Global IndianstoryVinod Kalathil and Margaret Pak: Crafting Onam Sadya magic in Chicago

Vinod Kalathil and Margaret Pak: Crafting Onam Sadya magic in Chicago

Written by: Amrita Priya

(Aug 29, 2023) “The feast will be served traditional style on fresh banana leaves and everything should be eaten by hand – no utensils!” say Vinod Kalathil and Chef Margaret, as they share their much-awaited Onam Sadya schedule. The husband-wife duo co-own Thattu, a restaurant that serves authentic Kerala food in Chicago – one of the largest cities in the US. “We will also be featuring some traditional flower carpets – pookkalam – and you can participate in creating it too. The Thattu team will be available to answer all your questions about Onam and Sadya,” they add.

The couple had been busy making Thattu’s Onam Sadya (feast) an unforgettable experience in Chicago, for customers who love to explore the rich food legacy of South India through Vinod and Margaret. Thattu offered a traditional Onam Sadya to its customers for three days and tickets to the event sold like hot cakes.

Vinod and Margaret | Photo Credit: Thattu

Located in the beautiful Chicago neighbourhood of Avondale, Thattu is born of Chef Margaret Pak’s love for the southwest Indian coastal cuisine of Kerala – the native place of her husband, Vinod.

Thattu’s menu brings out the traditions of Kerala along with some interesting twists from its culinary team. Rich with aromatic spices, coconut and curry leaves, it is a celebration of the bounty of the land and the sea that Kerala is so popular for.

From corporate world to food entrepreneurship

Margaret and Vinod had backgrounds in the corporate sector prior to launching Thattu. Margaret worked as a data analyst while Vinod was a computer science engineer and CPA. In a shift from her data analyst role, Margaret ventured into food sales and later honed her culinary talents by working in the kitchen of the street food joint, Kimski, in Bridgeport. Her career path took another turn when her talent for cooking authentic Kerala cuisine, influenced by Vinod and his mother’s recipes, caught the attention of her colleagues at Kimski. This is when she decided to foray into the world of food business on her own.

After gaining recognition through some successful pop-up events, Margaret and Vinod secured a contract with Politan Row, a hospitality operator in the food hall industry. This milestone marked a pivotal moment, leading Vinod to leave his corporate job and join Margaret on their culinary journey full-time. Soon, their Kerala street food stall, which they named Thattu, became a favourite for the Politan Row’s visitors.

Vinod and Margaret | Photo Credit: Thattu

In January 2022, Thattu found a permanent home at Avondale. “We did not have a professional culinary background,” say the food entrepreneurs, who went by their instincts and ended up being successful in their endeavour.

Serving proper Sadya in Chicago

Sadya, a traditional feast or meal is an integral part of the Kerala cuisine. It is usually served during festivals, celebrations, and special occasions, and is known for its elaborate spread of various vegetarian dishes served on a banana leaf.

The highlight of a Sadya is the variety of dishes that are served, typically including rice served with a variety of curries, side dishes, pickles, and desserts. “A proper Kerala meal is difficult to find in the US and a proper Sadya is even more difficult to find here,” says Vinod.

Even those who are preparing it at home, struggle to meet all the requirements like finding banana leaf to serve. “Most of the times they use paper banana leaf for the purpose.” However, the duo has found a place that flies in the banana leaves from India.

Onam Sadya at Thattu | Photo Credit: Thattu

Introducing Kerala cuisine to people in Chicago

Vinod is from the city of Kozhikode in Kerala and continues to maintain deep ties to his home state’s food and culture. Both he and Margaret wanted to introduce the state’s authentic food to the people in Chicago, the place they now call home.

“Kerala’s food is relatively lesser known in the United States,” People associate Indian food with the North Indian cuisine – naan and butter chicken being popular choices but they are not very conversant with the authentic South Indian meal, and the traditional feast like Sadya is a totally new concept.

The couple wanted to introduce people to the diversity of India by offering them a cuisine which is new to their taste buds. This novelty is Thattu’s USP.

The restaurant’s menu highlights the essence of Kerala’s traditions, complemented by some innovative ideas added to the cuisine. “But whatever is served, the root of it is ingrained in the Kerala cuisine,” Vinod shares.

The Thattu Team | Photo Credit: Thattu

Showing guests, the right way

During their Sadya events, Vinod and Margaret demonstrate how to eat every dish with hand to their western customers.

Every diner receives an illustrated card that has an explanation of each dish, detailing the optional six accompaniments that enhance flavour and texture, and how to eat them. The entrepreneurs have also published a 24-page cooking zine outlining the recipes for a traditional Sadya with vibrant pictures. Interested people can purchase it to learn how to make over a dozen of their favourite Sadya dishes.

