Angelina Arora: The Indian-Australian teen finds a solution to single-use plastic
Compiled by: Team GI Youth
(June 28, 2024) A routine trip to a local grocery store made the then 11-year-old Angelina Arora committed to finding a better solution to single-use plastic. Seeing a huge number of plastic bags being carried out of the store made her understand their detrimental impact on the environment and led the Adelaide-based innovator on a quest to save Earth by finding biodegradable alternatives.
Having mulled over the possible solution for years, in Class 9 as a science project, she began experimenting with corn starch and potato starch to create a biodegradable bag, however, they dissolved in water. She then tried banana peels and other waste products, however, nothing proved successful. Her eureka moment came while sitting at a local fish and chips shop and staring at a pile of fish waste – including crab shells, prawn tails and fish heads. She packed a few kilos of the discarded shells and headed straight to her Sydney Girls High School science lab to start experimenting. Noticing similarities between prawn shells and plastic, she knew she could have found the answer. “I looked at prawns and thought what makes their shells look like plastic? Maybe I can take that out and use it some way and bind it to make a plastic-like material,” the Global Indian said in an interview.
Angelina Arora during an experiment
Making biodegradable plastic
A budding scientist, Angelina extracted chitin, a carbohydrate from prawn shells, and converted it into chitosan which she later mixed with fibron, a protein found in silkworms. “It’s the same protein that spiders use to make webs. It’s very sticky. When you mix it with chitin it produces a fabric that is flexible and strong and exhibits all the properties you want in plastic,” she added. The biodegradable plastic decomposes 1.5 million times faster than commercial plastics and completely breaks down within 33 days of its exposure to bacteria. Her success attracted the attention of scholars and scientists across Australia and even won her the NSW Young Scientist Award in 2016, the Innovator to Market Award in the 2018 and BHP Billiton Foundation Science and Engineering Awards. Moreover, she received the fourth grand award at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, where the innovator competed against 1800 students from over 81 countries.
Angelina Arora with her biodegradable plastic
According to a new OECD report, only 9 percent of plastic waste is recycled globally while 22 percent is mismanaged. Though bans and taxes on single-use plastic exist in over 120 countries, not enough is being done to reduce pollution. And Angelina thinks that biodegradable plastic – which is low-cost, durable, and insoluble – is the need of the hour. She is keen to see every plastic in the world be made out of her biodegradable plastic. “While decomposing, this eco-friendly plastic made of prawn shells releases nitrogen which is very important for plant growth and immunity. Thus, it could be used for agriculture as well, and not just for packaging,” she said.
Contributing to the environment
The Flinders University student, who was the nominee for Young Australian of the Year in 2019, is hopeful that biodegradable alternatives like hers will contribute to cleaning up the environment, especially the ocean – a cause close to her heart.
Having started early, she believes the key lies in growing one’s own interests. “Doing your own research outside of school gives you the freedom to do what you really like and be creative, not for a grade. You grow interests, expand awareness and increase your curiosity,” she said, adding, “Plus it gives young people something productive to do for humanity rather than watching Netflix.”
Angelina’s invention shows how we can use scientific creativity and care for the environment to solve big problems. Her work highlights the need for sustainable practices and opens doors for future green technologies, inspiring more people to develop eco-friendly innovations.
(November 14, 2023) Divyakriti Singh has not been back home in the last two years. She missed all the festivals and other important events, which she would have otherwise celebrated with her family at their home in Jaipur, Rajasthan. It’s sacrifices like this and many more, that helped her gallop towards a historic victory which equestrians across the world will forever remember. She was among the four-member contingent that won India the historic gold at the Asian Games 2023, held at Hangzhou, China recently. “We definitely dreamt of a podium finish but to win the gold medal is surreal, it’s extraordinary and it should be like that,” smiles Divyakriti, in an exclusive with Global Indian. The historic win was the end result of hard training for years, perseverance, sacrifices and above all, the indomitable will to shine for India. “All the sacrifices we made are a small price to pay for the things we get to do,” says the 23-year-old, who is on cloud nine post the team’s win. She scored 68.176 in Asian Games. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Divyakriti Singh Rathore (@divyakritisinghrathore) The victory marked the first time in 41 years that India has achieved
The victory marked the first time in 41 years that India has achieved the feat. “The best three scores were counted from our team and I'm very happy that I was able to contribute to that,” says Divyakriti who was honoured with Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Award for Young Achiever in the field of Sport at The Sawai Jaipur Awards 2023.
