Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveIshana Night Shyamalan: Carrying forward the family legacy with her directorial debut

Ishana Night Shyamalan: Carrying forward the family legacy with her directorial debut

Compiled by: Amrita Priya

(April 30, 2024) Following in the footsteps of her father, Manoj Nelliyattu ‘M. Night’ Shyamalan, Ishana Night Shyamalan also graduated from his alma mater, New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Similar to her father’s journey, the Indian American youngster has turned into a filmmaker.

She started her career by working on music videos and short films before stepping into the world of filmmaking. The 22-year-old, recently released the trailer of her debut feature film, ‘The Watchers,’ which boasts of an impressive star ensemble including Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan, and Olwen Fouere.

Scheduled to hit theatres in June 2024, ‘The Watchers’ trailer went viral soon after its release. In her debut feature film Ishana has worked on a horror-themed narrative, a genre that her father is renowned for.

Influences in approach to cinema

Although Ishana is deeply inspired by her father, she shared in an interview that a significant influence on her craft also comes from the works of Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. “I think like in my bones, I’m most inspired by Miyazaki,” she remarked adding, “Like I just think those have been the movies that throughout my life have moved me the most and they’re very sacred things to me. So, in many ways, this was just like chasing the experience that I feel when I watch those movies, which is one of wonder and adventure and innocence in many ways.”

Wong Kar-wai, Hong Kong’s director, screenwriter and producer and Polish film director Krzysztof Kieślowski are some of the other filmmakers who have had an influence on Ishana’s approach to cinema.

Carrying forward the legacy

“From making shorts, to going to Tisch, to becoming one of our top writer/directors on ‘Servant’ (TV series) to this incredible moment of #TheWatchers in theatres this summer… Ishana has always made me very proud. And even better than making a dazzling film, she is a wonderful person,” tweeted her proud father. He had immigrated with his doctor parents from Pondicherry to the USA when he was six weeks old.

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The New York University Tisch School of the Arts alumni graduated in 1992, adopting ‘Night’ as his second name during his time there. A blend of Eastern and Western influences in name extended to his three children, including Ishana.

Not the first father-daughter collaboration

It’s not the first time that the father-daughter duo has collaborated for a project. Ishana contributed to M. Night Shyamalan’s eerie Apple TV+ series ‘The Servant,’ as a writer and co-writer for 10 episodes and as director for six episodes. She also served as the second unit director for her father’s box office hits, ‘Old’ (2021) and the recent ‘Knock at the Cabin’ (2023). Both the productions had topped the charts during their opening weekends.

While working with him, M. Night Shyamalan, Ishana, his middle daughter, inherited his knack and expertise for crafting suspense, thrills, and compelling drama. “The training from him has existed my whole life,” she remarked.

Ishana Night Shyamalan at the sets of M Night Shyamalan’s movie ‘Old’ (2021)

For her directorial debut, Ishana adapted the screenplay from a novel by the Irish author A.M Shine who has written several literary horror masterpieces.

Talking about her adaptation Ishana remarked, “It’s a journey of suspense that hopefully leads into a feeling of wonder at the end. My hope is it’s an experience that plays on that sense of unease – then takes you to a bigger, wonderful place.”

Pursuing art to survive

Since she was a child Ishana was creatively inclined whether it was painting, ballet, poetry and even designing clothes.

“I’ve moved through different forms of art throughout my whole life and kind of later in life came to filmmaking. But there’s really been no other option in terms of my psyche – I’ve only felt that I need to be doing art to survive,” she remarked.

For nearly twenty years, Ishana and her family, including her siblings Saluki and Shivani, along with their parents Bhavna and their father, have lived in Ravenwood, a 1937 Georgian revival house nestled on a 125-acre estate in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Proudly, the father has also backed Ishana’s directorial debut through his production company, Blinding Edge Pictures.