With their USP of novelty and authenticity, Vinod and Margaret have captured the hearts of the people in Chicago through Thattu’s delightful offerings.

Vinod and Margaret

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Published on 29, Aug 2023

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Brittany to Benaras: The journey of Alain Daniélou

(February 11, 2023) Recently, I began reading Ilango Adigal's third-century Tamil classics, Shilapaddikaram and its sequel, Manimekalai. The man behind the exquisite translation is Alain Daniélou , a name I had heard before but hadn't really noticed. Still, the depth and beauty of the writing made me wonder. Why was a Frenchman translating Tamil epics? Was he another remnant of Tamil Nadu's colonial past? An Aurovillian, maybe? He was neither. Pulling at the thread led me on a journey into a life that he himself describes as ‘labyrinthine’, beginning with his birth into Norman nobility and Roman Catholicism that led him, from the avant-garde circles of Paris to Banaras. Global Indian takes a look at the maverick genius who took Hindu philosophy, music and architecture to Paris, New York and the world. Daniélou, who received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour bestowed by the institution, remains nearly unmatched as an Indologist and Musicologist. A dancer, he spent time in Paris, as an intellectual, he rubbed shoulders with the likes of George Steiner and Anthony Burgess and in India, with Rabindranath Tagore. Here, he studied music, Sanskrit, literature and Hindu philosophy at Banaras Hindu University and lived in

Indologist and Musicologist. A dancer, he spent time in Paris, as an intellectual, he rubbed shoulders with the likes of George Steiner and Anthony Burgess and in India, with Rabindranath Tagore. Here, he studied music, Sanskrit, literature and Hindu philosophy at Banaras Hindu University and lived in Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges. He was an exponent of the veena, and translated the works of Swami Karpatri who initiated him into Shaivism. After his conversion, he took the name Shiva Sharan or 'protected by Shiva.

Daniélou translated the Tirukkural, Shilapaddikaram and Manimekalai when was working at the Adyar Library and Research Centre in Madras and went on to join the French Institute of Pondicherry. His website is extensive, maintained by the Alain Daniélou Foundation but aside from that, there is very little literature available on the man (in English) from the media, aside from a 2017 documentary ‘Into the labyrinth’ and a beautifully written obituary by James Kirkup for The Independent.

[caption id="attachment_34939" align="aligncenter" width="408"] Alain Daniélou [/caption]

Early life

"I was a sicky child," he writes in his autobiography Les Chemins du Labyrinthe. "I was never sent to any of those noisy places called schools... for a boy without a future, this was considered a useless ordeal." He was born into an aristocratic Norman family – his father was a "noted anticlerical and a minister in the Third Republic," Kirkup writes, while his mother "was devout to the point of being called a fanatique." She founded schools and the Order of Sainte-Marie, receiving the blessing of Pope Pius X for the latter.

Written off by doctors at an early age, Daniélou spent his early years in a "large, very uncomfortable stone house" bought by his father in Brittany. Daniélou would spend his time in the thick woods on the property, creating small sanctuaries that he "adorned with sacred objects, symbols of the forest gods." Needless to say, this didn't go down too well with his mother. He was baptized, according to custom, although it left him “sad and indifferent.”

Daniélou did, however, learn piano and singing, encouraged by his father. He wrote poems, became fluent in English and practiced translation. At the time though, Daniélou loved to dance and went on to perform professionally. He had many friends in the ballet circles too, until, Kirkup writes, he "abandoned the dance for more serious matters."

[caption id="attachment_34941" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Photo: www.alaindanielou.org[/caption]

Arrival in India

Daniélou had great wealth to his name and travelled extensively across Europe and Asia. Still, India held a special fascination. In the early 1930s, Daniélou 's partner was the Swiss photographer Raymond Burnier. The pair were fascinated by Indian art and culture and decided to go on an adventure. So, they left behind their Bohemian high life in Paris to make their way to Banaras.

They were among the first Westerners, it is believed, to see the now famous erotic sculptures in Khajuraho. Burnier took many photographs, which were featured featured in Paris in 1948 and a year later, in an exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum. That took place in 1949 and Ajay Kamalakaran writes in Scroll.in, "a photo exhibition of medieval Indian sculptures was the talk of the town among New York's intellectual elite." Burnier even went on to become an Honorary Officer on Special Duty of the Archaeological Department of the government of India.

He had become more or less estranged from his family, apart from his older brother, Jean, who was kind to him. In the eyes of his family's religion, he admits, he was a heretic. However, among the "Hinduists," and with the Hindu religion, "which welcomed me among its members, there is nothing reprehensible about my style of life or my way of thinking." In India, finally, the troubled young man had found a home.