In Europe
For the last three years, Divyakriti has been living in Europe, preparing for the Asian Games. “I've been based in Denmark and then in Germany. I have been very involved with the daily routine of my horses. I'm in the stable every day, all days of the week,” informs the equestrienne, who visited Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Florida, USA as part of her training.
Her routine hardly changed during her training years. Divyakriti’s day would start at 5 am sharp and she would head straight for the stable. Even during the peak Europe winter, she would not compromise on her schedule.
The young rider currently holds the number one spot in Asia and ranks an impressive 14th globally, according to the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Global Dressage rankings.
The Rathore Family
Born in Jaipur, Rajasthan, Divyakriti was in seventh grade when she started horse riding. By 12, she was completely involved in equestrian sports and went on to receive numerous individual and team medals at various events including the Junior National Equestrian Championships and All India IPSC equestrian competitions. “Horses are my passion and that motivates me to be a better rider. It keeps me focused on the sport and I’m grateful that I get to do something that I love,” says the alumni of Mayo College Girls School in Ajmer.
A student of psychology in Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi, Divyakriti is the daughter of Vikram Singh Rathore, a retired Army officer and Alka TejSingh. She has an elder sibling, Digvijay Singh. The Rathore family have been into horse riding for decades. “My entire family was present at the stands cheering for me at the Asian Game. It was a very proud moment for all of us,” says Divyakriti, beaming with pride. Even her grandparents from both mothers and fathers side have also been connected to horses.
Adrenaline Rush
She describes her horse, Adrenaline as a superstar. “He is my best friend and made my dreams come true. Together, we were able to deliver a personal best score which helped Team India clinch the gold medal,” says Divyakriti.
Initially, when she arrived in Europe, Divyakriti was training with a different horse but was not comfortable with him. At that stable, Adrenaline was already the super star. An international dressage rider from Denmark Helene Melsen, who bred the horse, asked her to try Adrenaline for the Asian games. “Once I rode him, the connect was instant and that was the beginning of our partnership,” she says.
Adrenaline, who weighs around 700 kg, has a mind of his own, says the equestrienne. “We have a bond based on trust, which we built through the time I spent at the stables,” says the accomplished equestrienne. She makes it a point to take her horse out for walks and feeds and grooms him. “He even gets a treat after rides, no matter the result,” she says.
Adrenaline, like all other horses, senses everything. “So the key is to be confident and give your horse the confidence,” says the India Today Woman Summit Awardee.
Lessons learned
There are ups and downs in every athlete's journey and Divyakriti is no exception. “If there is one thing that I've learned from my career, it is that do not fret over things that you can't control. Horse riding has taught me that,” smiles the youngster, who has previously represented the country in Europe and national competitions across the country.
She won the IPA Junior National Polo Championship Winner twice, in 2016 and 2017. She won the gold in the Junior National Equestrian Championship at Kolkata in 2018-2019 at Kolkata, India. In the 2019-2020 Junior National Equestrian Championship at Bangalore. she won the silver.
Prior to the Asian Games, she and her team members underwent a tough selection process. “Our federation had chalked out a set of selection criteria which required us to do the selection trials in Europe. Those trials were international competitions where we were competing against the best riders from all over the world,” she says, adding that it gave her good exposure.