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Published on 30, Apr 2024

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swiitchbeauty: How Rabia Ghoor built one of South Africa’s largest cosmetics brands

(July 28, 2024) She's a millionaire running her own fashion brand, is called the Kylie Jenner of South Africa and has even been cancelled by actor Halle Berry on Jimmy Kimmel Live! All this by the age of 23. Rabia Ghoor began her own 'swiitchbeauty' cosmetics brand when she was 14 years old. Less than a decade later, her community-centric, tech-enabled cosmetics company has grown to become one of South Africa's largest skincare brands. 'for lazy people, by even lazier people, since 2014', she writes, on the swiitchbeauty website - her products reflect this, they're meant for young people with hectic schedules, who are looking for a fuss-free, easy to use line of cosmetics, that fit somewhere between high-end products and pharmacy brands. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rabia Ghoor (@rabiaghoor) The entrepreneurship mindset If entrepreneurship is a mindset, then this intrepid young Global Indian embodies the idea. Growing up in Pretoria, the capital city of South Africa, Rabia's entrepreneurial forays began much before swiitchbeauty - she was finding ways to turn a profit by the time she was 10 years old. "I would go with my father to this bulk buy place and

The entrepreneurship mindset

If entrepreneurship is a mindset, then this intrepid young Global Indian embodies the idea. Growing up in Pretoria, the capital city of South Africa, Rabia's entrepreneurial forays began much before swiitchbeauty - she was finding ways to turn a profit by the time she was 10 years old. "I would go with my father to this bulk buy place and get stickers. Those were very cool at the time, so I would take my table outside and sell the stickers I bought," she said. When her classmates decided "they were too lazy to walk to the dustbin to throw their trash," Rabia bought a bunch of small buckets, which she sold to them. They could fill the buckets with trash and empty them in the bin later, saving them multiple trips up and down.

As she and her friends began experimenting with makeup for the first time, Rabia discovered the joys of YouTube. She sought out beauty influencers who shared makeup tutorials and product reviews to get tips. Rabia realised that most of these influencers lived abroad, and that there weren't many people in South Africa doing it. Also, the influencers had access to a much wider range of products. "American, European or Asian brands that are unavailable here in South Africa were constantly innovating and evolving - especially in the digital space - while South African brands lagged behind, or just straight up didn't exist," she writes. Her friends would pull out expensive little vanity cases and show off the branded make up they had brought abroad, which were simply impossible to find in South Africa.

Unlike most teenagers, who might have thought about the problem and moved on, Rabia wondered why she couldn't be the one to fill that gap. The project took shape from a "4 square meter area" in her bedroom. While selling stickers and buckets in the school playground is one thing, building a company was a whole other ballgame, as Rabia soon learned.

Making the ‘swiitch’

Rabia also took inspiration from her father, an intrepid businessman himself, who had dropped out of high school too, and seen a string of successes and failures as an entrepreneur. He even gave her a seed fund of R6000 and gave her resources for product sourcing, formulation, e-commerce, packaging, manufacturing and design. to create a beauty brand that was easy on the pocket and which made products that were actually suited to daily use. "Things that did what they said they were going to do," is how Rabia puts it.

Rabia had no high school diploma, let alone an MBA. She functioned from instinct, learning as much as she could from the internet - it meant learning from scratch, how are products made, packaged, distributed and sold? How is a brand created? She knew that her company would cater to the gap in the South African market, and provide goods and services that were world class but easy on the pocket at the same time. "I began by asking myself why I liked a particular product, and it usually came down to specific ingredients and manufacturing techniques," she said. "Doing research on these ingredients and techniques was very beneficial."

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Building her brand

In 2015, she made her first sale. "I didn't sleep at all during that first year," she has said, many times over. "I would be up till 3 am packaging orders, then wake up at 6 am to get to school. I was exhausted." Her exhaustion soon began to show and one morning, when she walked downstairs, her mother simply said, "Rabia, you're not going to school today, are you?" Rabia said no. "You're not going back ever, are you," her mum continued. And Rabia said no, again. That's how she quit high school at the age of 15, in 2016, to build a business as her classmates planned outfits for the end-of-year dance. "I just never went back," she laughs, as she recalls. Her parents had seen her running the business for over a year by that time, and had full faith in her. "My parents had seen what I could do with putting only half my attention into it," she says.

The realisation that she was in an unpleasant rut motivated her to get going. Her parents had just let her be to find her own way, which Rabia is grateful for always. She had to return to her bottom line, and why she had started swiitchbeauty in the first place. She listened to motivational podcasts and focussed on structuring her days and growing her business. Fortunately, order was restored quickly and Rabia hired four people to her staff.

