Behind Madhu Neotia's beautiful countenance and somewhat reserved demeanour lies a constantly innovating and planning mind. She believes unwavering passion and strong determination are important to turn any dream into a reality, no matter whatever the challenges are.
None could match steps with the social entrepreneur and visionary in terms of bringing fashion, music, food and culture under one roof --- a diverse cultural mosaic aptly called The India Story.
With designers, artists, retailers, handicraftsmen, performers, thinkers and gourmet food creators participating in this event since its inception in 2015, The India Story is now synonymous with the city's culture scape. And though Neotia had to suspend the physical event last year due to the extraordinary situation brought about by the pandemic, she kept the spirit alive by taking the digital route and turning it into a lit affair with cultural luminaries from across the globe participating in the online version called The India Story Continues.
Each of the 10 episodes, aired on Saturdays for 45 minutes, had engrossing sessions with a diverse set of creative individuals including Sandeep Khosla, Prateek Kuhad, Maharani of Baroda Radhika Gaekwad and Masaba Gupta among others, letting an insightful gaze into their fertile minds.
The flexibility and mobility of the digital platform got the global audience acquainted with The India Story and buoyed by the experience last year, Madhu decided to make the digital platform an integral part of this year's gala physical event, with live streaming of all the major initiatives of the gala three-day affair taking place between December 18 and 20.
This year saw celebrated couturier Anju Modi showcasing her bridal line Swasthik that celebrates the long-forgotten era of Bengal's heritage textiles with Jaipur-based leading jewellery brand PC Totuka & Sons complementing the ensembles to the tee.
"We live-streamed the Anju Modi’s fashion show by and I am overwhelmed by the reaction received from the audience spread across the world. Due to the prevailing Covid-19 situation, many of our well-wishers and friends, who couldn't turn up at the event physically, caught up with the same online," tells Madhu.
The sixth edition of The India Story also had a few interesting firsts, the two most remarkable being the sprawling farmers' market with a whopping 45 participants exhibiting all kinds of fresh produce and farm-based products; and a live bar counter serving zero proof drinks concocted by the celebrated mixologist Irfan Ahmed.
"During my trips abroad I always make it a point to visit unique local fairs and these beautiful farmers' markets In London and the US always fascinated me. To execute something like that in Kolkata had been on my list of agenda for the past five years. Also, I experimented with a lot of healthy Lebanese food and developed a fad for healthy choices. With awareness about clean eating increasing among the health-conscious people during the pandemic, I thought it was the right time to introduce the farmers’ market segment this year," tells an effusive Madhu.
What really took Madhu by surprise was the organic footfall at the physical venue. "I think people were stifled and tired of being stuck at home for over a year and wanted to simply go out and enjoy. The India Story simply provided a platform with all Covid-19 safety protocols strictly in place," feels Madhu.
Next year, Madhu wants to go big with two more ideas close to her heart. "I have inherited an eclectic and rich collection of heritage textiles from my grandmom-in-law. I want to exhibit them as installations for people to enjoy and appreciate the fashion heritage and history of Bengal and other regions. We always buy new things, but the pandemic has made us appreciate what we have. We should value what we have and turn them into something new. This also forms the core of sustainability. Another thing I want to showcase is the power of healing. During the Covid times, we saw people getting admitted to hospitals to recuperate from the infection but they also needed healing of the minds for renewed energy and vigour and non-invasive healing methods including Pranic are effective in such cases. I saw my close relative benefitting from the same and I want to underscore healing in a big way next year," avers Madhu.