Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveIndian talent Aria rides the Hallyu wave as second K-Pop star

Indian talent Aria rides the Hallyu wave as second K-Pop star

Compiled by: Team GI Youth

(September 20, 2024) The Hallyu Wave, a cultural movement from South Korea, has captured the world’s attention with its catchy music, impressive dance moves, and powerful storytelling. This wave, led by the global popularity of K-Pop, has made a strong impact in India. From the busy streets of Mumbai to the peaceful areas of Kerala, Indians have embraced K-Pop with great enthusiasm, turning it into a cultural craze. The energetic performances of K-Pop groups, blending music, dance, and fashion, have connected with Indian youth, creating a passion that crosses borders.

In the growing K-Pop craze in India, Gauthami, known by her stage name Aria, has become a shining example of determination and dreams. Coming from Kerala, Aria is the second Indian to join a K-Pop group, following Sriya Lenka’s groundbreaking success. Her story reflects the hopes of many Indian fans who have passionately followed K-Pop and dreamed of being part of its exciting world. It was in April 2023 that Aria made a stunning debut with the girl group X:in that released its first album Keeping the Fire. Getting attention for her nationality, she said, “I thought people from India would be giving me all the attention but it turned out that people from all over the world are showering with me love and support. I was surprised but at the same time feel grateful.”

Aria

Born in 2003, Gauthami was always interested in the performing arts. It was this love that led her to the big screen. As an eight-year-old, she appeared in the 2011 Malayalam court drama Melvilasom, where she played the role of an adopted daughter of a Dalit soldier who is accused of killing another soldier on duty. While she was in awe of her first tryst with the cinematic world, growing up, like many Indian teenagers, she too fell in love with K-Pop. It was BTS that prompted her to pursue her journey in K-Pop. “Their songs are very meaningful and there is this one song Tomorrow that resonated with me. That song inspires you to do what you want to do,” the Global Indian said in an interview.

Keen to try her luck in K-Pop, she applied for online auditions. For a two-minute clip (vocals plus dance), she prepared for two months because she wanted to give her all. Explaining the process, she reveals that one can find the links to the auditions on the Instagram page of the K-pop companies. She emphasises the need to focus on the quality of the audio and video while submitting online auditions. Being a professionally untrained singer, it was pure love for music that kept her listening to music and singing more of it.

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Upon her selection, she flew down to Seoul in October 2022 to train for six months. “I was terrified as I was now part of an entirely new world. Also, I was given my debut song on the very first day of the training, so we jumped right into practicing our debut song,” she said. It was during one such practice session that her producer realised that she was good at rapping, and that’s how she moved from being a vocalist to a rapper in the band.

Moving from the known comfort of her culture and home to Korea was a little overwhelming for this K-Pop star initially. But over some time, she started enjoying the Korean lifestyle and culture. “At many times, I found things harder to be than I thought but never did I think of returning to India as I had come so far for nothing.” Interestingly, she became the first Indian to have hit the Korean live stage, which is nothing short of historic. “It was my dream and I am so grateful that I could realise it.”

The 21-year-old, who has begun her K-Pop journey with X:in, wants her girl band to enter the Billboard Charts in the near future. But as an individual artiste, she wants to do a lot of music and also try acting. “I’m open to offers from K-dramas and Bollywood.”

Aria’s achievement not only marks a new chapter in the story of the Hallyu Wave in India but also represents cross-cultural unity, where music and rhythms go beyond language barriers, bringing fans together in joyful celebration and admiration.