What began an idea, with an Instagram page and two products, now has a long range of cosmetics and over 100k followers on Instagram. "I wanted a tech-enabled, affordable-priced and transparent beauty brand," she said. It was to be a homegrown product that her fellow South Africans, irrespective of race and gender, would be proud to use everyday. That's not the brand's only USP, though. swiitchbeauty stands apart from its competitors because Rabia and her team are constantly engaging with and interacting with her customers on Instagram. They get feedback and new ideas straight from her followers, along with educational tutorials made by real people who actually used swiitchbeauty products everyday. That's why she stresses on being a "tech-enabled" brand, dealing with a tech-savvy young market. "Social media has been a gift to our generation of businesses," she says. They tap into local social media influencers as well, which helped amplify the brand's customer base.

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"I am focussing on dominating the market of South African beauty enthusiasts before branching out into the more competitive international field," she says. "I also feel that for now the rest of the world is well-taken care of in terms of make-up." Her 'vocal for local' approach has helped her grow the company tremendously, into one of the country's biggest beauty brands. The "money has been great too," she said in an interview, "but at present turnover is not my core focus. My main purpose is to provide my customers with the best product at the best price and build a sustainable business that will bear fruit in the future."

Follow swiitchbeauty on Instagram.

Reading Time: 6 mins

Grammy whammies: Notes from 12 Indian musicians that shone at the awards

(April 8, 2022) When Ricky Kej’s soulful notes coupled with Steward Copeland’s eclectic music gave Divine Tides an ethereal essence, one was transported into a reverie of beautiful music. Winning the Grammy in the best new album category at the 64th annual Grammy Awards ceremony at Las Vegas in April, brought back the spotlight on Indian talent and how it has shone on the world stage. Falguni Shah took home the statue in the children’s music album category. It is shocking though that melody queen Lata Mangeshkar never won a Grammy. Global Indian turns the spotlight on the 12 outstanding musicians from India who have been honoured with the Grammy since 1959. Some are multi-Grammy winners too. Here’s the GI list of maestros… Pandit Ravi Shankar, sitarist and composer Shankar (7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) got nominated for the Grammy awards six times, and won it five times, out of which two were posthumous honours. The sitar maestro was recognised as the world's best exponent of north Indian classical music in the second half of the 20th century. He developed a distinct style establishing confluence of north Indian classical music with rhythm practices of Carnatic music. Shankar was fond

classical music in the second half of the 20th century. He developed a distinct style establishing confluence of north Indian classical music with rhythm practices of Carnatic music. Shankar was fond of closing his performances with a piece inspired by the light-classical thumri genre.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS8rwRwmwRE

The stalwart introduced at least 31 new ragas, including Ahir Lalit, Bhawani Bhairav, Bairagi Rasiya, Yaman Manjh, Tilak Shyam, etc. He also introduced a new percussive sitar technique called Goonga Sitar, in which the strings are muffled with a cloth.

Zubin Mehta, conductor of eastern and western classical music

Mehta (born 29 April 1936) has been nominated an impressive 23 times between 1969 and 2007, winning five times. He is currently the conductor emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO). Several orchestras throughout the world have bestowed on him the title of honorary conductor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSp0sApmS6Q

Recently, Mehta made extensive number of tours with the Bavarian State Opera. Mehta and philanthropist Josef Buchmann have founded the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music as a partnership between the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Tel Aviv University. Mehta is the school's honorary president and has remained actively involved since its inception.

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Thetakudi Harihara Vinayakram, percussionist

Vinayakram (born 11 August 1942) has been revered as the god of ghatam (earthern pot) as his renditions with Carnatic music explore the versatility of the ghatam, making it immensely popular. He won in the category of Best World Music Album in 1991 with Ustad Zakir Hussain for their work, Planet Drum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22c100WxNrY

Vinayakram is the principal of Sri Jaya Ganesh Tala Vadya Vidyalaya in Chennai. The academy was established by his late father and teacher in 1958 and Vinayakram has been taking the legacy forward guiding and producing new stars of Carnatic percussion.