(September 2, 2023) The United States discards more food than any other country in the world. Every year in United States, approximately 31% (133 billion pounds) of the overall food supply is wasted by consumers and retailers, as per the estimates of the United States Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (USDA-ERS). The wasted food is either dumped in landfills or burned in trash incinerators. This leads to 18% of the US' total methane emissions that come from landfills, resulting in global warming and impacting food security and resource conservation. To address this problem in her community, Maryland based Shrusti Amula, a senior at Richard Montgomery High School, founded the NGO, Rise N Shine Foundation. The youth-led initiative aims to tackle the effects of food waste through composting and food recovery programmes, and in the process – avert climate change. [caption id="attachment_32863" align="aligncenter" width="749"] Shrusti Amula[/caption] So far, Shrusti has diverted close to 1,00,000 pounds of food waste from incinerators, converting it into compost instead. Her non-profit also runs food recovery programmes to combat hunger amongst the underprivileged. Rise N Shine’s food recovery programme has been adopted by Montgomery County’s public school system and will be running in all 209
So far, Shrusti has diverted close to 1,00,000 pounds of food waste from incinerators, converting it into compost instead. Her non-profit also runs food recovery programmes to combat hunger amongst the underprivileged. Rise N Shine’s food recovery programme has been adopted by Montgomery County’s public school system and will be running in all 209 schools by June 2024. In the past year, the non-profit has donated approximately 150,000 meals to the food insecure community.
Shrusti has received many awards and recognition, the most recent being named a ‘Woman of Worth 2023’ by L’Oreal Paris.“It is difficult managing school, Rise N Shine’s initiatives, and my other extracurricular activities. The main reason I am able to manage the non-profit is because I am passionate about the work we are doing,” Shrusti tells Global Indian.
L’Oreal’s Woman of Worth
Each year, L’Oreal Paris launches a nationwide search for ten extraordinary non-profit leaders to be named ‘Women of Worth’ honourees. Each honouree not only receives $25,000 to support their charitable cause, but are also provided mentorship from the L'Oréal Paris network and a national platform to tell their stories.
Shrusti is the youngest of the ten honourees of 2023. “With this honour I hope to expand the reach of our programmes and inspire youth nationwide that they too can create change in their communities,” she says.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kuJ6CRYVQI
Making impact
Through Rise N Shine, Shrusti has been meeting many goals - cultivating green habits in students, creating leadership opportunities for them by making them their schools’ volunteers, and helping them become climate change makers of tomorrow.
Her composting programme currently runs in nine schools while three more are in pipeline. Rise N Shine’s food recovery programme is now running in 40 Maryland schools, apart from offices, restaurants, grocery stores and bakeries. It will expand to all 209 schools of the county by the end of 2024.
It started when…
“In 2018, I stumbled upon on the acute problem of food waste and its impact on climate,” Shrusti shares. She extensively researched its impact in her community and found out that it was being overlooked to a great extent.
The youngster presented this problem and the possible solutions at the eCybermission competition - a STEM Competition, backed by the US Army. One of her proposed solutions was to start food waste collection programmes and divert the wasted food to compost facilities.
The teenager was delighted to find herself as one of the top five winners of the competition, and started her pilot project at Clarksburg Elementary School in her community. The school principal and the administrative staff of the school were very supportive of Shrusti’s idea.
In this programme she was able to haul the leftover food from the students’ lunch boxes to make compost, thus diverting the school’s food waste from incinerators and landfills and giving back to the environment through compost. “I learned that it is easy to educate young minds on the harmful effects of food waste and spearhead the behavioural adaption to proper disposal of food waste,” she says.
This learning served as an impetus for further work in the arena. Since then she has partnered with close to a dozen local schools and multiple organisations to make this solution a big success.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1W2eVaAHfo
From composting to food recovery
After tasting success with her composting programme, Shrusti expanded her initiative towards food recovery in schools and businesses, looking at the amount of uneaten food wasted and the burgeoning problem of food insecurity after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the success of her pilot initiative, and the potential of her programme to combat hunger amongst the underprivileged, it got adopted by Montgomery County’s public school system, and would be rolled out to all the 209 schools of the county by 2024. Rise N Shine Foundation also partners with companies to redistribute food that would otherwise be wasted to homeless shelters and food banks. In the past year, the non-profit has donated approximately 150,000 meals to the food insecure community.
How does it work?
“Unused food in Montgomery County accounts for nearly 124,000 tons of our solid waste, Our wasted food contributes to greenhouse gas pollution and wastes the land, water, energy and human effort that was used to produce the food” shares Shrusti.
