Cover Story | Open Minds 2024

Soft Power

Open Open | 28 Jun, 2024

The pursuit of the arts is a solitary and harrowing business. Those who venture into these fields do not do so for stability and profitability. To become a poet, to pursue a career in music, to devote one’s life to badminton, to become a film restorer, to choose standup comedy as a career, is not to win immediate and complete public approval. Instead, it is to face the tyranny of an empty page, to stick to one’s belief, to stand out and above thousands of others, to show up for practice day after day. It is to be wracked by self-doubt and societal pressure; it is to ask oneself repeatedly if this is the path that is meant to be.

The men and women you will read about in the following pages are those who have made it against all odds. They have chosen the paths less travelled and have persevered on those. We, the public, only see the fruits of their labour. We are not privy to the behind-the-scenes fears and frustrations, toil and hardship. We see them only when they are acclaimed on the world’s biggest stage, resplendent under lights and facing a sea of camerapersons, from the red carpet at Cannes to the valleys of Coachella to the stadiums of Paris.

These individuals remind us what it takes to actually ‘do’ a thing. Their lives are not spent wallowing in laziness and cowardice. They lose no time contemplating ‘what ifs’, instead they remind us of what is possible. It is possible to create verse that reads like the voice of the divine, it is possible to be decried by the establishment, but to build something of beauty and power, it is possible to stick to one’s traditions and heritage and to be celebrated for just that, it is possible to shine in arenas where Indians have seldom, if ever, trod before.

To best understand what unites these individuals and what distinguishes them from others, it is useful to turn to ‘An Essay on Criticism’ by Alexander Pope. Written in 1711, by a 23-year-old Pope, the poem still echoes contemporary literary and artistic ideals. In his heroic couplets, Pope urges the artist to work without pomp or show, and to be guided by vigour and spirit. In a verse destined for posterity, Pope says, “A little learning is a dang’rous thing; / Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: / There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, / And drinking largely sobers us again.”

The men and women in the following pages are those who have drunk deeply and fully, they are not dabblers and dilettantes. They are experts and pioneers who have devoted their life to a single pursuit, and all we can do is bask in their success, and celebrate their achievements.

Payal Kapadia, 38, Filmmaker: Breaking Barriers

Trained at the Film and Television Institute of India where she led a student protest and made an award-winning documentary, A Night of Knowing Nothing, based on it, Payal Kapadia always had the potential to become India’s first filmmaker to win the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. And she did, winning the second-highest honour at the festival. But that was limited to a small club that keeps track of such achievements. When she won the Grand Prix for her first feature All We Imagine as Light, almost everyone wanted to appropriate her success. It is to her credit that though she appreciated everyone’s joy, she has refused to play the celebrity game, focusing on the film’s release globally. Her story of two women who are looking for love, told in Malayalam, resonates with the world, showing how cultural barriers melt when it comes to stories of intimacy, kindness and forgiveness. The Mumbai-based daughter of artist Nalini Malani has become a force to reckon with, and her next film will only consolidate her credentials as a filmmaker of integrity.

Vikram Seth, 72, Author: Return of the Poet

Written originally in Awadhi in the 16th century by Tulsidas, Vikram Seth believes the Hanuman Chalisa belongs to the world—and not to a particular religion. His exquisite translation, just published, captures the cadence and rhythm of India’s most beloved poem in praise of Lord Rama’s most devoted protector. Seth writes of the great pleasure of acquainting or reacquainting people with a magical and joyful work impressed in the memories and affections of millions, which encapsulates a whole culture in fewer than 90 lines. And whether it is the fictional Bhaskar Tandon of A Suitable Boy to whom he cheekily dedicates the translation or his Usha Mami, now 90, who lives on the floor above his in their Noida home, Seth says it is the only poem in human history that continues to live, even after centuries, in the hearts of people and gets recited by them daily.

Zakir Hussain, 73, Musician: The Maestro

He won three Grammy awards this year but this is hardly the first time Zakir Hussain has made the world sit up and take notice of Indian music. The tabla maestro was in many ways responsible for the very idea of fusion music emanating from the country that became a genre by itself later. This he did in the 1970s when he became part of a group that mixed various strands of classical music with jazz. It was a renewed collaboration of that time which has led to a Grammy now. Hussain has for decades reinvented music along with his Western counterparts while retaining his classical core. Altogether he has five Grammys and, at 73, remains the face of Indian classical music even as he breaks new ground.