Shantiniketan, Shaivism and a new life

In 1935, Daniélou enrolled at Benares University, where he would spend the next 15 years. He studied music, Sanskrit, Indian philosophy and Hinduism and remained in the University for the next 15 years, after being appointed research professor. He also began performing professionally on the veena.

[caption id="attachment_34940" align="aligncenter" width="462"] Alain Danielou with his veena. Courtesy: https://www.alaindanielou.org[/caption]

Danielou immersed himself in the Hindu culture and even took offence at what he perceived to be its dilution by foreign rulers and English-speaking Indians. He is a vocal critic, of Nehru and Gandhi and even of philosophers like "Vivekananda, Radhakrishnan, Aurobindo or Bhagwan Das." He found instead, a scholar named Vijayanand Tripathi and would attend the discourses he led outside his house every evening. For many years, Danielou only read Hindi and Sanskrit. He also became a "strict vegetarian, observed all the customs and taboos," he writes, and wore "the spotless, elegant and completely seamless dhoti and chhaddar."

As Burnier was a great admirer of Rabindranath Tagore, Danielou accompanied him to Shantiniketan. Tagore went on to become one of Danielou's greatest influences. Danielou even painted a portrait of the man. Tagore, on his part, was very impressed by the French scholar. 'Tagore's Songs of Destiny' is still a part of The Danielou Collection.

He converted to Hinduism and adopted the name 'Shiva Sharan', which means protected by Lord Shiva. Les Quatre sons de la vie (translated as The Four Aims of Life in the Tradition of Ancient India), Le Betail des Dieux (1983), La Sculpture erotique hindou with photographs by Raymond Burier (1973) and La Musique de l'Inde du Nord (1985). His translation of the Kama Sutra, according to Kirkup, is "one of his great masterpieces."

Journey to Madras

In Madras, Daniélou , now an accomplished Sanskrit scholar, decided to study Tamil. Working with local experts, he translated Ilango Adigal's third-century epic romance, Shilappadikaram. It was also published in America under the title 'The Ankle Bracelet. All this time, Daniélou was working at the Adyar but found "the puratanical atmosphere and the various taboos extremely difficult to bear." In 1956, he ended his association with the library. Three years later, he went to Pondicherry and became a Member of the French Institute of Indology.

Controversy

Trouble followed Daniélou all his life, as he rebelled constantly against any puritanical form of thought. He even went up against Nehru and Gandhi, when the latter spoke out against eroticism in temple statues. Controversial or not, Daniélou 's contribution to Indian culture - and to the world - is immense. His books have been published in twelve countries, in several languages, from English to Japanese.

He returned to Europe in the last days of his life, living between Rome, Lausanne, Berlin and Paris. He died in Switzerland on January 27, 1994, leaving behind instructions for his remains to be cremated, according to Hindu tradition.

Vandana Suri is empowering women to ‘drive’ progress through Taxshe

(January 29, 2023) With her initiative Vandana Suri, is making a world of difference to the lives of women. The awardee of Global Sustainable Development Goals and Her (2019) for her entrepreneurial venture, Taxshe, Vandana has been empowering women with an exclusive all-women driver-on-demand cab service in Bengaluru and NCR. “We train women how to drive and set them free. The more women are on road, the safer is the ecosystem. We train them to be independent,” she tells Global Indian. The venture had been doing well until the pandemic hit hard. The transportation industry was worst-hit. Taxshe felt the blow too. Uncertainty loomed large when Vandana paid salaries for eight months without any business. With a debt of ₹70 lakh, the entrepreneur was not the one to give up, she was resolute. [caption id="attachment_34373" align="aligncenter" width="692"] Vandana Suri[/caption] As things started getting back to normal, her resoluteness, patience and faith started bearing fruit. Her business started blooming again. “Lot of things have changed and it brought new perspective to our work. It’s really taking shape very well now,” she says. “In the last one year we have trained 1500 women in driving and have also come with a franchise

atience and faith started bearing fruit. Her business started blooming again. “Lot of things have changed and it brought new perspective to our work. It’s really taking shape very well now,” she says.

“In the last one year we have trained 1500 women in driving and have also come with a franchise model for women who have lost their corporate jobs in the pandemic, and want to do something new,” she adds. Currently 13 franchisee partners have signed up with Taxshe. “Four branches are operational and the rest will be operational in the next two months. They are based in Bengaluru, Pune, Gurgaon, Thane, and Hyderabad,” she reveals.

Empowering women forward

“People don’t have to tell me to fight their battles, I do it for them. Since childhood, I’ve been a fighter," the entrepreneur tells. Narrating an incident she reminisces, "A girl in school who was good at karate, wanted to go to an inter-school competition, and our principal refused as there was a drawing exam on the same day. I spoke up for her. During those days, Doordarshan’s serial Rajni sparked in me a desire to stand up for the rights. My mother would say, ‘You have already become Rajni, now stop watching it!’” she laughs.