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Published on 20, Sep 2024

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Showing Ellen DeGeneres how it’s done: Young chef Kicha’s culinary adventures

(March 14, 2022) Not many of us could have envisioned Ellen DeGeneres learning to make puttu, Kerala's breakfast dish. But this did happen in 2016, when the American talk show host stood smilingly beside her tutor, the very earnest Chef Nihal Raj or 'Kicha', who was only six years old when he made an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. At the time when his peers were still fumbling with their spoons, the young chef was whipping up tender coconut pudding and garlic fried rice. All while his YouTube following continued to grow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbSj4nY2ZkA The continued rise of young Chef Kicha He's 12 now and eight years into his culinary career. With an eloquence and ease perhaps gained over nearly a decade of being in front of the camera, the young chef Nihal Raj explains his nickname, Kicha. "It's another name for Krishna. Since it's my grandfather's name, my father decided to call me Kicha. My mother and sister named me Nihal because they thought it suited me," he says. Despite having embarked on his professional journey at a tender age, Kicha has managed to hold on to some amount of childlike whimsy, and his video on a Mickey Mouse

er age, Kicha has managed to hold on to some amount of childlike whimsy, and his video on a Mickey Mouse mango ice cream is proof of it. The child prodigy bagged a $2000 deal with Facebook for rights to the video, after it caught the attention of an affiliated company that makes videos for the social media giant. As for the earnings - Kicha donated half the amount to autistic children and used the rest to expand, upgrade his camera and provide better visual experiences to his viewers. On YouTube, the young chef's channel, KichaTubeHD boasts of 44k subscribers. "The videos are my hobby and my passion," says Kicha in a conversation with Global Indian.

Off to a headstart…

The young chef's fascination for cooking developed as he watched his mother in the kitchen, when he was around three years old. "My mother is a great cook. She loves to cook and bake," recalls Kicha. "I would watch her make something new every day and she would give me small tasks like, 'separate this from that' and so on. My passion for cooking grew out of these little chores," he adds. His parents, while they encouraged him, only allowed kid-friendly recipes. "But you’re not working with sharp knives or fire or anything, right," DeGeneres asked him. "Yeah, that means I am not an expert, but after I turn nine, I’ll be an expert," was his prompt response.

As promised, the rules were lifted when he turned nine and Kicha received full access to the kitchen. "Before that, there was always one adult present to supervise," explains the self-taught young chef, who learnt the trick of the trade by watching his parents and other chefs on social media.

A celebrity in his own right, Chef Nihal Raj, or Kicha, as he is fondly known, is usually flooded with invitations to events, from happenings in the culinary world to delivering keynote addresses as well as book and product launches. Kicha has been associated with brands like Nestle and often reviews products.

Kicha at home

The younger child of Ruby and Rajagopal, he has a sister who works in the US. If Kicha enjoys cooking up a storm in the kitchen, he equally enjoys devouring the food. And unlike most kids, who love their mother's cooking, Kicha says, "My mother loves the omelette and French toast I usually make for breakfast." He's also an enthusiastic student and a self-professed tech head. "I love to learn about computers in school, as well as gadgets and technology in general," Kicha exclaims. "I love video editing, photo editing, graphic design and solving the Rubik's Cube. My record is 15 seconds," beams Kicha with pride.

Most interesting is his answer to the stock question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" In Kicha's case, the answer seems obvious enough but he only grins, saying, "I will let older Kicha decide whether he wants to be a professional cook or choose something else. But even 30 years from now, I can bet you, I won't have stopped cooking. It's a part of my life, a part of my personality and a part of me."

Follow Chef Kicha on Instagram and Twitter

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Entrepreneur Alishba Imran is engineering a better tomorrow for all

(May 7, 2024) Growing up in Toronto, Alishba Imran carved a space for herself in the world of machine learning, robotics, and blockchain at the very young age of 18. About four years back, Alishba, who had zero knowledge about programming or coding back then, enrolled herself to join her school’s robotics team. While she faced several issues, her focus on learning, earned her the position of the lead programmer on the team. And there has been no turning back since then. A few years after this incident, while on a service trip in India, the entrepreneur learned about the lack of medication in various rural parts of the country. To come up with a solution for this, Alishba taught herself blockchain coding and launched Honestblocks, a platform that tracks counterfeit medicine in the supply chain. Her codebase for the initiative has since been integrated into IBM and used globally. She then co-founded Voltx to accelerate the development of renewable energy storage devices using machine learning and physics models to accelerate the lab to commercialisation process for electrochemical devices. “The biggest thing you can optimise for in life is people. Spend time exploring your interests, what you’re good at, and