Rise N Shine Foundation collects food from local businesses that would have been otherwise thrown away and provide it to homeless shelters, food pantries and under-served communities, where people are experiencing hunger. “We are playing our part and contributing towards Montgomery County's recycling goals for reducing food waste,” she remarks.
[caption id="attachment_32870" align="aligncenter" width="786"] One of Rise N Shine's food donation events[/caption]
Although it’s a youth-led non-profit organisation to promote and motivate kids to do their bit for the environment, Shrusti works with people of all ages and backgrounds.
The non-profit has expanded to a wide array of service campaigns that support causes ranging from hunger and social justice to quality education, civil rights, and youth activism.
Shrusti Amula has participated and contributed to various legislative bills at the school and county level. Outside of school and community activities, she is a trained Indian classical dancer, USA national women's cricket player, mentor, and a debater. She is also a bronze and silver awardee of Girl Scout.
Rise N Shine’s awards and recognitions:
Recipient of 2022 Climate & Energy Leadership Award given by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
Recipient of Citation from The Maryland General Assembly
Recipient of Proclamation from The County Executive of Montgomery County, Maryland
Shrusti’s recent awards and recognitions
‘Women of Worth’ honouree by L’Oreal Paris
Riley's Call for Kindness Award - Grant and Fellowship Winner (2023)
EPA President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) Winner (2023)
Governor's Youth Service Award (2023)
Women Making History Award (2023) by Montgomery County Commission for Women and Montgomery women
Points of Light Award Honoree (2023)
The President's Volunteer Service Award (Gold) (2022)
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Climate and Energy Leadership Awards (2022)
(February 3, 2023) When Apoorva Panidapu was invited to NBC National TV show Genius Junior, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris in 2018, her excellent performance in mental math created a buzz. Her effortless execution of complex math problems on the American television show established that the talented youngster is one among a select few internationally. Since then, she has been popularly referred to as the human calculator. The seventeen-year-old high-schooler Apoorva of San Jose, California is not just a math genius. She wears many hats, and is well-known for her abilities in STEAM - an educational approach that incorporates the arts into the more-familiar STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) model. The student, teacher, mathematician, artist, social entrepreneur, and a keynote speaker loves helping kids around the world. [caption id="attachment_27111" align="aligncenter" width="552"] Apoorva Panidapu[/caption] Apoorva has received several global awards in mathematics such as the prestigious Davidson Fellow Laureate, Steven S Strogatz Prize for Math Communication, Spirit of Ramanujan Fellowship, and 2020 Global Child Prodigy Award. Home-schooled since grade six, Apoorva tells Global Indian, “When I was younger, my parents noticed that I loved puzzles and numbers. They realised that I was learning math at a faster pace than what a
hild Prodigy Award. Home-schooled since grade six, Apoorva tells Global Indian, “When I was younger, my parents noticed that I loved puzzles and numbers. They realised that I was learning math at a faster pace than what a traditional public school could accommodate.”
The math prodigy’s foray into the world of art
The multi-talented youngster is an enthusiastic artist who loves to oil paint and sketch portraits. She is the founder of Apoorva Panidapu’s Art Gallery, an online platform through which she shares her artwork and raises funds for charity and social impact. Her paintings and stories have been featured on platforms like Ellen & Cheerio's, ‘One Million Acts of Good’, Artists for Peace, and Stone Soup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An6m2Oa3Sdk
The grand prize winner of the NASA Langley Research Center’s Centennial Student Art Contest while talking about her exceptional achievements and choice of home-schooling mentions, “It gave me the chance to forge my educational path, learn at my own pace and work on exciting projects.”
The exceptional path
A genius in mathematics, Apoorva started taking college classes at age 11 and has since completed several upper-division and graduate-level mathematics courses with a keen interest in number theory. As the youngest researcher in the institution, she attended the prestigious highly selective Canada/USA Mathcamp and the University of Virginia REU both in 2020 as well as 2021. “I am grateful to have worked with world-renowned mathematicians, and to have co-authored six number theory research papers,” she tells.