Ustad **Zakir Hussain, tabla maestro**

Hussain (born 9 March 1951) wears many hats. He is a tabla maestro, percussionist, music producer, composer and film actor. He has been nominated thrice for Grammy bagging the award twice.

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The founding member of Bill Laswell’s World Music Supergroup Tabla Beat Science was amongst many musicians invited by President Barack Obama to the International Jazz Day 2016 All-Star Global Concert at the White House. He has been performing at concerts across the globe.

Follow Ustad Zakir Hussain on Instagram

Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Hindustani classical music instrumentalist

Bhatt (born 27 July 1950), plays the Mohan veena (slide guitar). He was nominated twice and won the Grammy once. Many western musical instruments like violin, harmonium, mandolin, archtop guitar, and electric guitar have been accepted in the Indian classical music. Bhatt developed and named his hybrid slide guitar as Mohan Veena. It has been accepted in the list of Indian classical instrument as well.

[embed]https://twitter.com/VishwaMBhatt1/status/1470379217024008197?s=20&t=3p5Bju1onfZ5ETQrEL1C3Q[/embed]

He is also known for fusion and pan-cultural collaborations with western artists such as Béla Fleck and Jerry Douglas. He returned to stage after a crucial head surgery last year.

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AR Rahman, music composer

Rahman (born 6 January 1967) has been primarily working in Hindi and Tamil films since his film debut Roja in 1992. He has been nominated to the Grammy twice in the same year (2008) for best compilation soundtrack album and best song written for visual media for Slumdog Millionnaire, and he won in both the categories. The film fetched him an Oscar as well.

[embed]https://twitter.com/arrahman/status/1510768641142272003?s=20&t=PYe1CmTPEk2Jp59utZWYAA[/embed]

In 2009, he was featured on the Time list of the world's 100 most influential people and in 2017, he made his debut as a director and writer for Le Musk. He has recently released a modern-day anthem, Moopilla Thamizhe which is composed, arranged, and produced by him celebrating Tamil culture and the achievements of the people of the state in various fields.

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Sridhar, sound engineer

Sridhar (born 1958 – 1 Dec 2008) was known for his work with AR Rahman. He won the Grammy in 2008 under the best compilation soundtrack album category for the movie Slumdog Millionnaire with AR Rahman and PA Deepak.

[embed]https://twitter.com/arr4u/status/1002082445775261696?s=20&t=5eP86tZwz0OgE9HPvBlO9w[/embed]

In his career, he engineered over 200 films and worked closely with Indian directors of repute. Incidentally, he engineered all songs and background scores for the renowned music director AR Rahman. He had pioneered the use of digital sound for Indian films in the DTS format. He had also engineered and mixed albums for international artists.

PA Deepak, mix engineer and record producer

Deepak (born 10 January 1982) won the Grammy for the movie Slumdog Millionaire with AR Rahman and H Sridhar. He started his career as a guitarist and later became a recording engineer.

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Apart from being a full-time mix engineer, he does music programming and plays various string instruments out of pure interest and passion. He has been collaborating with various renowned artists and performing as a music producer and mix engineer.

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Tanvi Shah, recording artist

Tanvi (born on 1 December 1985) is the first Indian woman to win a Grammy. She sings in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and Afro-Cuban. She experiments with a wide range of music with her band. Her adaptability has been proven in her collaborative work with international music producers such as Jeremy Hawkins (USA), Gio Ortega (USA), David Batteau (USA), Che Pope (USA), and DJ Salah of Germany.

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She has donated her song, Zindagi, produced by JHawk, to the End Polio campaign album that features international artistes such as, Ziggy Marley, Itzhak Perlman, David Sanborn Donovan and members of the Congolese band.

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Gulzar, lyricist

Gulzar (born 18 August 1934) wears the hats of a poet, lyricist, screenwriter, author, and film director. He picked his first Grammy in the category best song written for visual media for Slumdog Millionaire with AR Rahman and Tanvi Shah. He also won an Oscar for it too. Gulzar made his debut as a lyricist with the 1963 film Bandini and has since worked with many music directors – from RD Burman to AR Rahman. Gulzar has prolifically written lyrics and dialogues for several popular Doordarshan TV series including Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland, and Hello Zindagi. His latest work as lyricist is for Darlings, a comedy drama releasing this year.

