Titas Sadhu: Taking India to a historic win in Women’s cricket at Asian Games 2023
Compiled by: Team GI Youth
(October 1, 2023) Clad in Indian jerseys, the women in blue entered the cricket pitch at Hangzhou with the promise of winning the game against Sri Lanka. And staying true to their vow, the Indian Women’s cricket team won a historic gold medal in cricket at the Asian Games 2023. While the team did everything to clinch the gold, it was Titas Sadhu who orchestrated a dream start by picking up three wickets in four overs and giving only six runs. The 18-year-old became a star for India at the Asian Games 2023 with her pace and swing bowling, helping India clinch its very first gold medal in cricket. “It was always a dream to play for the country but I had never expected that it would come true so soon,” she told ESPN in an interview. It was in the semi-finals against Bangladesh that Titas made her international debut.
Born in the Chinsurah district of West Bengal in 2004, Titas was always interested in sports, thanks to her father, who was an athlete. But cricket wasn’t her first love, instead, she had her eyes on swimming. So much so that she enrolled in Chinsurah Rajendra Smriti Sangha Academy on the outskirts of Kolkata to hone her skills in the sport. However, over the years, she developed an interest in cricket and started playing the sport at the age of 13. “It wasn’t for my love of cricket that I joined it. Instead, I started playing it as a fun activity since I would often watch the academy matches and also help them. But when I started performing well, my interest in the sport started growing, and that’s how cricket happened to me,” she added. It was her father who was the wind beneath her wings, always encouraging and motivating her. “It’s very important to have someone at a young age who pushes you, despite knowing your limits. I’m so glad that my dad kept pushing me to do better. He is like a friend to me.”
However, she had to wait for her chance to break into the West Bengal cricket team. While she failed to clear the trials in the first go, Class 10th board exams forced her to miss out on the 2018-19 season. “Though it was heartbreaking I realised that I wanted to be a part of the U19 team. That’s when I started getting more invested in the game.”
It was after Covid-19 that Titas joined the senior Bengal squad in the 2020-21 season. She was only 16 when Bengal women’s coach Shib Shankar Paul saw her at one of the training sessions and realised her potential. He soon picked her up for three practice sessions. However, in the first few matches, Titas was unable to prove herself on the pitch and had to be dropped.
However, she was determined to bounce back and kept performing well in the inter-district matches and the Cricket Association of Bengal-affiliated tournaments. In 2022, she played in the Women’s T20 tournament and ended up taking seven wickets in five matches, thus cementing her position in the senior squad. Talking about the Women’s Premiere League, she said, “You get to play with the players from other countries, and you find that their perspective on cricket and life is very different from ours. And it also gives us the nudge to incorporate those perspectives in our game.”
But it’s with the Asian Games 2023 finals against Sri Lanka that Titas proved her mettle as a cricketer. “It was special as we don’t get to clinch a gold at the Asian Games every time, and representing India as an athlete was a proud moment. I literally had goosebumps standing on the podium receiving the medal,” she said.
(December 5, 2023) As a nine-year-old, when Muskaan Jubbal went full throttle at a karting track, she felt the adrenaline rush like never before. Being behind the wheels thrilled her to bits and negotiating the curves on the track instilled a sense of control. Thereafter, the need for speed refused to die down. On the contrary, it revved into top gear. So much so that she went on to clinch the ‘best woman driver’ title in the MRF MMSC Indian National Car Racing Championship held in Chennai recently. [caption id="attachment_34435" align="aligncenter" width="552"] Muskaan Jubbal[/caption] A hard-won victory “It was definitely not easy, with this championship also being the first season I participated in. It was mixed grid and most of the racers were double my age and experience,” smiles Muskaan, as she connects with Global Indian. Moreover, the 16-year-old says, it was raining during the race, which resulted in most of the racers spinning due to the wet track conditions. “I was extremely happy that I could prove myself, especially in those tough track conditions. And it is truly overwhelming when people come forward to congratulate you. It encourages you to keep at it and do better,” says the Grade 11 student of Shiv Nadar School, Faridabad. The
Moreover, the 16-year-old says, it was raining during the race, which resulted in most of the racers spinning due to the wet track conditions. “I was extremely happy that I could prove myself, especially in those tough track conditions. And it is truly overwhelming when people come forward to congratulate you. It encourages you to keep at it and do better,” says the Grade 11 student of Shiv Nadar School, Faridabad.