Starting Taxshe in 2014, Vandana put out her first post on Facebook, asking people whether they could provide references of lady drivers for an all-women taxi service. “To my utter surprise, the post went viral,” says she, “I was overwhelmed with 3,000 calls of potential clients.”

Indian Entrepreneur | Vandana Suri | Global Indian

But the challenge was no woman with driving skills was willing to become a taxi driver. Women from poorer sections could have, but they did not know how to drive. “I became the first driver of Taxshe. I started a chauffeur model, drove other’s cars, picking and dropping their children. It was amazing that parents were so at peace with the idea of a lady driving their children around,” she smiles.

Taxshe, was incidentally triggered by a cab rape incident where the victim’s statement, “If a woman would have been driving me, this would have not happened,” deeply affected Vandana. Women were unsafe, and Taxshe was the answer. “Another major concern was the lack of toilets making it a non-women-friendly profession. So, I designed a flexible business model around ladies where there was no threat from passengers as they were driving children, and they had the luxury of working in the vicinity of their homes. It was business-friendly too as we got contracts for the whole year, thus a yearly income,” she adds.

Spreading the word

Reaching out to slums, talking to women and families, after devoting six months to even a year in proper training, Vandana manages a team of women professional drivers. “When I had sent them for training in driving schools, they were ridiculed. Empowering them, I started training them myself,” says Vandana. Her training sessions are more elaborate and comprehensive than the ones of the driving schools.

[caption id="attachment_34375" align="aligncenter" width="832"] Indian Entrepreneur | Vandana Suri | Global Indian Vandana Suri with members of the Taxshe team[/caption]

Such has been the demand for her service that Vandana likens it to being oxygen masks for children, corporate women and female late-night flight passengers.

Taxshe Breakfree and WOMB – turning drive into movement

Vandana then started a new business vertical – the Taxshe Breakfree that addressed women being stuck at home. “Just like the actor in Titanic who floated across even when the ship sank, we were able to sail across the pandemic. Invariably, we have a very high rating whether it is Taxshe or Breakfree,” she beams.

Getting in touch with educated women who had lost jobs, she roped them in as franchisee partners, and trained them in training others. To great happiness and encouragement ladies like an out-of-work 62-year-old school principal with 35 years driving experience started joining in. “We call her super naani. We have other franchisee partners too who have lost high-paying jobs. They are happy to join Taxshe Breakfree,” adds the social entrepreneur.

Then, another vertical - Women in Mobility Business (WOMB) was started to engage women with a strong network to motivate others to join Taxshe Breakfree. “WOMB women are like backend buddies of franchise partners.”

[caption id="attachment_34376" align="aligncenter" width="843"] Indian Entrepreneur | Vandana Suri | Global Indian Vandana Suri at the SDG award ceremony[/caption]

"We are inviting more and more women to join the mobility business,” tells the entrepreneur who believes that there is a lot that can be done in the mobility industry for ladies. “Mobility should not only be about technology, it should also be about safety. We women are going to talk a different language – that’s the vision,” she says.

The course of life

Born and brought up in Mumbai, Vandana’s family shifted to Bengaluru where she pursued graduation and chartered accountancy. After 25 plus years as an investment banker, she began her first entrepreneurial venture at a real estate consultancy. A year later, she founded Taxshe. “It was like a calling in life,” says Vandana.

“When my mother heard that I was starting a cab business, she fell off her chair,” laughs the entrepreneur. She calls her mother her backend buddy and critic. "Later when my brother Sushil joined in, as co-founder, she was assured that I must be doing well enough for him to join,” Vandana smiles.

Now the entrepreneur's mother is proud of her daughter’s achievements and award - Global Sustainable Development Goals and Her for which she was chosen out of 1,200 applicants. “But she wonders will I ever learn to cook,” grins Vandana, the mother of a teenage son.

[caption id="attachment_34377" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Indian Entrepreneur | Vandana Suri | Global Indian Vandana Suri with her son and mother[/caption]

On rare off days, painting is Vandana’s go to, “I will pursue it after retirement,” she smiles. Of course, music and thumkas aside, she admits to being the first on a dance floor, and the last off it.

Chop Chop Boys and SingleSisterz are her other ventures that she wants to scale up - One trains young lads how to cook and the other helps single women rent together. “We want to work on an alternate family structure so that someone is there to take care of children,” signs off this serial entrepreneur with her pulse on social upliftment.