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Ricky Kej, music composer

Kej (born 5 August 1981) is not only a music composer but also an environmentalist. He was nominated for the Grammy twice and won both the times, one in 2015 for Winds of Samsara and another in 2022 for his album Divine Tides in the best new age album category. The talented artist has performed at venues in over 30 countries including at the United Nations headquarters in New York and Geneva. Kej was named a UNCCD Land Ambassador at the COP14 to raise public awareness about the challenges of desertification, land degradation, and drought.

[embed]https://twitter.com/rickykej/status/1510809703403597826?s=20&t=3p5Bju1onfZ5ETQrEL1C3Q[/embed]

He also serves as a UNESCO - MGIEP Global Ambassador for Kindness, ambassador for the Earth Day Network and UNICEF Celebrity Supporter. Kej has performed in three large-scale virtual concerts between April and July 2020 due to the pandemic restrictions with audience of over 75 countries with an estimated viewership of over 200 million people.

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Neela Vaswani, artist

Neela Vaswani (born 11th September 1974) is an American writer of Indian origin, and professor of creative writing, literature and cultural studies. She narrated the audio version of I am Malala winning Grammy for it in 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4utcZ3IoPgo

She lives in New York City, and is the founder of Storylines Project that she started in partnership with New York Public Library. Before the win Neela did not even know that it is possible for a children's audio book to be nominated for such a prestigious award.

Falguni Shah, vocalist and composer

Falguni blends ancient classical Indian melodies with contemporary western sounds. She has won the Grammy 2022 under the best children music album category for her album A Colourful World. Since 2020, Falu also teams up with bassist Yasushi Nakamura, drummer Clarence Penn and guitarist, and vocalist Clay Ross to form the American Patchwork Quartet.

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The Quartet interprets timeless songs in a modern 21st century perspective, leveraging immigrant histories and backgrounds. The group has been tour performing arts centres around the world, till date.

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Reading Time: 8 mins

Anurudh Ganesan, the young innovator revolutionising the healthcare world

(March 30, 2023) Almost every year, over one million kids die as a result of not getting vaccinated on time. The unavailability of vaccination transportation and storage facilities in several developing parts of the world has proven to be fatal for those who cannot afford expensive healthcare institutions. While the world leaders are still discussing the issue, a young innovator - Anurudh Ganesan - has been working tirelessly to resolve the problem in his backyard. At just 15, Anurudh invented VAXXWAGON, a portable refrigeration system to transport vaccines safely and effectively. The invention won him a slew of awards, including the LEGO Education Builder Award and the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. The VAXXWAGON runs on a "no ice, no electricity" system and is very cost-effective (less than $100), and can also keep the temperature consistent for several hours at a stretch. Living in Clarksburg, USA, the young innovator's VAXXWAGON is inspired by the problems faced by healthcare workers who have to transport vaccines to the remotest corners of the world. After working on the prototype for several years, the youngster came up with a machine that would require only 2.3 watts of energy to cool a well-insulated cold

tPdf/11314" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VAXXWAGON is inspired by the problems faced by healthcare workers who have to transport vaccines to the remotest corners of the world. After working on the prototype for several years, the youngster came up with a machine that would require only 2.3 watts of energy to cool a well-insulated cold chamber. "In this day and age, nobody should die from vaccine-preventable diseases," the innovator believes, "I’m committed to seeing this project through to the next phase. I will have succeeded when the first person’s life is saved because of VAXXWAGON.”

Destiny's child

When he was an infant, his grandparents carried him ten miles in rural South India to get him his routine polio vaccination. When they finally arrived, they found the vaccines were useless after having not been refrigerated for an extended period. "I was fortunate," he told Global Indian, adding, "For many, that trek to be vaccinated is a matter of life and death." Anurudh was able to receive the vaccine the next day but realised that so many others aren’t as lucky, with 4,000 children dying every day from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Always the one to raise important questions and come up with innovative solutions, he recalls asking his father when he was five years old, about inventing a vehicle that doesn't need gas. Anurudh didn't stop there. He went on to research the subject, learning everything he could about self-generating power. In keeping with this, VAXXWAGON works with "wheel-powered refrigeration". As the wheel turns, mechanical energy is converted to thermal energy and can keep vaccines cold for up to 16 hours after being powered for only half that time.