The ‘next big thing’ in Indian motorsport
Muskaan, whom many in the racing circuit refer to as the next big thing in Indian motorsport, raced her way into winning major motor sporting competitions across India, including the Ladies Open BND Wars India at Budh International circuit and Mahindra XUV 300 turbo sportswomen with drive off-road adventure zone, among others — all in a span of five years. She started taking part in competitions since 2018, when she was 11.
“I have had an inclination for cars and speed since the age of six,” says Muskaan, who happens to be the youngest and fastest female on the track. She recalls sharing the track with India’s first Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan. “I even took advice from him on how to improve my skills further,” she says of her meeting.
[caption id="attachment_34436" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Muskaan with Narain Karthikeyan[/caption]
Muskaan participated in the Sodi World Series - Karting championship in Dubai in 2020. “Participating at an international level made me stand with the strongest competitors from all around the world. Seeing them perform motivated me also to work harder towards achieving my dreams in motorsport.”
Need for Speed
Born January, 2007 in Faridabad, Muskaan’s father Jyotinder Singh Jubbal is the owner of Mahindra Stiller Auto Trucks Ltd., which is a manufacturing unit.
“Both my parents and brother are also into motorsport,” informs Muskaan, whose father loves participating in Autocross & TSD Rally formats. Her mother, Amandeep Kaur (Aman Jubbal), is also a National podium holder in Auto Gymkhana and has multiple podiums in Autocross, TSD Rallies & Rally.
Muskaan’s first national championship was the JK Tyre 4-stroke National Karting Championship in 2019. Additionally, in the same year, the FIA conducted three rounds of Girls on Track in India, where Muskaan emerged as the winner in all three rounds in karting slalom and achieved podium placements in sim racing. “These achievements in the first year greatly boosted my confidence in the sport, and there has been no looking back since then. It's more than just a sport, it's a passion.”
A strict regimen
Muskaan is a regular at the Buddh International Circuit (Tarmac) and the Off-Road Adventure Zone (Dirt & Off Road), where she goes for practice. She trains with motorsports enthusiast Rohit Khanna, whom she describes as an excellent coach who contributed to her wins. “I go to the track thrice or four times a week for practice,” says Muskaan.
An intensive regimen, which has Muskaan out on the track several times a week, as well as the frequent travel involved in races and training means she has to compromise on school work from time to time. She admits that juggling academics and professional sport isn’t always easy, but she tries to give them her best shot always. “But it's a bit easier for me as not only my school friends but all my teachers are also extremely supportive and encouraging,” says the youngster.
The youngest on the circuit
Recalling her experiences from various championships, Muskaan says the perception is different when people don't know you and tend to treat her like a kid. “But when you win, it's an entirely different story. Opinions and perceptions do change, and then they have so many questions, which is always fun to answer. When people already know you at the event where you are participating, the expectations are always higher.”
Among her favourite cars is the Porsche 911. “It is unbelievably powerful and beautiful inside and out, and owning one would be a dream come true,” says Muskaan, whose favourite driver is Lando Norris, a Formula 1 driver for Mclaren.
So what are her future plans? “I want to fulfill my dream of becoming one of the best racers for sure. I would certainly love to make racing my full-time profession,” she says.
However, at the same time, Muskaan wants to keep a ‘Plan B’ ready. “It would undoubtedly involve a business or something related to the automotive industry,” she informs.
When she is not behind the wheels on a racing track, Muskaan loves to cook and try out new recipes. “I love listening to music, baking or you would find me at the golf course. I love playing Golf.”