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“The biggest thing you can optimise for in life is people. Spend time exploring your interests, what you’re good at, and what brings you energy. I think the best things to work on are at the intersection of what you're good at, what you enjoy, and are a way for you to create value for the world," explained the Global Indian, who was recently named among Teen Vogue’s annual 21 Under 21 list of “changemakers, influencers, activists, and artists who have made a substantial impact in both their communities and the world.”

Making a difference

Born in a desi family, Alishba has always been connected to her roots. A brilliant student, the entrepreneur launched an app that uses blockchain to improve supply chain transparency to end counterfeit medication in developing countries when she was just 14. "As a child, I was always very curious and asked a lot of questions about how things work. From appliances around the house to vehicles and computers. At a young age, I found engineering and computer science very interesting because of how it technically challenged me and the vast applications to solve tangible problems," the entrepreneur shared, "In middle school, I learned how to code and was one of the first girls to join the robotics team. That was really my first glimpse into learning about building something real. I was really excited because I would travel to global competitions to meet other people from different countries who were just as interested in technology and engineering as me."

There are a lot of people in the tech industry trying to build the next big social media or note-taking app that will attract millions of dollars from big investors and bolster their company’s value," said the entrepreneur, adding, "But I don’t think the end goal of any company should be based on its monetary value, but rather the value it brings to society."

Addressing several major issues plaguing third-world countries, Alishba believes in using her skills to make a difference in society. "There are many urgent problems that need to be addressed in the world. The greatest challenges of our time — climate change, health care reform and finding ways to create sustainable energy sources. As young students and innovators, I think we have to continually ask ourselves: How do we put our talents and passions toward working on these hard problems?," she said, "Finding the answer to that question, personally, has been a great motivation for me to dive deeper into my interests. And that has been a journey that has taken me around the world."

Creating a better world

When she was just 17, Alishba founded her first company, Voltx, before which she worked with Tesla on research that could speed up the time it takes to manufacture battery cells using machine learning and physics models. "I moved to San Francisco to work full-time with my co-founder to find ways to scale the storage of batteries for solar panels and other applications, like electric vehicles (EV). I raised a pre-seed round of over $1 million for Voltx through venture capital investors. I am still continuing to build on this technology and research as a second-year student at Berkeley," said the entrepreneur, who was also named among the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada, in 2023.

[caption id="attachment_37640" align="aligncenter" width="555"] Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recognised Alishba for her work[/caption]

Speaking about her current projects, the entrepreneur said, "I’m currently co-authoring a textbook for O’Reilly Media, Machine Learning for Robotics with my colleague PG Keerthana Gopalakrishnan. Our aim is to make more accessible the processes of using deep language learning models to build robotics that can change the way we live."

Follow Alishba Imran on her website

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How Indian poetess Megha Rao is wowing Tharoor, Shah & others

(27 January, 2022) Megha Rao’s poetry is dark, fierce, rabid and explosive. It is a truth-teller - raw and real. Her ferocious style is a rarity for poets of her generation. “I like to write about the honesty of wounds,” insists the Indian poetess and visual artist, who has taken the literary world by storm with her spoken word poetry. Breaking new ground, Megha’s latest offering Teething is a story in verse about three children growing up in Kerala. It is creating waves across the globe, drawing much appreciation. “The core and recurring theme of Teething (published by Harper Collins) is innocence, which most lose along the way as we stumble into adulthood. It’s something I’m still looking for,” smiles Indian poetess Megha Rao, speaking exclusively to Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_10040" align="alignnone" width="1536"] Indian poetess and podcaster Megha Rao[/caption] Teething’s lasting impact can be judged from the high praise from acclaimed writer and politician Dr Shashi Tharoor, film actor Naseeruddin Shah, author Manu S Pillai and poet Jerry Pinto. While Shashi Tharoor wrote, “Both fluent and complex, searing and plangent, the poems in Megha Rao’s Teething reveal a remarkable sensibility allied to a rare talent for the language. This is a stunning,

and podcaster Megha Rao[/caption]

Teething’s lasting impact can be judged from the high praise from acclaimed writer and politician Dr Shashi Tharoor, film actor Naseeruddin Shah, author Manu S Pillai and poet Jerry Pinto.