Follow Vandana Suri on Facebook and LinkedIn
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Reading Time: 5 mins

Chandrayaan-3 perfects Moon landing: How ISRO is making space technology accessible to the world

(August 23, 2023) That, their journey began in the backyard of a church in a small village of Kerala, is hardly a story that needs retelling. Journeying far from its humble origins, the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) trajectory of accomplishments has been nothing short of awe-inspiring. Over the last many years, through their brilliance and toil, ISRO's scientists have been able to transition from their modest beginnings to becoming a global player in space exploration - successfully ferrying foreign satellites and orchestrating the launch of lunar and Martian orbiters. And now, these geniuses have yet again scripted history by becoming the first ever to land a spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole, in just $75 million - about ten times less than NASA's Artemis moon programme. [caption id="attachment_44083" align="aligncenter" width="725"] APPLE satellite being transported via bullock cart in 1981[/caption] However, beyond all the attention given to their many successful missions, there's one more achievement of ISRO that often goes unnoticed - their contribution to making space technology cheaper for many countries that can't launch their own satellites. Over the last decade, India has gracefully launched an impressive constellation of 431 satellites, extending its help to 36 countries across the

n to making space technology cheaper for many countries that can't launch their own satellites. Over the last decade, India has gracefully launched an impressive constellation of 431 satellites, extending its help to 36 countries across the globe, including South Korea, Argentina, Germany, Indonesia, Turkey, Italy, and Finland.

ISRO | Global Indian

And that's not all. Within the tapestry of the global space industry, ISRO emerges as a pivotal thread, weaving a contribution of almost $7 billion, and boasting a partnership with more than 40 Indian startups, each sculpting their launch vehicles, crafting satellites, and delving into other related endeavours.

Space for all

While organisations like NASA and ESA have always had financial backing from their respective authorities, ISRO lacked funding for a long time. This forced the scientists at ISRO to come up with some really innovative and pocket-friendly ways to operate and launch successful missions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHLjbaM45Yc

Interestingly, ISRO launched the Mangalyaan in 2013 with a budget of ₹4.5 billion, equivalent to $74 million, a figure that, when viewed through Western lenses, stands as astonishingly economical. In a striking parallel, during that very same year, the American Maven orbiter's journey to the Red Planet incurred expenses nearly 10 times more in comparison. In fact, ISRO sent orbiters to both Moon and Mars at a cost eclipsed by Warner Bros. Pictures' expenditure in producing the 2013 cinematic marvel, Gravity.

[caption id="attachment_44085" align="aligncenter" width="648"] ISRO | Global Indian ISRO's Chandrayaan-2 explored the south pole of the Moon[/caption]

ISRO's ability to achieve extraordinary feats while maintaining a prudent approach to financial allocation has attracted several nations to partner with India in order to send their satellites and orbiters into space. In the year 2017, ISRO created history by successfully launching 104 satellites on a single mission, overtaking the previous record of 37 satellites launched by Russia in 2014. Of the 104 small satellites, 96 belong to the United States while Israel, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, and the Netherlands are the other foreign clients.

High on quality; low on cost

While ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) has a rather small capacity in terms of volume (about 4000 kgs as cargo), in comparison to NASA’s Space Launch System (approximately 70,000 kgs), several nations have time and again preferred to partner with India over the USA. The PSLV rocket makes a launch happen at around $25 million, and sending each kilogram of cargo into space costs about $6600. On the other hand, NASA's SLS requires a massive $2 billion for just one launch, which makes the cost of carrying one kilogram of cargo an astonishing $29,000 - four times more than ISRO.

[caption id="attachment_44093" align="aligncenter" width="633"] ISRO | Global Indian ISRO's Mangalyaan[/caption]

And of course, it goes without saying that ISRO's PSLV is one of the most reliable launch platforms in the world. With over 50 successful launches, PSLV boasts the achievement of launching the highest number of satellites into a sun-synchronous orbit in a single launch - thus making it the most sought-after platform for various developing countries across the globe to support their space endeavours.

Empowering the next generation

It wouldn't be wrong to say that the successful launch of Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan changed the game not just for ISRO, but for those thousands of youngsters who wished to take the Indian flag to space one day. In recent years, India has witnessed the emergence of numerous space technology startups. However, the year 2022 stood out as a significant milestone, marked by the remarkable launch activities of several private players deploying their satellites. According to the latest Economic Survey, India has now become the nurturing ground for a collective of 104 space startups and 368 space technology companies.

ISRO | Global Indian

Over the years, several key players have emerged in the space tech ecosystem of India, and are being actively supported by ISRO. Many companies - such as AgniKul Cosmos, Skyroot Aerospace, Dhruva Space, Pixxel, and Bellatrix Aerospace - have been able to not only manufacture their own satellites but have also launched them successfully using ISRO's infrastructure - making the technology accessible for many other private players in other countries.