Apoorva executes complex problems with mental math using the abacus method of calculation, a technique that relies on an ancient tool. “I started my journey in math through abacus when I was 5 or 6 years old,” she says. “It’s just a different way of thinking about computation, adding, subtracting – all the operations,” she adds.
The STEAM enthusiast believes in giving back
A recipient of the Diana Award, Apoorva has also received six Presidential Volunteer Service Awards between 2016 – 2022 for her initiatives. She has been speaking on global platforms encouraging girls, gender minorities, and youth to pursue STEAM fearlessly. Apoorva is a global ambassador for GLAM (Girls Leadership Academy Meetup), through which she encourages girls between the age of eight to 12 from diverse backgrounds to pursue leadership and careers in the field of technology.
[caption id="attachment_27114" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Apoorva has just received commendation from California State Senate which was presented by Senator Dave Cortese[/caption]
Since she was 10, the philanthropic youngster has been using her talents to help underprivileged children with the mission to encourage them to use their gifts to make a difference in the world. “I have helped raise more than $50,000 to support children around the world by using the gifts in math and art,” Apoorva reveals.
The prodigy donates the money she makes through tutoring in math to help schools for visually impaired and tribal children in India. “I have very open conversations with my parents about what I value and want to invest my time in,” she says, adding, “I try to be intentional about having a schedule such that I’m truly motivated to do the things I do.”
Bringing together art and activism
From raising over $10,000 for the Child Hunger and Famine Relief fund to protesting racial injustice with her painting of George Floyd and donating $1,400 to Black Lives Matter organizations, Apoorva has thrived to bring together art and activism. As the mentor of the Girls Leadership Academy Meetup (GLAM), she has mentored over 1,000 young people through outreach.
[caption id="attachment_27143" align="aligncenter" width="818"] Apoorva in one of the sessions as keynote speaker[/caption]
The prodigy has also been associated with the Research Science Institute (RSI), which is one of the most prestigious international summer research programmes for high school students. It is sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) and hosted by MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “I was glad to be selected as one of the top STEM talents from around the world to conduct original scientific research for six weeks,” she says. “This off-campus work in science and technology research has added to my perspectives of future goals,” she adds.
From numbers to letters
Apoorva has created an online column, Gems in STEM. Its her initiative to simplify technical topics of STEM through storytelling and pop culture. "In my journey in the world of math, I’ve realized that the 'human' part of the 'Human Calculator' that I am often called relates to my ability to connect to other people through humour and empathy, especially when I'm a student who is still learning and growing," she remarks. "Through my articles, I want to convey that STEM has something or the other in store for everyone. You just need to know where to look at," she adds.
"Gems in STEM has managed to reach out to more than 70,000 people," tells the youngster who has also been publishing her monthly newsletter - Letter? I Hardly Know Her! "Through it I connect with my network of professionals, peers, and friends and keep them updated about the projects I’m working on, and upcoming events while sharing some interesting content to read," she says.
The course of life
Apoorva’s parents hail from the southern part of India. The engineers moved to the US more than 20 years ago. It was there that Apoorva was born and raised. Following in the footsteps of her parents, the youngster intends to study math and engineering at university next year.
In her spare time, the teenager enjoys reading classical literature, playing the violin, and practicing Kung Fu. “I aim to work on projects with which I can make an innovative and positive impact on the world,” tells the expert in STEAM.
Well, her accomplishments so far tell us that she is already making a difference.