While Shashi Tharoor wrote, “Both fluent and complex, searing and plangent, the poems in Megha Rao’s Teething reveal a remarkable sensibility allied to a rare talent for the language. This is a stunning, moving collection. I look forward to many more!,” actor Naseeruddin Shah was also awed by her verse, “If poetry is a metaphorical description of the mundane then Megha Rao is certainly not short of metaphors. These deeply-felt personal poems sometimes have the touch of a butterfly’s wings and sometimes hit the reader like a sledgehammer.”

A verse to mull over

Author of three books, the Indian poetess' fiery stage performances often leave the audience wanting more. “Teething started with its last poem, Spoonerism - a conversation a family has while having dinner, and something about the characters made me realise there was more to tell, more individual stories to share - hidden moments and secrets, emotions that begged to come tumbling out,” informs Megha, a postgraduate in English Literature from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. She did BA English from Madras Christian College (Chennai).

[caption id="attachment_10039" align="alignnone" width="1080"] Megha Rao performs at an event[/caption]

Elaborating on Teething, the Indian poetess says she began by working backwards. “I know it sounds strange, but the first poem and the prologue of Teething were the last two pieces I wrote, but I trusted the process,” says Megha, who was lauded for her brew of metaphors and surrealism.

Born in Trivandrum in December 1995, Megha started writing as a six-year-old. “It was a comic book I wrote for the first time. It was about a toy I had - a little fluffy dog,” says the 26-year-old Indian poetess, who as a child was always creative. “My mind was always up to something strange and ridiculous,” she quips. While creative writing came to her early, Megha loved painting, and one of her hobbies was to collect stamps. She first entered the public eye when her poem I’m in Love With This World gained traction online.

The Indian poetess' works have been featured on Rollingstone India, UnErase, Terribly Tiny Tales, Why Indian Men Rape, Homegrown, Feminism in India, Kommune, etc. The confessional poet and surrealist artist has already written three books - It Will Always Be You (2015), A Crazy Kind of Love (2016) — both light-hearted romantic fiction, and Music to Flame Lilies (2019), best known for magic realism. She is currently working on a storytelling module focussed on girl’s education in Kenya, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Gautemala and some other countries alongside a non-profit.

[caption id="attachment_10046" align="alignnone" width="1080"] Megha Rao[/caption]

A poetry podcast that reached #1

Her poetry podcast trended # 1 on Spotify India, and earned her many admirers. “Poems To Calm Down To (podcast) was a bit of an anomaly from my usual writing style. It’s themes were beauty, hope, tenderness, simplicity, and all the lovely, light-bearing things in life,” informs the poet. It was a series of slow, steady and patient poems, unlike her other works. “It was a real joy creating it, and I’ll always have a soft spot for it. Although, I have to admit, I was so surprised when it rose to #1 on trending podcasts Spotify, and was among the top 10 podcasts in India,” says the Indian poetess, whose followers find the podcast calming, and relatable. She is now working on a book about grief.

“I always write under the impression that every experience I talk about is completely mine alone, but it’s things like these that show me I’m not alone. It’s a paradox, an individual yet collective experience,” explains the Indian poetess, who currently shuttles between Mumbai and Kerala. Her podcast explores the personal growth journey of a young poet who tries to understand life on her own terms and discovers the beauty of forgiveness, maturity and acceptance. Her poems, quite unabashed in nature, derive inspiration from Sylvia Plath and Frida Kahlo.