"There’s no future of space without private sector participation," Dr. S. Somanath, Chairman of ISRO, said earlier this year, during the inauguration of the Space System Design Lab at the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre. "The space sector economy, which is today at about $447 billion, is expected to grow to $1.5 trillion. About 50 percent of that would be just 1.8 percent of India’s projected GDP in 2047, and private space industry in the country will be heavy contributors to this," he added.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofmnRfs3uwc

While India's private space domain might have taken flight five decades after the historic moon landing, industry insiders believe that the country's private enterprises have more than victory on their minds.

Watch Chandrayaan 3 Vikram landing LIVE
Follow Indian Space Research Organisation on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and their website

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The Order of Merit: Kabir Bedi, India’s cherished actor embraced in Italy

(January 12, 2023)“Kabir keeps on playing, decade after decade, an extraordinary role in promoting better relations between India and Italy. His popularity is widespread across all generations in Italy. This is the reason why the President of the Republic of Italy has decided to present him one of Italy’s highest decorations - The Order of Merit. Kabir is very special for all of us Italians,” the Consul General of Italy, Alessandro de Mas said after reading aloud the Scroll of Honour signed by the Italian President Mattarella and counter-signed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in an event overlooking the Gateway of India in Mumbai. The acclaimed Indian actor was awarded the Merito della Repubblica Italiana (The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic) recently. [caption id="attachment_48197" align="aligncenter" width="437"] Kabir Bedi after receiving the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic[/caption] Bedi's journey of life has been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride, attracting widespread attention due to its myriad ups and downs. His influence hasn't been limited to Bollywood, where he made a mark with over 60 films and Hollywood, but went far beyond. In fact, his innings in Italy has by far been the most successful one, where people

been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride, attracting widespread attention due to its myriad ups and downs. His influence hasn't been limited to Bollywood, where he made a mark with over 60 films and Hollywood, but went far beyond. In fact, his innings in Italy has by far been the most successful one, where people are immensely in love with the talented actor.

Household name in Italy

“I was awarded the “Order of Merit of the Italian Republic” (Merito della Repubblica Italiana), the most prestigious Italian civilian award,” an elated Bedi had tweeted soon after receiving the award.

Bedi is a household name in Italy. The recent honour got conferred on him, 13 years after he was knighted as Cavaliere (Knight) of the 'Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana' in 2010. “It was a very emotional award for me. Being presented the Order of Merit, Italy’s highest honour, is the fulfilment of my life’s work in Italy. It’s even higher than Cavaliere (Knight), which they gave me thirteen years ago. This double honour was a goose-bumps moment for me,” the Global Indian added in his tweet.

Rendezvous with Italy

Bedi's connection with Italy began in the late 1970s when he starred in 'Sandokan,' a six-part Italian television series. The show depicted the story of an Asian pirate who fell in love with the daughter of an English Lord.

Following his role in Sandokan, Bedi appeared in six successful television series in the country. In 2022, he was honoured with the Filming Italy Movie Lifetime Achievement Award at the Italian Pavilion, an initiative led by the Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual (DGCA) of Italy’s Ministry of Culture.

[caption id="attachment_48198" align="aligncenter" width="562"] Indian Actor | Kabir Bedi | Global Indian Kabir Bedi in Sandokan[/caption]

Reflecting on his career, the actor highlighted in one of the interviews that becoming a star in Bollywood meant conforming to the singing and dancing stereotypes, which had led him to seek career prospects abroad. "It was the Italians who changed the course of my career by providing me the opportunity to come to Italy, offering me the iconic role of Sandokan," he remarked.

Journalism and advertising before acting

Kabir Bedi was not always an actor. He used to work for All India Radio (AIR) as a freelancer, and even worked at advertising agencies before becoming an actor.

Growing up he had seen his parents really passionate about India's freedom and helping refugees, but they didn't have much money. So, Bedi had to work while studying in college. During the day, he focused on his studies, and at night, he worked as a freelance English newsreader at the radio station in New Delhi. Later he moved to Bombay and became a copywriter with Lintas Bombay and Ogilvy & Mather.

The Beatles and the life-changing experience

While Bedi was a newsreader at New Delhi, something amazing happened. He got a chance to interview the famous English rock band, The Beatles, quite by chance.

The band was in Bombay, and the people in the media were highly excited about it. Bedi who was only in his teens then wanted to talk to his favourite band as a media person. When he sought permission from his boss, he and everyone around thought that it was impossible because lots of journalists wanted the same thing, and they thought Bedi to be too small and inexperienced. But Bedi wouldn't give up. Finally, he was given a special pass and a recorder and he went to the hotel where The Beatles were staying.

Young Bedi convinced The Beatles' manager to let him interview the band by saying that he was a radio journalist with AIR and that the Indian government wanted the interview. They agreed. The interview went on air and Bedi was in seventh heaven. Later, he was heartbroken to discover that the radio station had deleted the interview due to lack of storage space as they didn't have enough money for new tapes.