What an idea

It was while he was working on a school project that the young innovator got the idea for VAXXWAGON. He read several textbooks to learn everything he could about refrigeration, then he did research online to learn more about vaccines. Next, he began formulating his ideas on paper. Rather than relying on electricity or ice, Anurudh figured out a way to use wheels to power a refrigeration system for about eight hours. The entire rechargeable cooling system can be pulled to areas in need of vaccines by bicycle, car, or animal.

However, there was a loophole in his design that he not only identified but also managed to fix. To be safe and effective, vaccines must maintain a "Goldilocks temperature" between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius — similar to a very cold refrigerator — from the time they leave the manufacturers to the moment they reach the patient. Hospitals will package the vaccine on ice, but this can easily backfire if the ice is too cold and freezes the vials, or if it melts before the vaccine reaches its destination. "I took a refrigerator apart," the innovator recalled, adding, "I saw how it worked and tried to re-engineer it so that it used no electricity and no ice to provide accurate refrigeration of vaccines while in transport." All this, in roughly $100.

Eventually, Anurudh took his design to professors at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland for advice. Not only did they confirm that VAXXWAGON could work, but they also offered Anurudh funding to help build it. To test the prototype he had built, the innovator ran the VAXXWAGON on a treadmill at eight miles per hour for six hours — racking up the energy to power the refrigerator — and let it rest for nearly five hours to collect data while the compressor wasn't being powered. In this simulated last leg of the trip, the fake vaccines maintained a temperature in the Goldilocks ranges for over four hours.

The road ahead

After nearly two years of refining a half-dozen prototypes, Anurudh has a patent pending for his latest design of VAXXWAGON now. He has won several awards for his innovation including Google Science Fair and also got a chance to demonstrate the working of the machine to US President Obama at the annual White House Science Fair. However, his main priority at this time is to start selling the machine to relief organisations by the end of the year so it can be used to help people around the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnDevi9r0hM

“In my mind,” the innovator said, "my design will be a success as soon as it saves even a single life. If it can save one life, it can save many more.” Currently, pursuing a finance degree at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Anurudh's message to the other young innovators is quite simple. "Don’t give up on your ideas. But always try to help others with your projects. That’s the point of innovation - to help people."

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Reading Time: 6 mins

Radha Pandya: Taking forward the traditional art form of Bharatanatyam in the US

(November 11, 2023) Kohl-rimmed eyes, with beautiful mudras, and nuanced facial expressions, there's a story unfolding on the stage at Piscataway in New Jersey. The 18-year-old Indian American is bringing to life the story of Krishna, an Indian god, who helped protect Draupadi after her husband lost her in a game of dice. This is her 40th performance on stage, ever since she began learning the traditional dance art form of Bharatanatyam at the age of four. In these years, she has dedicated herself to honing a 3,000-year-old Indian dance, ensuring that the legacy of her culture is passed on through the generations. "When we are growing up in America, away from our origins of India or other areas around there, I think we sometimes lose our connection with our culture," said Radha, adding, "This is what keeps us tied to that... dancing and teaching this to young kids is a way of preserving this legacy, especially this super old and ancient dance form." A senior at Piscataway High School, Radha started learning Bharatanatyam in Greensboro, North Carolina with Veena Argade, and later with Priya Gopal. She later began training under Guru Srimathi Selvi Chandranathan, who trained Radha at Bharata

, Radha started learning Bharatanatyam in Greensboro, North Carolina with Veena Argade, and later with Priya Gopal. She later began training under Guru Srimathi Selvi Chandranathan, who trained Radha at Bharata Kala Nrityakshetra dance school in Piscataway. Her Guru got a glimpse of her talent even when she was a kid, and knew that she had the potential to make it big.

With over a million Asians that live in New Jersey, Indian Americans make up the largest ethnic group. And it's this Indian community in New Jersey that has helped cement the tradition and infuse the culture and history of India in the natives.