Taking refuge in words

“Looking back, there was no other way. It (poetry) was my natural habitat, my safe space,” smiles Megha, who spent her childhood in Singapore before returning to Kerala when she was 10. Her father is the vice principal of an engineering college. The family is originally from Mangalore but her ancestors moved to Kerala in search of work long ago.

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The first time she performed on a big stage was mesmerising. The fiery poet on stage is a soft-spoken person, surprisingly. “There were all these lights, faces and smiles and it was twilight, and I had eight minutes of magic - standing there screaming my poem,” recalls the Indian poetess, of her first performance. “It was overwhelming - such a whirlwind. I just remember finding my way to the end and there were all these tents - I lay on the grass, staring at the stars and wondering if this is what it meant to be so gloriously alive,” says Megha, rather poetically.

Finding courage amidst brickbats

Citing Arundhati Roy, Kamila Shamsie, Arthur Rimbaud and Joan Didion as her influences, Megha believes her successes are not hers alone. “I overcame the odds by leaning on loved ones. My successes belong to all the people who carried me,” says the Indian poetess, admitting that she is a very private person. “I just didn’t indulge or encourage anything that threatened my safe space. When times got tough, I scaled back. I kept my family and friends close,” says the poet who admits to being a very private person.

Next, the Indian poetess hopes, “To do things that make me happy!” When not writing poetry, Megha she is deep into fiction - Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. Very active on Instagram, Megha has been teaching young girls to love themselves, and helping people heal, especially during the pandemic.

Her favourite Global Indian is KR Meera. The voracious reader rarely watches TV, but says. “I watched Karnan loosely based on the 1995 Kodiyankulam violence,” says Megha who likes to indulge in body painting, calling it therapeutic.

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From local club to global stage: Tennis player Natasha Subhash shines on and off the court

(June 20, 2023) She was just five-years-old when she walked into a local sports club with her father. He got her to try playing tennis, and after a few shots, he knew that she was a natural. That was sixteen years ago. Today, 21-year-old Natasha Subhash is making waves in the international tennis scene. The talented Indian American player, who is currently studying at the University of Virginia, was recently bestowed with the coveted 2023 ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award. “From a tennis point of view, Natasha’s accomplishments are numerous,” the ITA officials said in an interview, adding, "She is a three-time ITA Singles All-American, earning the honor in each of her first three seasons.” The tennis ace, who created history by becoming the youngest Indian-origin player to ever compete for the girls’ title in a Grand Slam 2017 event, has been honoured with a place on the 2023 Academic All-American women's tennis team by College Sports Communicators. Interestingly, Natasha's achievements are not just limited to the field, the young player recently won the 2023 Walter B. Doggett Accounting Award in recognition of distinguished academic achievement and outstanding scholarship in the discipline of accounting. "I do the best

, Natasha's achievements are not just limited to the field, the young player recently won the 2023 Walter B. Doggett Accounting Award in recognition of distinguished academic achievement and outstanding scholarship in the discipline of accounting.

"I do the best I can to balance my passion for tennis with my desire to study hard and do well academically. It is challenging and does require many sacrifices, such as not being able to do the normal things that teenagers do- going to the mall, hanging out with friends, etc. However, my parents and I try to make time for just being around family and friends," the Global Indian shared in a recent interview.

Net Ninja

Born and raised in Fairfax, Virginia, USA, Natasha's parents, Subhash Kongassery and Sulekha Subhash, moved to the United States from India in 1997. Their journey, rooted in their Indian heritage and dreams for a better life, has shaped Natasha's path to becoming a tennis star. "I started playing tennis when I was four-and-a-half years old," the tennis player shared, adding, "My dad put me in some classes at the local club and I just started from there. At first, it was just for fun, but after that, I started loving it a lot and played a few matches representing first the club, and later my school."