(January 14, 2023) Growing up, student entrepreneur Simone Sharma dreamed of being a doctor. Life, however, had other plans. Along the way, she discovered that volunteer work could boost her CV and increase the odds of getting scholarships to good colleges. Although she wanted to give it a try, she didn’t know where to begin. The hunt for volunteering opportunities, however, sowed the seed for her own non-profit, YouthGrowYouth, which works with youngsters like herself. Little did she know that in a short span of time, she would be able to reach out to more than 60,000 highschoolers, create a team of volunteers from across the globe and connect youngsters to several opportunities. This successful stint with social entrepreneurship has influenced the seventeen-year-old’s future plans, inspiring her to study business instead of medicine. [caption id="attachment_26501" align="aligncenter" width="675"] Simone Sharma[/caption] Through YouthGrowYouth, Simone has been helping youngsters discover a rich array of extracurricular options, and explore their career interests. The non-profit’s programmes range from helping youngsters with volunteering positions, internships, mentorships, exclusive Ivy League programmes and more. “YouthGrowYouth has a team of 20 volunteers from India and places like Germany and Canada, who enable global online opportunities,” Simone tells Global Indian.
rma | Global Indian " width="675" height="735" /> Simone Sharma[/caption]
Through YouthGrowYouth, Simone has been helping youngsters discover a rich array of extracurricular options, and explore their career interests. The non-profit’s programmes range from helping youngsters with volunteering positions, internships, mentorships, exclusive Ivy League programmes and more.
“YouthGrowYouth has a team of 20 volunteers from India and places like Germany and Canada, who enable global online opportunities,” Simone tells Global Indian.
Impressive associations
Recently, the non-profit became affiliated with the United Nations Youth Council and has since expanded to promoting gender equality and mass literacy among vulnerable youth. “The UNYC affiliation has broadened our horizons as we get to be part of regional meetings and interact with board members,” remarks the youngster.
With Simone at the helm, YouthGrowYouth managed to get selected for the Crimson Youth Entrepreneurship Society’s 2022 cohort. “It’s a non-profit accelerator run by Harvard University students dedicated to help young founders create meaningful impacts in their communities and beyond,” tells Simone.
Excited about being part of such a significant cohort, chosen from amongst thousands of applicants, she says, “The selection process went on for three months. By the end of it, only 20 youth-led startups from all over the world were chosen. I am so glad we are one of them.”
The selection comes with the perks of resources for growth. “We are able to access many Harvard webinars, which aren’t otherwise available to the public. We also have access to Harvard-based mentors who groom us to make our startups better,” tells the young social entrepreneur.
Another interesting association has been YouthGowYouth’s selection for the first-ever Google Startup School India edition. Over the course of the nine-week online training programme, the early-stage startup founders were equipped with knowledge, tools and products that any growing organisation needs – all delivered by Google experts and unicorn founders.
The Bengaluru based teen is also one of the 120 participants selected out of 4,000 applicants for the YLC Leadership cum Entrepreneurship Conference. “In an online two-week programme, I was trained in a curriculum developed by Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School and Harvard Graduate School of Education on how to strengthen my organization’s presence,” she says.
Multifaceted teen
Social entrepreneurship, which Simone stumbled onto by chance, is not the only area in which the teenager excels. She has been a runner-up at the National Spelling Bee 2019. She has also tried her hand at pageantry and although she couldn’t earn the top spot in the Star Miss Teen India contest, she managed to earn the Miss Teen India Karnataka 2022 title as one of the finalists. There were other contestants representing the state.
“The contest was held at The Leela Palace, New Delhi. There were accomplished participants from across India. I managed to stand out in the talent round due to my poetry writing skills,” she mentions adding, ‘Though I stammered in nervousness when I was told to recite, losing my shot at winning the title, the days leading to the contest provided a holistic and growing experience for me.”
Her poems are part of two anthologies published by a publishing house named Writer’s Pocket Publishing. The daughter of an army colonel, Simone is good at sports, and has represented her district and state in basketball tournaments.
“It’s ironic that although I want to pursue business analytics, I am studying science,” smiles the 12th grader of Jain Heritage School. The student entrepreneur aspires to pursue her college education abroad and expand YouthGrowYouth on campus there, to widen its horizons even more.