It's been rigorous training for the last 14 years for Radha, and is keen to carry the legacy of Bharatanatyam forward through her art. For her, everything comes alive as she takes the centrestage, and immerses herself in the art form. Growing up, she heard stories and now portraying those stories on the big stage, she feels honoured. Bringing to life the story of Krishna, she considers it a responsibility that she needs to uphold with dignity. "Performing this scene (protecting Draupadi) was very emotional because you are playing these different roles. You are playing the bad king, the good king, and then you are playing the woman who's trying to save herself and her dignity. And then you are playing the saviour," the Global Indian added.

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

At a time when most kids her age prefer dancing to Bollywood tunes, she wants to keep the tradition of Bharatanatyam alive through her performances. "For me, I have been wanting to do this forever," added Radha, who says that her art form is completely different from what her friends have opted for. "A lot of them do Bollywood dances or things that are seen on TV and commercialized, but this is a completely classical dance, so it is a little different from what you normally see," said the teenager.

In the last 14 years, Radha's dance journey has helped her develop a greater appreciation for her culture and heritage. Radha, who is interested in pursuing the sciences in the future, and has also been part of the Princeton W.E.B Du Bois Accelerated Learning Academy, is keen to take the art form to the next level. Her love for Bharatanatyam goes beyond performances as she is also mentoring young students in the art form.

Reading Time: 4 min

How Sri Nihal Tammana’s recyclemybattery.org has recycled 145,000 batteries, and counting…

(December 21,2021) Recycling batteries for a better future Recycle My Battery has recycled over 145,000 used batteries Every day almost 15 billion batteries are purchased to power everyday objects, most of which end up in landfills. In Edison, New Jersey, a seventh grader works tirelessly to rid the world of battery pollutants, aspiring to make the world safe from fires. Interestingly, his campaign also started when a fire at a waste plant in California caused million of dollars' worth of damage. When Sri Nihal Tammana read about it on his tenth birthday, he realised the culprit was a discarded lithium-ion battery. That became a clarion call for the 12-year-old to start a campaign to rid the Earth of used batteries. It galvanised the community, and like-minded children to begin collecting and recycling all types of batteries. Most importantly to save the planet. The little boy founded recyclemybattery.org which has grown exponentially since it began in 2019. Collaborations with Call2Recycle, today there are recycle bins in 200 US locations, and the non-profit is also working with US school superintendents, covering over 200 schools (200,000 children). [caption id="attachment_8698" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Recharge My Battery founder Sri Nihal Tammana[/caption] "I started to learn about

,000 children).

[caption id="attachment_8698" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Recharge My Battery founder Sri Nihal Tammana[/caption]

"I started to learn about all types of batteries, and how chemicals cause pollution when they end up in landfills, poisoning groundwater and damaging the ecosystem. I realised that our entire world is powered by batteries, and they are only going to be more widely used. I founded Recycle My Battery to address this," says the pint-sized TEDx speaker, environmentalist, eco-hero and Point of Light honouree.

His large, observant bespectacled eyes light up at the mention of science and sustainability. The winner of the NJ Governor’s Award and the Jefferson Award for his work, Nihal has a sensibility that defies his years.

The method to the research

The Woodrow Wilson student, Nihal researched on how to prevent batteries ending up in landfills, and it was a huge turning point that has been the guiding light that is slowly creating a change. "I started RMB to reduce the 15 billion batteries that are carelessly thrown away each year to zero. We have an amazing team of over 150 kids, and have achieved so much in the two years thanks to my team! We have recycled over 145,000 used batteries so far, and educated over an estimated one million people." Now, Nihal hopes to reach India with his campaign.

[caption id="attachment_8700" align="aligncenter" width="837"] Sri Nihal Tammana[/caption]

Always thinking ahead, partnering with Call2Recycle and Best Brains helped spread RMB’s wings across the US. Call2Recycle offered free battery bins while Best Brains helped right from initiation, advising on where to place battery bins in over 150 locations. Today, 145,000 used batteries have been recycled and the team has educated an estimated one million people on battery disposal, etc.