Diljit Dosanjh, 40, Musician: Global Beat

When late night host Jimmy Kimmel anoints you as the biggest Punjabi artist on the planet, there is no question that you have arrived. And how? Dosanjh was everywhere, shaking things up at the Mecca of pop, Coachella, as the first Punjabi artist to perform there; singing his Punjabi hit ‘Lover’ with Ed Sheeran in Mumbai; performing at the Dil-Luminati tour in North America; and entertaining India’s elite at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding celebrations at Jamnagar. All the while wearing his kurta/tamba, usually sported by bhangra dancers, teamed with Air Jordans. To top it all, he played a suave Customs officer opposite swooning Kriti Sanon in Crew, channelled the late Punjabi folk singer Amar Singh Chamkila’s spirit in Netflix’s Amar Singh Chamkila, and laughed all the way through Jatt & Juliet 3. Not for nothing is ‘G.O.A.T.’ one of his biggest hits.

Deepika Padukone, 38, Actor: In a Class of Her Own

From aerial dog fights in Fighter to the forthcoming Singham Again street fights, no one quite fits a uniform as well as Deepika Padukone. Add to it the dystopian universe of Kalki 2898 AD and the actor has clearly had a busy year. As she prepares for impending motherhood, while also balancing film promotions and luxury brand shoots, Padukone is determined to prove that one can have it all, at the same time. The collective box-office revenue of her last three films, Jawan, Pathaan and Fighter, is `2,569 crore globally. One of the most photographed women in India, whether it is exiting an airport or entering a restaurant, everyone has an opinion on her, on wearing heels when pregnant or speaking her heart’s truth on Koffee with Karan. As founder of a self-care brand, brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton and Cartier, and queen of her 79 million followers on Instagram, she is a beauty beyond criticism.

Kiran Rao, 50, Filmmaker: Ladies’ Leap

It was no accident that Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies outperformed Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal to become Netflix’s most watched movie. The gentle satire which shows patriarchy a mirror made `27 crore at the box office on a minuscule budget of `4 crore. But more than that, it earned much love for its story of sisterhood and empowerment, above all. Rao’s second film in more than 10 years, the movie establishes her as a powerful new voice in the film industry. The grace and dignity which she has shown in her divorce from actor Aamir Khan, showing exactly how a modern family can evolve with love rather than toxicity, as well her open appreciation of the celebrity status bestowed on her, have enhanced her public appeal. Add to it a faultless taste in sustainable fashion, mixing tradition with trendiness, and you have an unusual independent filmmaker and a stellar free-spirited woman.

“An open mind means being alive to the potential of discovery, of new perspectives, of a deeper understanding of the world and ourselves”

Kapil Sharma, 43, Comedian: Showstopper

It’s one of the smoothest transitions in recent entertainment history. Kapil Sharma, he of politically incorrect humour, joined hands with global cultural taste arbiter, Netflix, and gave a home to The Great Indian Kapil Show. The Amritsar-born son of a Punjabi head constable, Sharma understands what middle-class India wants from its entertainment: some gently offensive sexism, racism, and sizeism, served with a side dish of celebrity chatter. As much as it brings the celebrities into living rooms, it also ensures Sharma shares in the burst of stardust. Critics can sniff at his ‘Uncleji’ humour, but stars such as Aamir Khan and Ed Sheeran are happy to be ribbed by him on his show. And Netflix knows he is key to their strategy to expand their base in India. Good acting in Nandita Das’ critically acclaimed Zwigato and a charming cameo in Crew has been a bonus for his fans.

Anasuya Sengupta, 37, Actor: The Cannes Do Spirit

Until the Un Certain Regard jury chose her as Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for her role as the raw and foul-mouthed Renuka who escapes from a brothel in Delhi after killing a police officer, in Konstantin Bojanov’s The Shameless, Anasuya Sengupta was best known in India for her production design in independent movies or web series such as Netflix’s Selection Day (2018) and Ray (2021). But Sengupta, who moved to Mumbai in 2013, has always been a soldier for art, persevering and collaborating with friends like fellow actors Tanmay Dhanania. Sengupta’s journey to the top of her game is one of resilience. She has done it all, from assisting directors to doing small roles in series like Netflix’s Masaba Masaba. “The Cannes win,” says the Jadavpur University graduate who now lives in Goa, “has been like a luscious gem for me, an affirmation of my belief in hard work, consistency, and the value of surrounding myself with people whose art and life I admire. I hope this recognition paves the way for more opportunities and visibility for women in Indian cinema, inspiring future generations to pursue their dreams fearlessly.”