(June 22, 2023) His dad was a cab driver, his mum managed to find work driving a bus. It was a time of hardship and great tenacity, as cricketer Jason Sangha's family worked against the odds to create a life for themselves in Sydney, Australia. Despite their financial constraints, Jason was encouraged to follow his great love - cricket. In 2017, Jason Sangha made his first-class debut for Cricket Australia XI, in a pre-Ashes game. During his second match, he scored his maiden first-class century, becoming the youngest player to score a first-class century against England, second only to cricketing god, Sachin Tendulkar. In December 2017, he was named the Australian team captain for the 2018, U-19 Cricket World Cup, becoming tournament's lead run-scorer, with 229 runs. A right-handed batsman and right-arm leg break bowler, the Global Indian now plays for New South Wales and Randwick Petersham in the New South Wales Premier Grade Cricket. And Sangha was always gifted, standing head and shoulders above any crowd, learning to face the highs and lows that come with being exceptional. "If he was a thoroughbred, his breeding would be Joe Root out of Virat Kohli," said Australian cricketer turned commentator Kerry
, his breeding would be Joe Root out of Virat Kohli," said Australian cricketer turned commentator Kerry O'Keeffe, who spotted Sangha's genius early on and made sure he found a spot on the Australian test team. As for Sangha himself, he has been through far too much already, from battling mental health issues, financial hardship, dealing with the pressures of his chosen vocation and learning to belong in a place where he would always feel different, to be swayed too much by life's highs and lows. "It's a rollercoaster," he often says. "Cricket is a rollercoaster."
[caption id="attachment_31329" align="aligncenter" width="445"] Jason Sangha[/caption]
Jason Sangha's story begins, not with the discovery of his own talent, but in Punjab with his father Kuldip, and in Sydney, where his mother Sylvia lived. His father, Jason writes, was the national 200m and 400m champion, who even competed at the Asian Games. However, sport being quite a political issue in rural Punjab, meant Kuldip's talent lost out to those who held political sway. Kuldip and Sylvia had an arranged marriage, she flew down to Punjab to meet her husband and the couple went back to Sydney together. Kuldip left his athletic dreams behind and found work as a cabbie, while Sylvia was a bus driver.
"Money was always tight," Sangha says. "What little was left over after living expenses was usually sent back to dad's family in India. But they got by." They gave birth to their first child, Sharon, in Rooty Hill Place, their first residence in Sydney, then went to Kemps Creek and finally, to Coogee, where Jason Sangha was born. They went on to set up their own restaurant, 'The Flavour of North India' and expanded to four outlets around Cronulla, Coogee and Maroubra.
"For as long as I can remember, we always had relatives staying with us, many from dad's side of the family in India," Sangha wrote in Athletics Voice back in 2017. As it is in an Indian home, the relatives pitched in, and the extended family formed deep bonds. He recalls his parents' selflessness - "Mum always put others ahead of herself. She made sure everyone ate before she did. Dad was the same. The two of them would work long hours then, as soon as they got home, they'd set about making sure everyone else was alright."
In those early days, Sangha wasn't too interested in cricket, he preferred basketball, because of his hero, LeBron James. He liked the rugby league and soccer, "pretty much everything other than cricket." When he was nine years old, he watched Adam 'Gilly' Gilchrist take Monty Panesar to the cleaners and feeling very impressed, enough to try his hand at the sport. As it happened, the family lived near the Coogee Oval, they could even see it from their apartment. So, the young Sangha would watch cricketers playing for Randwich-Petersham, and dream about being among them some day. And like so many other Indian kids, he would use a tennis ball to play cricket with his two cousins. He even remembers his neighbours in South Cardiff telling him he would play for NSW one day, as they watched his father bowl to him in backyard.
Just as things seemed to be picking up in the young boy's life, the financial crisis hit, leaving the family in pieces. They were forced to sell and had no choice but to move to Newcastle to start over. "Mum and dad protectedus from the news. It wasn't until three or four years later that I found out the real reason why we left Sydney," Sangha recalled. As it turned out, Newcastle wasn't so bad after all. Granted, Sangha was the "only brown person in school," but had no trouble making friends. The city also had a small but thriving Sikh community, where Sangha learned to stay in touch with his cultural roots.
The whole 22 yards
By the time the family settled into Newcastle, Jason Sangha had established his love for cricket. He began playing junior cricket at Warners Bay in Cardiff and after one year, made it to the local team. He recalls his coach, Bob Holland, very fondly, saying, "he helped convert me from a quick bowler into a leg-spinner." One year later, Sangha was 12 then, he moved up to grade cricket. This was an intimidating experience, "surrounded by all these grown men at Wallsend," Sangha says. His peers stuck by him, though and he ended up playing the last two games of the season that year.