However, playing tennis wasn't her only passion growing up. The youngster volunteered in as many events to serve the community. "My philosophy has always been to do whatever I can to help others,” Natasha shared, "I have always loved to work with children and those with special needs, and I think the love for this came from my mom who is a middle school special education teacher.”

Sharing an incident from her childhood, the tennis player said, "When I was growing up, the tennis academy I trained at participated in a program called Kids Enjoy Exercise Now (KEEN) where once a month, children with physical and developmental disabilities would come to the academy and we’d run a tennis clinic with them. It was always so rewarding to see the joy on their faces as they participated in an activity that they might’ve thought to be impossible.”

The court magician

After winning several titles, the tennis player got a wild card entry in the 2015 US Open and ended the season ranking number 1 in the Under-14 and Under-16 categories in the US. But her journey was far from easy. After sustaining an injury in the first set while trailing 2-3, the player experienced intense pain, marking a challenging moment in the match. Focussing on just finishing the match, the youngster kept playing and despite facing a formidable 4-0 and 5-2 deficit in the second set, she emerged triumphant.

"It was unbelievable. I had not expected a singles wild card although I had done extremely well in the singles and doubles in 2015," the youngster shared after claiming the cup, "I learned to never give up from that tournament. If I had not held on to that belief, I would have missed out on the amazing experience of playing in the main draw." In 2017, Natasha reached the semifinals of the Australian Open Junior along with Caty McNally.

The tennis player enrolled at the University of Virginia, and also started tutoring at the Madison House. A commerce major, Natasha has been working with Madison House’s Athletes Committed to Education (ACE) programme volunteering as a tutor working with elementary school students. The youngster made history as a trailblazer in academic achievements within Virginia's sports landscape. She secured the distinction of being the first player in the state's history to receive CoSIDA Academic All-District honors in the at-large category. Building on this remarkable success, the tennis player continued to break barriers by becoming the inaugural player in her programme's history to be elected as a CoSIDA Academic All-American.

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In addition to her scholarly achievements, Natasha has been twice honored as UVA's Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, an accolade that speaks volumes about her dedication to both her studies and her sport. The youngster, who is a big Federer fan, wishes to not only win accolades on the tennis field but also academically. "My goal is to keep improving and be the best that I can be. I am working hard towards that," she said.

Follow Natasha Subhash on Instagram and LinkedIn

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Prarthana Murugavel: First Indian woman racer to win gold at Asia Pacific Motorsport Championship

(January 21, 2024) Racer Prarthana Murugavel describes herself as “an ordinary person with an extraordinary dream.” Her achievements are anything but ordinary, however. All of 23, she is the first Indian female racer to win gold at the Asia Pacific Motorsport Championship. An open-wheel 4W racer, Prarthana made the nation proud with her winning performance in the Karting Slalom category at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, back in October 2023. She clocked in a best of 52.350 seconds in the fourth round of the finals, after coming in first in the semi and quarter finals. Her journey in motorsports began in 2014, when she watched the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix. “I was in grade 9 and I watched the last ten laps of the race,” Prarthana Murugavel says, in an interview with Global Indian. The excitement, the speed and the precision captivated her and she began following the races closely over the years, finding an idol in Sebastian Vettel. Things took another turn in February 2021, when she attended her first training program with Momentum Motorsports. “I knew there was no looking back after this,” she recalls. [caption id="attachment_35363" align="aligncenter" width="655"] Racer Prarthana Murugavel[/caption] Striking Gold Prarthana took to

35363" align="aligncenter" width="655"] Racer Prarthana Murugavel[/caption]

Striking Gold

Prarthana took to the sport instantly. In 2021, she participated in a talent hunt by Ahura Racing, an all-women’s racing team, and came in second. That year, she also won the Best Rookie Trophy at the MRF MMSC FMSCI National Car Racing Championship (Round 2), came in fourth at the Driver Development Program conducted by Momentum Motorsports, and was recognized as the Most Promising Female Racer at the JK Tyre FMSCI National Car Racing Championship.