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. This quote by Henry Miller, one of my all-time favourite writers, captures the essence of what an open mind means to me. It’s the ability to unlearn, re-learn, examine and listen to others”

Anant Ambani, 29 and Radhika Merchant, 29, Corporate Heirs: Power Couple

He loves animals and her, she loves animals and him. They both love Vantara, a home they have created for abandoned animals in Jamnagar. Established over 1,700 acres, with a total of 4,800 animals decongested from zoos all over the world and 9,200 animals rescued from various stages of trauma, the two have created a state-of-the-art shelter with 2,600 staff and 75 animal ambulances, providing cutting-edge surgeries to save animal lives. They are also the first among three generations of the Ambanis to make it their home. While Anant is director on the boards of Jio Platforms Limited and Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd, Radhika is a business strategy consultant. Since their engagement in 2022, they have had perhaps the longest ever pre-wedding festivities, where global business leaders have mingled with Hollywood celebrities. He is from Brown University, she is from New York University. Both pay phenomenal attention to detail, whether it is designing the invitation to the pre-wedding, or the love letter gown for the pre-wedding. As for their outreach in the next generation of movie and business celebrities in Mumbai, few can match their speed dials.

Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, 54, Film Restorer: Visual Obsession

The FTII-trained filmmaker and his decade-old Film Heritage Foundation are saving much of the Indian film industry’s records. Scouring silver nitrate scrap dealers and old family retainers, he has saved film reels and memorabilia; restored films, most recently Shyam Benegal’s Manthan; and is building a new repository in a heritage Ballard Estate building in Mumbai, partly supported by a Tata Trusts grant. It will expand their film and non-film conservation labs, archive and open their extensive library of film books to researchers and the public. For Dungarpur, also director of Mumbai’s beloved MAMI Festival, film preservation is not just for the film industry but also about the preservation of national heritage. “Film is an art form, a visual document of our times and an integral part of our social, cultural and historical heritage. Saving our cinema is about so much more than our cinema—it encompasses documentaries, newsreels, short films, experimental films, any form of the moving image that is a reflection of ourselves on film,” he says.

“We’re working on several exciting projects. Our most recent restoration is of Nirad Mohapatra’s lyrical Odia film Maya Miriga. We’re also working on Girish Kasaravalli’s Ghatashraddha with Martin Scorsese’s The Film Foundation, and will soon begin work on Pradip Krishen’s In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones”

Chidambaram, 34, Filmmaker: Art of Survival

Malayalam filmmaker Chidambaram’s Manjummel Boys has become the first film in the Malayalam film industry to earn more than `200 crore, and is the highest grossing Malayalam film ever. Chidambaram’s success is not because of astronomical budgets or superstar names; instead, it is because he has created a blockbuster which is as big on heart as it is on thrills, where the power of the pack surmounts immense challenges. In his survival thriller he uses the resilience of friends to overcome the forces of nature. The film comes to life because of Chidambaram’s technical expertise where he used multiple rigs and cameras and sliders to recreate the depths and darkness of the 40-feet caves. With Manjummel Boys, Chidambaram proves that the greatest love stories don’t always need to be romantic; instead, they can be about brotherhood, where ordinary people can pull off extraordinary feats.

“I think Manjummel Boys worked across languages and has become the highest grosser in Malayalam because the theme is survival and humanity, and that crosses borders and does not have a language barrier. There will be a bunch of boys like this in every part of the world, so it is easy for the audience to connect to that”

Neeraj Chopra, 26, Athlete: Champion’s Way

Last October at the Asian Games, there was the sight of Neeraj Chopra cheering on his fellow javelin thrower from the Indian team, Kishore Kumar Jena, even though they were directly in competition for the gold. Jena seemed to be in the zone and leading with a personal best until Chopra did what champions do—rise to the occasion. His fourth attempt got him just past Jena to win the gold. In August, he had won the World Athletics Championships gold. And this was coming on top of Chopra attaining national renown after his Olympic gold in Tokyo some years earlier. Chopra is not an icon for all Indians for just his victories but the hard work he puts in to get them. And celebrity status has not made a dent on him. His achievements have only piled up much faster since the Olympic gold. He has made track and field events aspirational for young Indians, giving them hope that true effort pays off.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, 23, and Chirag Shetty, 26, Badminton Players: Eye on Olympics

Women have outshone men in the universe of Indian badminton but the men’s doubles became an exception when Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty burst on the scene in 2018 at the Commonwealth Games. Then in 2022 they were part of the Indian contingent that won its unprecedented Thomas Cup and a gold at the Asian Games. The wins kept piling up. They rapidly moved up the scale in ranking and twice became No 1. This year, that happened after they won the Thailand Open. Before that they had won the French Open. They are currently ranked third but have the confidence and experience to once again get to pole position. But their main sight will be on the Paris Olympics where India will rely on them to get a medal. Despite being markedly different personalities and in style of play, they complement each other to be a winning combination.