The 2009 March-born student has been STEM-inclined since he was a toddler, and thus math and science were his favourite subjects.

Infact, Nihal already had dreams of becoming a successful entrepreneur even though his parents were concerned that he was too young to start an organisation. He started it, anyway. At age 10, news of fires and lithium-ion batteries put him well and truly on this path. His younger sister is in awe while his parents who work in IT, and are extremely encouraging, especially his father, "He kept motivating me towards my dreams. Without him, I wouldn't have started my organisation!" says Nihal. Nihal loves speaking to his grandparents in Vijaywada, India, and often regales them with his stellar achievements.

From recycle to spreading awareness

The TedX speaker admits sheepishly to being extremely nervous on the podium, and it took two months of practice to prepare for his TedX speech. The Eco-Hero awardee is a 12-year-old who has only just begun tackling world problems. With the help of more than a 145 strong childrens’ team, today RMB has placed more than 250 battery bins across the US. "We have also won 15 plus national and international awards," chirps Nihal.

The PEYA Award is what Nihal cherishes the most, One in a Million Award, NJDEP Recycling Award, Citizens Award, Nihal is thankful for the acclaim and attributes it to team effort, and the partners who supported his dream.

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If STEM subjects bring a glint to Nihal's eyes, he is also a proficient artist, and has won national awards for his distinctive drawings, one of which is shared below. "I have loved art and drawing since I was little. It was super creative and fun to draw, and impress everyone. I drew frenetically just to pass time - 100s of drawing, and I have gotten many awards," says the achiever who seems earnest and adult in demeanour.

The boy who has received appreciation from New Jersey state senators Bob Menendez, Sam Thompson, Patrick Diegnan and Vin Gopal, and Edison Mayor Thomas Lankey, exudes a wisdom beyond his years, and is grateful for their support which has furthered RMB.

As other children were gaming or playing tag, Nihal went CEO hunting to ask for support. That came in the form of kudos from Kevin Kassekert, COO of Redwood Materials, among many others.

Experience and impact has already given Tammana the depth to charter new paths in his life. His research-minded proclivity takes him forward, "I tend to do research to learn more about the environment, waste management, and recycling! When I see the battery bin is full, I feel very proud that people are using the bins that we place," says Nihal who still has ample amount of schoolwork to do, his first priority. After that comes RMB work, and of course, research.

[caption id="attachment_8702" align="aligncenter" width="772"] Sri Nihal Tammana[/caption]

Busy increasing RMB's influence across the US, the 12-year-old was also hired to research on waste management by an Indian firm. "I was recently hired as the youngest research lead at the Delhi-based EnviroVigyan (started by a professor and some PhDs). I want to do more research to learn more about waste management now," he adds. He also blogs for them.

Higher goals, ahoy

Egged on in no small measure by parents in IT, Nihal now has a clear goal in mind - of studying at an Ivy League like Stanford, and learn about environmental science, business development, science, space science and math.

For budding STEM students, his advice is, "Always go after your dreams and never give up! Failure leads to success!"

Having the right mentors opened a whole world of learning and opportunities, and Nihal is grateful for the guidance of Professor Dr Madigosky, Call2Recycle ex-CEO Carl Smith and his dad who "has guided and supported me throughout my journey to bring down the 15 billion batteries thrown away each year to 0!" he smiles.

It's not all work and no play, with doodling giving him the space to rejuvenate, playing and developing video games adding some fun, yet on any given day, reading and researching touts all else.

[caption id="attachment_8696" align="aligncenter" width="541"] A doodle by Sri Nihal Tammana[/caption]

"I practice martial arts, and recently got my black belt in Taekwondo. I love to learn about space. My dream is to become a space scientist. I hope to learn lessons from space to help us improve life on Earth," says the boy who has his own YouTube channel Learn with Nihal, where he educates through videos.

"In my spare time I draw and have also won some national awards for my work. I like to develop and play games on Roblox with my friends," smiles the boy who recently came third at a school geography competition, the GeoBee.

The world is his oyster, and Nihal is already thinking ahead, about how alkaline batteries help grow corn (which even the author did not know), and, a hopeful wish, "I want to start another company that can develop clean batteries in the years to come."

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