He was noticed by the first-grade captain, Brett Jackson, who became his batting coach. He was a hard taskmaster, though and Sangha definitely had moments when he wanted to give up, even telling his mother, "I don't want to train with him anymore." His mum simply told him to toughen up. The evening before the first game of the first-grade season, Jackson told him, "Also, I forgot to tell you: You're playing." Sangha was 13 years old, and had made himself known as something of a prodigy.
Jason Sangha was sixteen years old when he got his first contract with NWS. He got his contract, and with it, quite a bit of fame. The media was quick to point out that his was the youngest Blues' signing since Josh Hazlewood.
The mental health descent
As has been the case with Sangha, life was unpredictable. What seemed like a rapid rise to success ended up being one of the most challenging years of his life, filled with mental health struggles, and the pressures of so much success at such a young age. "You're not a normal 16-year-old kid anymore," he would remind himself. "you're a pro." It was too much to take. His performance at school dropped because he was spending so much time away. Sangha even tried to give up school, although that idea was quicly shot down by his Indian parents. The situation got so bad that Sangha would wake up on game-day and think, "I'd be happy to nick off early and sit the rest out." Although he scored a century in one game, the rest of his scores remained in the single digit. Suddenly, Sangha hated cricket.
His best friend, Joe Hart, and his family, rallied around him. His mum also moved the family back to Sydney, where she had set up a meeting for Sangha with Waverley College. So he and his mum set off for Sydney again. "We stuffed everythign we could into a car and headed to a flat in Belmore Road in Randwick," Sangha writes.
Things weren't easing up. Sangha's schedule remained very intense - he would be in the gym at 6 am three days a week, finish training, come home for breakfast and get to school. After school, he would to the nets in Moore Park to practice, do his homework and go to bed. Everybody had high expectations of the precocious young man, and he struggled to cope.
After he missed his sister's wedding, things hit crisis point. His mentor and manager, Bill Anderson sat with him that day and told him to take a break. As always, his friends, family and peers stood by him. Eventually, Sangha was hit by another truth - "I have been so selfish," he thought. "I haven't even thought about the impact I've been having on other people around me."
The turning point
The impact of Jason Sangha's mental health struggles on his family inspired him to make a ch ange. He walked to the Sikh temple in Blacktown, something he hadn't really done since moving back to Sydney. Through a series of small steps, he found his way out of the darkness, and also passed high school with flying colours.
In 2017, Sangha was chosen to captain Australia at the ICC Under-19 World Cup, along with Austin Waugh, son of former skipper Steve. He is also touted as one of Australia's most promising young players and in 2022, was named captain of Sydney Thunder ahead of the Big Bash League. Unfortunately, Sangha broke his collarbone during the first game, leading to a big loss for the team, who were bowled out for a doube digit score by the Adelaide strikers.
Sangha's story is one of perseverance and triumph over adversity. From humble beginnings in a financially constrained family, he embraced his passion for cricket against all odds. Battling mental health issues, balancing the pressures of success at a young age, and finding his place in a competitive sport, Jason Sangha has shown remarkable strength and determination. Through the highs and lows of his journey, he has emerged as a promising young cricketer, captaining Australia at the U-19 World Cup and earning recognition in the Big Bash League. And he has learned, the hard way that life is full of ups and downs and understands how to take both in his stride with hope and equanimity.
(November 30, 2022) In 2017, two people were killed in East Delhi when a large mound of garbage in the Ghazipur landfill collapsed, sweeping people in the vicinity into a nearby canal. Spread over 70 acres, with a mountain of garbage higher than a 15-storey building, the lethal collapse was one more alarm bell in a city that was already choking. Watching the tragedy unfold on the news were Vihaan and Nav Agarwal, two siblings in Delhi. "The next day, the whole city was engulfed in a blanket of smoke. When we read about it in the newspaper, the connection between waste and air pollution became clearer," Vihaan said. Delhi generates 11,144 tonnes of trash per day and up to 250 tonnes of municipal solid waste is burned every day, releasing 2000kg of PM10 and 1,800 kg/day of PM 2.5. Over one-third of the air pollution in Delhi is caused by burning waste in landfills. Vihaan was 14 at the time and Nav only 11, but growing up in Delhi had already taken a toll on their health, especially as Vihaan was asthmatic. Their time outdoors was severely curtailed, for the most part, they weren't allowed to play outside. "We
sthmatic. Their time outdoors was severely curtailed, for the most part, they weren't allowed to play outside. "We had five to six air purifiers at home, and we were not allowed to play outside. We had online school even before the pandemic," Vihaan said in an interview.