(August 8, 2022) Rishaad Chaudhry began his musical journey as an amateur who used to write songs in his room during the pandemic-induced lockdown. As the world opened up, he continued to make music, very different from that of others. He could incorporate numerous genres into one song or make songs of different kinds of genres. From pop and hip-hop to rap and indie Hindi music, this Geneva-born singer has created his brand of music, which sets him apart from other artists. "While making music, I simply reflect on my own life, experiences, learnings, and emotions," smiles Rishaad, in conversation with Global Indian. His latest track, ‘Tu’, is a Hindi pop song with a touch of desi rap, which is refreshingly different from a regular Hindi song. [caption id="attachment_20469" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Singer Rishaad Chaudhry[/caption] “I have played with the pop and rap styles that my English songs have and integrated these into a Hindi one. I was inspired to write a Hindi song that my audience would relate to," informs the 20-year-old, who believes that the desi rap and pop genres are growing rapidly and his latest song fits perfectly in both. The song, he informs, came to be as
pop and rap styles that my English songs have and integrated these into a Hindi one. I was inspired to write a Hindi song that my audience would relate to," informs the 20-year-old, who believes that the desi rap and pop genres are growing rapidly and his latest song fits perfectly in both. The song, he informs, came to be as a result of Rishaad’s own experiences as well as those of others about how love can have a huge impact on us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BusFWLxljAo
He says the beat for ‘Tu’ really struck out for him as it has a happy yet gloomy melody and tune. “After deciding the beat, I thought of the chorus of the song. I was slowly able to bring the harmony together with elements of desi rap,” explains the singer, about what all went into the making of the song.
Musical journey
Rishaad was born in Geneva, where his father was transferred for a job opportunity in 1997. The family, however, returned to India later and settled down in Gurgaon. The budding singer went to Shri Ram school Aravali, Gurgaon, and then to La Martiniere, Lucknow. “Having spent a major part of his school life at the boarding school, I made lifelong friends and memories, along with gaining important life lessons which I believe are of use to me till today and will be for the rest of my life,” says the youngster, who is currently studying Business in OP Jindal Global University, Sonepat.
Rishaad began writing songs in the pop/hip hop genre. “As I grew as a musician, I delved into rap as well as Hindi songs. I initially did not choose rap and was inclined only towards singing. However, after listening to the kind of music my generation and target audience listen to, I gave rap a shot as well and found my niche in it," he says. His previous song ‘Khafa’ echoes the pain of longing. ‘Not Alright’ and ‘I’m Sorry’ are also two of his most popular previous releases.
“Not Alright is a song for everyone who is putting up a happy face for the world but is struggling within themselves. I wrote this song to remind everyone to be kind because we can never know what is happening in someone else’s life. ‘I’m Sorry’ is an apology for all the wrongs I did while being hurt in love,” informs Rishaad.
The music he has been listening to over the years has had a huge impact on the way Rishaad began to make his own. “I am a huge fan of the rap, pop, and hip-hop genre as well as Indie Hindi music. Some of the artists I have been listening to for years, including 21 Savage, Powerful, Drake, The Kid Laroi, Juice Wrld, Zaeden, and Yashraj have inspired me to showcase my take,” says Rishaad, who also performed in his high school band. The youngster believes rap is a genre that has become increasingly popular among the people of his generation. “This inspired me to incorporate the genre into my songs."
Finding his voice
With his music, says Rishaad, he intends to connect with people and allow them to connect as an audience. “Life is full of ups and downs, and no one should feel as if they are alone on this roller coaster ride,” says the singer, who is looking forward to travelling abroad to obtain a degree in digital marketing, which will assist him in his career as a musician.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdyApGuz3WA
So what more tracks are in the making? “Currently, I am working on an English song, its working title is ‘Broke My heart’. It is a song about heartbreak and betrayal and echoes the feelings of sadness one feels after losing the one they loved the most. This song is an extremely special one as I am in the process of recording my first ever music video for the same,” informs the talented singer, who also has several Hindi singles in the making which will also be released soon.
He says the constant motivation to create music is what gives him immense joy and satisfaction. “Each day, my passion only grows along with my experience and knowledge regarding the brand I wish to build as a musician,” smiles the youngster who indulges in different kinds of sports including football. “I now see a clear image of where I wish to be in the coming years and what I wish to achieve. My main focus is on creating music and content to reach an audience all around the world and continue to do what I love,” says Rishaad.