[caption id="attachment_48199" align="aligncenter" width="456"] Indian Actor | Kabir Bedi | Global Indian Kabir Bedi[/caption]

After graduating from St Stephens, Bedi moved to Bombay with a little money in his pocket, looking for new opportunities. He cashed in on his knack for writing and spent five years as a copywriter with Lintas Bombay and Ogilvy & Mather before stumbling into the field of acting.

Stumbling into acting

At Lintas, Bedi was working with legendary ad man Alyque Padamsee, who was also a noted theatre actor and producer. Padamsee decided to give Bedi a chance in acting by casting him in Girish Karnad’s play Tughlaq. The play was a huge hit and straight and soon, Bollywood offers started pouring in for Bedi. He grabbed them with both hands but remained associated with theatre, performing both in India and abroad.

“I really must thank Bollywood for getting me known through my first few big hits because that led to the Italian discovery. It was a huge decision for me to leave the security of the corporate world, where I was doing pretty well, and enter the uncharted waters and the perilous jungle of the Bollywood film industry. So that was certainly a decision that paid off, but at that time it was very scary,” Bedi remarked in an interview.

Love for Literature and lessons of life

In 2021, Bedi released his autobiography, ‘The Stories I Must Tell’. “My story is about my making, unmaking and remaking. My rise, ruin and resurrection,” he said after its release. Kabir had always loved writing. His father, Baba Pyare Lal Singh Bedi, was a philosopher and author while his mother, Freda Bedi, is considered the first western woman to take ordination in Tibetan Buddhism. “My mother was a very good writer, and my father was a very good speaker and thinker,” Bedi shared. Apart from his parents’ influence, he learned a lot of the craft of creative writing during his time as a copywriter.”

[caption id="attachment_48201" align="aligncenter" width="464"] Indian Actor | Kabir Bedi | Global Indian Kabir Bedi with his book[/caption]

One of India’s most flamboyant stars, Bedi doesn’t hold back in his book. “Yes, I have lived a very flamboyant life. I’ve done a lot of extraordinary things. I’ve been in extraordinary relationships. But my life is not just about the triumphs. It's also the tragedies,” he said. The darkest moment in his life was the suicide of his son, followed by the repercussions of a series of bad investments, which he had to learn to overcome.

“The way I did it was by remembering the spirit with which I had started my life,” he said “And also the meditation techniques I had learned as a Buddhist monk in Burma.” Bedi lives by the example of his parents, whom faced great financial adversity with great equanimity while he was growing up.

Giving back and setting an example

Bedi serves as the honorary brand ambassador for Italian charity Care and Share Italia. This organisation looks after and educates street children, from school to university, in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

He is also the brand ambassador for Rotary International South Asia for its Teach Programme and the Total Literacy Mission in India and South Asia. As the brand ambassador of the international organisation, Sightsavers he spreads awareness on eye health and care.

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He emerged from his low phase to begin a bright new second innings in his career, winning awards in India and abroad, and becoming the most beloved Indian in Italy is an example of the 77-year-old’s strong persona. He stands as an inspiration for people struggling to emerge winners in their own stories.

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Reading Time: 5 mins

Indian HR expert Pradeep Gopi – Bringing the ‘human’ back into human resources 

(February 21, 2022) Blending years of human resources experience in China, Japan and the US, and Indianising them for the start-up community, Pradeep Gopi has used his wealth of knowledge from across the world, to bring international best practices into HR culture in India. "It's time to bring the 'human' back into human resources," said the Indian HR expert, in an exclusive interview with Global Indian. Early start It’s the summer of 1994. Tucked into the narrow by-lanes of the shopping hamlet - Shivaji Nagar in Bengaluru’s central business district, is Dilpasand Silk Palace, among the oldest stores. Inside, amidst the chaos of bargaining customers and bustling salespeople, sits Pradeep Gopi, the 10-year-old son of the owner, Gopi PS. He’s soaking in all the action, keenly observing the proceedings. Over two decades later, Pradeep, who is now 38-years-old, says he was expected to join his family business. But destiny had other plans – to bring his wealth in human resource back to Indian shores. In 2015, Indian HR expert Pradeep was rated among the top 100 most influential HR professionals by the Asia Pacific HRM Congress. Family business? No thank you  “I’ve spent many years at Dilpasand, but surprisingly I found myself getting interested in just one

ted among the top 100 most influential HR professionals by the Asia Pacific HRM Congress.

