links: Micky Pant on his mother Shivani (http://kamlashow.com/podcast/2006/03/23/in-conversation-with-micky-pant/) - audio Ira Pande on her mother Shivani (http://kamlashow.com/podcast/2006/03/18/ira-pande-remembers-shivani/) - audio   Photo credit - Wikipedia

 Usha Raghunathan – How She Learnt To Fly A Tiger Moth | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 17:25

(http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/Usha-56-150x150.png)Trendsetter with a traditional touch is one way to describe Usha Raghunathan. She is a  pilot, writer and an entrepreneur. In Part-1 of our interview Usha talks about her love for flying and how she earned her pilot's license. Way back in the 1950’s Usha got her pilot’s license in Chennai formerly called Madras. What was unusual about the way she earned her pilot's license is she started her flying classes when she was single, and completed it when she was married and pregnant with her first child. A glass of lemon juice was her answer to fix her morning sickness before she she stepped into in a 1930's Tiger Moth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Tiger_Moth) for her flying lessons. Prior to getting married Usha  negotiated a deal with her would-be mother-in-law that she'll be allowed to continue with her flying lessons and earn a pilot's license. Usha was the first woman to get her pilot’s license in South India as she puts it. She then went on to become a writer and for over 25 years now she has been an entrepreneur. "Trendsetter with a Traditional Touch," is the tagline for her boutique store Usha's (http://ushas.in/) that specializes in selling traditional silk sarees. This interview is part of our Women Achievers Special.  

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