(February 6, 2024) In March 2023, when pro-Khalistan extremists vandalised the premises of the Indian High Commission in London and attempted to violate the Indian flag, the Indian community in the UK responded swiftly. Various Indian diaspora groups got together for a spirited demonstration outside the Indian High Commission in London, showcasing solidarity with the Indian mission. Amidst the festive display of patriotism by Indians, Nick, a British police officer, was moved enough to join the demonstration in a show of support. Nick approached Indian-origin teenager Iqra Khan, who was joyfully dancing to Bollywood tunes in traditional Indian attire and jewellery to learn some Bollywood steps from her. Their interaction was captured by several onlookers, resulting in a heartwarming moment that quickly spread across social media platforms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMVSjvmuDbY Within hours, the video of Iqra and Nick's impromptu dancing garnered wide attention. “After the event when I was having lunch, someone got in touch saying, ‘your video has gone viral’. That's when we started looking it up. I was still having lunch and my video was all over India” shared the elated teenager in an interview. In a few days of the incident Iqra’s video received global attention. “My video
ws.com/newsviews/meet-the-british-indian-teen-who-got-met-police-tapping-to-bollywood-beats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared the elated teenager in an interview. In a few days of the incident Iqra’s video received global attention. “My video was on many news channels worldwide and had around 10 million views. I had no words. I was like, wow, I am everywhere,” the teenager remarked.
Despite already having launched her YouTube channel, Ten News India, by that time, the unexpected surge of attention she received was pleasantly surprising. She was happy that people around the world were looking at her. “So many people were saying that this is the best video on the internet and the fact that I was a part of it was really special,” remarked Iqra who has been a pageant finalist in the UK and has modelled for a famous retail brand.
From fame to frames
Iqra has always been in love with the camera and socialising with people. Combining both her interests, she launched her own YouTube show at the age of 11, interviewing singers, artists and poets in the age group of six to 18. Her goal behind the show was to introduce young talent to the world driving in the message that talent knows no age boundaries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMoETwPmmXk
That experience gave her loads of confidence. “You learn a lot about how to frame questions, to keep an eye on the time and also keep it entertaining.” Later, building on her experience, and seizing the opportunity presented by her viral video, Iqra furthered her hosting journey with a YouTube Channel named 'London Thumakda’. For her channel she has interviewed accomplished celebrities like author Amish Tripathi, actors Adil Hussain and Vinay Pathak, British theatre actor Tom Gribby, casting directors Yvonne Lawlor and Bonnie amongst others.
In the world of pageantry
The teenager loves the glitter and glam of crowns, tiara and the flashing cameras, and to savour the delights of all these she participated in Miss Junior Teen Great Britain contest two years back. It was a long but joyful journey for Iqra who gave auditions for the contest, and then after clearing multiple rounds was selected as a finalist, and later as the grand finalist. “It was a roller coaster of emotions,” she said.
Iqra, who can speak in fluent Hindi despite being raised abroad, felt extremely proud to represent Southeast London in the beauty pageant. “I was really proud to be representing all the brown girls and wanted to win for all the brown girls out there,” Iqra shared.
Even though Iqra was born in the UK and lived in the Middle East for a few years before returning to the UK, her strong attachment to her Indian culture and heritage remains strong. She attributes this deep connection to her upbringing by her parents and her immersion in a large South Asian community during her time in the Middle East.
[caption id="attachment_35639" align="aligncenter" width="481"] Iqra Khan at the 2023 Indian Summer Mela festival at Ipswich, UK[/caption]
She has deep affection for Bollywood songs and finds their infectious beats captivating. "I can't resist them," she admits. "I've been showcasing my love for Bollywood by performing at events, representing various Indian states through dance," she revealed. Performing has been her passion for as long as she can recall. She has given performances for events hosted by UK Heritage Charity and Dartford, Mayor of Croydon to name a few. The teenager aspires to be an actor, has some theatre experience in the UK and has also done modelling for the retail brand Lulu.
One of Rise N Shine's food donation events[/caption]
Shrusti Amula[/caption]
Apoorva has just received commendation from California State Senate which was presented by Senator Dave Cortese[/caption]
Apoorva in one of the sessions as keynote speaker[/caption]
Iqra Khan[/caption]
Iqra Khan at the 2023 Indian Summer Mela festival at Ipswich, UK[/caption]