In 2023, Prarthana became the only female driver to compete in the Meco FMSCI National Karting Championship, 2023. She completed all five rounds, placing 13th out of 31 competitors. In 2023, however, she made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win Gold in the Karting Slalom Category and the first Indian woman to win Gold at an international/multinational motorsports event when she participated at the Asia Pacific Motorsport Championship 2023, representing India. “I was so pleased when I managed to top the Quarter Finals and Semi Finals. On my last attempt in the finals, I set a time limit that was one second faster, winning me the gold medal.”

What’s the secret to her success? “You’re only as good as your last race. I believe there is always room for improvement,” she says, quoting Oprah Winfrey. There’s still a lot of room for improvement – “You can never stop and say I’m happy right here,” she says. “Consistency is of the utmost importance.” It led her to win the first karting slalom championship for India. “It was also extremely special to have had my first win in motorsport on an international platform,” she says.

Roller Coaster Ride

Her journey in motorsports has been a roller coaster ride, and she believes that it will continue to be so. The main challenge is holding her own in a male-dominated sport. “More often than not, I’m the only girl in a group of 25-30 drivers,” Prarthana says. That makes the competition even tougher, but it hasn’t been without its positives. “I have made some amazing memories and the best of friends along the way.” Among her most cherished memories are when she earned points and a rookie award in the first time she drove on a track and when she held the Indian flag at the Asia Pacific Motorsport Championship and heard the Indian National Anthem play.

Her family has stood by her through it all, constantly believing in her and encouraging her. “It takes a lot to participate in a championship,” Prarthana admits. It requires travelling, attending practice sessions and going to race weekends. “If I can attribute all my success and strength to one individual, it’s my dad. He has been by my side since the beginning,” she smiles. “He’s my biggest pillar of emotional support. Whether it was celebrating victories or navigation challenges he has been a stable and understanding foundation for me. It’s only because of them am I able to overcome so many challenges.”

Training Hard

While motorsport may be mechanically assisted, physical training is just as important in this field. The importance of being physically fit can be easily underestimated here but it is as vital as in any other sport. Her training regimen comprises physical fitness (strength training, cardio, endurance), mental preparation (focus, reaction - reflex training), skill development (simulator training) and recovery (nutrition and rehabilitation).

She has to stay on top of her game physically, and make sure that she enters every competition at peak fitness levels. “I train five days a week, moving through a cycle, working on different areas,” she says. “Giving equal importance to all this is what helps me to be a better overall athlete,” she says.

Sporting Lessons

In a world that is so incredibly competitive, and in a sport that is primarily a male domain, one huge takeaway for her has to be mental toughness. Learning how to handle pressure, staying focused in challenging situations, managing stress, and most importantly learning how to shut all the negative comments out have been her biggest takeaways from her sport.

“I learned to be mentally tough, setbacks and failures are a part of the journey and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them,” Prarthana says. “Learning to bounce back, adapt, and maintain motivation in the face of adversity is something that I am still working on. I am sure there are many more lessons left to learn.”

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Balancing Act

As someone who understands the importance of maintaining a healthy work life balance, she enjoys watching films, tv shows, reading, baking, solving puzzles, and spending quality time with friends. She is an avid reader, a habit she began as a toddler – “I can’t fall asleep without reading at least one chapter from a book,” Prarthana remarks. “I also love glass painting, which I started by helping my mum when I was around 11. I now conduct workshops and teach glass painting to others. I have been wanting to try my hands on some macrame and crochet,” she says.

Looking ahead, in 2024 she is hoping to take part in more championships, including a few international events. Currently, she is in the process of looking for sponsors and is training to complete a full season in the F1600. She hopes to break a couple more records by becoming the first girl to win a race in that category. “I would also like to represent India in the FIA Motorsport Games 2024 that is happening in Spain. I aim to secure a seat in the Indian Racing League resulting in being one of six female drivers,” she signs off.

Follow Prarthana Murugavel on Instagram

Reading Time: 5 min