Aneeth Arora, 41, Fashion Designer: Style Statement

She is the thinking woman’s favourite fashion designer, with fan girls like filmmaker Kiran Rao, photographer Dayanita Singh, as well as writer Arundhati Roy. When actor Kani Kusruti wanted to shine on the Cannes red carpet, she wore a jacket from Aneeth Arora’s label Péro. Trained at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai, and the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, Arora’s clothes have little whimsies which unravel with the wearing, from little pompoms to tiny daisies to playful buttons. The little girl quirks clearly appeal to big girls with her dresses and jackets selling themselves. Adding to her philosophy of keeping embroidery alive is the practice of recycling and upcycling, which both plays on tradition and upgrades it. Now 15 years old, Péro has 200 employees in Delhi, indirectly employs 1,000 weavers across India, and is available in over 350 stores worldwide. Then there are the hand workers who do crochet, macramé, and knitting. Even as her colleagues are being snapped up by big conglomerates, the Udaipur-born designer chooses to remain fiercely independent, hates to be photographed, rarely gives interviews and totally focuses on making women of a certain age and mileage look effortlessly chic. Péro (wear in Rajasthani) signifies as much style as substance.

Myna Mukherjee, 49, Curator: Active Art

The measure of a curator is not how they understand the present but how they envision the future. As the founder/director of Engendered, a New York/New Delhi based “transnational arts and human rights organisation” with a focus on gender and marginalised communities of South Asia, Myna Mukherjee has many ‘firsts’ to her name. She identified the importance of queering art and bridging the gap between art and technology before most of her contemporaries. As the director of I View World Film Festival she has brought to Delhi new ways of seeing human rights cinema through the lens of gender and contemporary culture. In the recent past, her shows have brought together art and technology and have featured some of the most cutting-edge, digital artists. She has dismantled boundaries between ‘low’ and ‘high’ art, and between ‘art’ and ‘craft’, and by doing so has made audiences see anew.

“My work has resonated and built bridges and queered the art space because my personal has been political. My own personal history resists the kind of easy classifications that have come to dominate the way queer lives are viewed as outliers in society and with limited agency. As a curator my interest is in artists who understand and rewrite history, who think about themselves within the narrative of the larger world of art but who have created new places for us to see and understand”

Madhumita Murgia, 36, Author: Humanising AI

In February 2023, Financial Times appointed Madhumita Murgia as its first artificial intelligence (AI) editor. It was an apt pioneering role for Murgia who grew up in Mumbai, and was later trained as a biologist and immunologist. In her journalism and her book Code Dependent, shortlisted for the 2024 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, she uses her interest in science and her knack for communication to speak of the human story of technology and AI. She stands out from so many pundits in this crowded field because she brings nuance to the discussion, and shows that there is no black-and-white to AI. She acknowledges the good it can do—in medicine it can be transformative in diagnosis, in education it can provide tailormade lessons for students—but also cautions against its misuse when it comes to technologies like facial recognition. Her stories are meaningful because they always focus on the human, and through it she reminds us that the impact of AI can be both powerful and exploitative, it can be liberating but it can also threaten our agency.

“AI cuts across every aspect of our daily lives—from personal relationships and entertainment to our health, our work, our children’s education, and our finances. In coming years, it will embed itself ever more widely. Reporting and writing about the impacts of AI are crucial for our understanding of a fast-changing world, so everyone can grapple confidently with this tectonic societal shift”

Gukesh D, 18, Chess Player: The Prime Mover

In April, when Gukesh won the FIDE Candidates Tournament in Toronto by holding American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura to a draw in the 14th round, he captured the hearts of millions of Indians who have been tracking his phenomenal rise through the rankings after his performance at the 44th Chess Olympiad held in Chennai in 2022. As the youngest-ever World Championship challenger—and only the second Indian to win the Candidates title after Viswanathan Anand, his mentor and role model, all eyes are on him as he prepares to take on reigning world champion Ding Liren later this year. If he does dethrone the 31-year-old Liren, he will have beaten Russian legend Garry Kasparov’s record of being the youngest world champion at 22. While Gukesh professedly does not care about being the first or the youngest, he has always aimed at the throne. Nothing more, nothing less. Better time management and a more expansive opening repertoire may well hold the key.