Indian HR expert | Pradeep Gopi

Family business? No thank you 

“I’ve spent many years at Dilpasand, but surprisingly I found myself getting interested in just one aspect – managing staff. We had about five to 10 salespeople. I realised that I was constantly thinking of ways to keep them motivated, and driven. Such was the nature of our business that sales staff turnover was huge - often carrying important inside information – from sarees sourcing, margins, discounts, etc. This was my first initiation into what we call ‘people and attrition management in’ modern HR parlance,” Indian HR expert Pradeep explains, cheekily adding, “The only other thing I was driven to was branding, but when my family saw my competency – the tagline – fashion is our passion – everyone agreed that I wasn’t cut out for it.”  The Bangalore University graduate is an XLRI alum.

Saree shop or corporate house – fundamentals are the same 

A decade as an HR professional, he worked with startups like InMobi, Vizury and iRunway. Today he is director, human resources, Bidgely, an Indian-origin Silicon Valley startup that operates in the smart and renewable energy space. Learning that fundamentals of human resource management are the same, he has added to those years of observing at Dilpasand with his experience around the world. “Bonuses to keep staff happy, background checks of new staff, good performance rewarded, and inferior performance warned. Isn’t this the core philosophy behind appraisals and attrition?” the Indian HR expert wonders?

Parents and spouses – the real heroes? 

The 2022 appraisal cycle at Bidgely is special as an initiative he brainstormed was a roaring success. “When we announced our appraisals, we decided to send promotion letters to parents and spouses of employees, along with a celebratory cake.” Which, during work from home in the pandemic was a great idea, getting the family to share in the celebration. The initiative went viral, with employees taking to social media to share their letters.

[caption id="attachment_20162" align="aligncenter" width="568"] Indian HR expert | Pradeep Gopi | Global Indian | Pradeep with his family[/caption]

The challenging ‘states’ of mind 

For three years since 2008, Pradeep served as assistant HR manager at iRunway. Next, as talent acquisition specialist at InMobi, he did a four-year stint at Vizury. Then Pradeep got married and relocated to the US. And this was when things got rough.

The first few months were challenging. “I relocated to Atlanta on a dependent visa, and it was difficult to get a dependent work visa. Those were the days of the Trump administration, which was cracking down on expat employment. Even though I got the visa, companies wouldn’t hire me because of the colour of my skin, especially for HR roles,” adds the Indian HR expert.

Pradeep Gopi

He joined a talent acquisition company Aimployment Services, and it was just a matter of time before he impressed one of its biggest clients, NIIT Technologies and became their HR business partner. “For the next year and a half, I learned a lot about global HR from ground zero,” he adds.

Global workforce 

If industries might be united by a common set of human resource principles, India and the United States couldn’t be more different in terms of diversity. “An average company in India will comprise an all-Indian workforce. With NIIT, I learned that there were employees from a multitude of nationalities, a common structure, and language of corporate communication. I wanted to return to India with these lessons and impart them here. The US is the land of expats,” the Indian HR expert explains.

Missing his roots

Deep down, he missed his family. “My wife was hugely supportive during my stay in the US but I missed my parents so much that I booked their tickets and took them on a tour of America,” he says. “My parents never travelled outside India, and they had a great time with me and Jananee S (his wife). In fact, for a guy who could cook nothing more than instant noodles, I impressed them with my advanced Indian cooking skills too,” he adds.

[caption id="attachment_20163" align="aligncenter" width="575"] Indian HR expert | Pradeep Gopi | Global Indian | With his family on a cruise in the Bahamas[/caption]

The trip would turn out to be instrumental, fuelling the idea for the HR initiative that earned him many laurels. When his father passed away shortly after his return to India, the Indian HR expert realised how proud parents are when their children do well.

Learnings from China and Japan

During his stint at Vizury, Pradeep also travelled extensively to China and Japan, further adding to his global intelligence in HR. “I was asked to recruit the GM for China, an unusual move as such hiring is usually outsourced. The experience was an eye-opener. "I witnessed, first-hand, the sheer professionalism and task-centric approach of Chinese companies,” says the Indian HR expert who then went to Japan, to “restructure an organisation.”

What Indian start-ups need 

Ever since his return home, Pradeep has been committed to making Indian start-ups leverage international best practices while staying humane. “We need to bring the ‘human’ back into ‘human resources.’ We also need international professionalism. This is my vision for life,” he says, aspiring to as international professionalism to the formula. “This is my vision for life,” says the Indian HR expert.

[caption id="attachment_20165" align="aligncenter" width="602"] Indian HR expert | Pradeep Gopi | Global Indian | Cricket fans Pradeep and his wife at an IPL match in Bengaluru[/caption]

He follows Indian cricket keenly, and is a huge fan of the Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL franchise. Dilpasand Silk Palace shut down a few months before the pandemic, and currently is an empty dilapidated structure, unlike Pradeep’s dreams for the future of Indian start-ups… robust and humane.

Reading Time: 6 min

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