Shruti Vora, 53, Equestrienne: Riding High

The veteran dressage rider recently created history by becoming the first Indian to win a three-star Grand Prix dressage—in Lipica, Slovenia, where Shruti Vora, riding her horse Magnanimous, scored 67.761 points, ahead of Moldova’s Tatiana Antonenco on Aachen, who finished with 66.522 points, and Austria’s Juliane Jerich on Quarter Girl, who scored 66.087. To top that, the Indian rider has also won her second Minimum Eligibility Requirement (MER) score at the Brno Grand Prix in Czech Republic, which brings her closer to qualifying for the Paris Olympics. Vora is in great form, securing a top-three finish in five of the seven events she has participated in this year. An inspiration to generations of equestriennes, Vora is the very symbol of grit and dedication as she hopes to represent India at the Paris Olympics.

Ankur Tewari, 47, Music Composer: Singing Stories

If you’ve heard Indian music that is emotional, unconventional and addictive recently, chances are that it has Ankur Tewari’s fingerprints over it. The musician who has been on the fringes of the Mumbai entertainment industry since 2004 has finally found takers for his brand of imaginative music. After his breakthrough album for the 2019 hit Gully Boy, Tewari is everywhere. He is curator of a refreshing second season of Coke Studio Bharat, exploring sounds from within and across the country, having done something similar in the first season. He is the music supervisor of movies, such as Prime Video’s Gehraiyaan, Netflix’s Kho Gaye Hum Kahan and The Archies. He is one-third of the trio that has launched Tiger Baby Records, whose music is as cutting-edge as Tiger Baby Films, co-founded by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti. And he’s the man behind the album Akela, his first in 10 years. His ambition has always been to tell stories through his music. As he says: “There is a looming threat of trying to validate one’s work with numbers, but despite that, the indie music scene is bursting with fresh talent and amazing new ideas of storytelling through music.”

“An open mind is curious. An open mind is fearless”

Ranveer Allahbadia, 30, Podcaster: Intimate Interviewer

Popularly known as BeerBiceps, Ranveer Allahbadia started as a fitness YouTuber and then got on the podcasting wagon in 2019. The scale of his evolution was evident when he took an award from the prime minister at the National Creators Award for being Disruptor of the Year. Allahbadia is far from doing shows just on health now. His podcast is a space where a grand medley of personalities from all streams gathers. They include Bollywood celebrities, policemen, scientists, historians, writers, sportsmen, spiritual gurus and, also, political leaders. His is a platform where even ministers go in order to connect with a young audience. Allahbadia does not profess domain knowledge and, instead, claims to bring curiosity to the table, perhaps a reason why his vast audience of millions finds him engaging. He is also a prime example of how influencers are taking over space once dominated by traditional media.

Smriti Mandhana, 27, Cricketer: Pitch Perfect

The Indian vice captain is setting new standards in women’s cricket. On June 24, Smriti Mandhana, in her best form, scored 90 off 83 balls against South Africa in the final match of the ODI series—after scoring 117 off 127 balls, and 136 off 120 balls in the previous two matches. Put together, it’s the most a woman cricketer has ever scored in a three-match bilateral ODI series—a brilliant new record. Scoring two consecutive centuries, and a near-hattrick, in a week, Mandhana has proved she is on a roll this year after leading Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to their first Women’s Premier League (WPL) victory in March. With her calm and inspiring leadership standing out as much as her skills at the crease, the shy skipper may no longer be able to keep a low profile.

Sabyasachi Mukherjee, 56, Museologist: Curating the Past

Last year, when the American Academy of the Arts and Sciences inducted Sabyasachi Mukherjee as an honorary member, they mentioned that the director general of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) had turned Mumbai’s iconic museum into a more welcoming place. Under him, outreach has made heritage relatable. There have also been visiting exhibits that brought great artefacts of the world to the city and its citizens. For instance, an ongoing exhibition from last December till October this year has on offer sculptures from Greece, Egypt, Assyria, Rome, and India. CSMVS gets over a million visitors annually and Mukherjee has been at its helm since 2007. It became a UNESCO World Heritage site. He has also, through collaborations with other cultural institutions, turned it into a living animated cultural space and the museum proudly calls itself people-facing. He is an educator frequently lecturing and also on numerous heritage committees where his inputs influence policies.

The Profilers