[caption id="attachment_24853" align="aligncenter" width="383"] Nav and Vihaan Agarwal[/caption]
Leading the way by segregating at home
Taking inspiration from icons like British naturalist David Attenborough and the storied conservationist Jane Goodall, the brothers began separating their waste at home, setting aside the recyclables. "The thought process in our mind was like, our waste shouldn't go there, our waste shouldn't become fodder for this fire," Vihaan said. They collected such a mountain of trash that their grandfather told them sternly, and only half in jest, that one of them, either the boys or the trash, had to go. However, they realised that their segregated waste was being mixed again after it was collected. When they contacted recyclers, they were told that they had too small an amount to be picked up.
One Step Greener
The brothers rallied a team together through the neighbourhood WhatsApp group. In 2018, they founded One Step Greener, an organisation aimed at preventing pollution caused by waste.
It marked the start of the recycling initiative that would earn the boys one of the top awards for children - the 2021 KidsRights International Children's Peace Prize. As they received the prize from Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi, they entered an elite club of young, global changemakers, including Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg. The Dutch prize includes an education grant and a cash award of 1,00,000 euros. "It's an old saying, but everyone's collective effort does actually make a difference," Vihan said afterwards.
They started with 15 homes in 2018, and four years later, the organisation has grown to cover schools, offices and over 1,500 households across Delhi. They have plans to expand to Kolkata and thanks to the exposure the Global Indians received through the KidsRights award, there is a fair amount of international interest as well. The organisation also works to spread awareness about the importance of recycling.
Accolades galore
Vihaan and Nav Agarwal haven't seen their teenage years through yet but have a long list of accolades to their credit already. Vihaan is also the First Asian to win the Children's Climate Prize, 2019 in Sweden and is an Ashoka Youth Venturer. Fifteen-year-old Nav has shown a talent for oration, which he uses to inspire people to join his green movement. He won the Children's Climate Prize along with his brother, was a jury member of Times of India's Young Change Leaders Contest, was named BBC's Earth Champion, is the winner of the Global Social Leaders Award and the Action for Nature Eco Hero Award.
(November 16, 2022) Wearing a pink dress, a tikka glittering on her forehead, surrounded by Bharatnatyam dancers and backed by Australian rock band Icehouse, 13-year-old Janaki Easwar won a million hearts at the closing ceremony of the T20 World Cup at the Melbourne Stadium. As cricket-crazy Indians mourned the team's loss to England in the semi-finals, India made its presence felt, through the Indian-Australian teen sensation with the strikingly deep voice. Titled "We Can Get Together," Janaki's multicultural performance was a nod to India's growing soft power. "I believe the way I represented my culture on national television also helped as the performance at the World Cup final is going to be a great representation of multicultural Australia," the Global Indian told the Indian Express before her performance. View this post on Instagram A post shared by JANAKI EASWAR (@janaki_easwar) Finding stardom The performance at Melbourne Stadium isn't Janaki's first brush with the spotlight. Back in 2021, at the age of 12, Janaki Easwar, paying tribute to Kerala as she wore a kasava mundu, floored the four celebrity judges on The Voice, with her cover of Billie Eilish's Lovely. "My mum loves to try fusion attire on me,"
The performance at Melbourne Stadium isn't Janaki's first brush with the spotlight. Back in 2021, at the age of 12, Janaki Easwar, paying tribute to Kerala as she wore a kasava mundu, floored the four celebrity judges on The Voice, with her cover of Billie Eilish's Lovely. "My mum loves to try fusion attire on me," she told The Week. "My mum came up with the idea of blending (a) kasavu shawl with a black top and a skirt made from set-mundu," she told The Week.
The song brought in over five million views on YouTube. The judges, who gave her a four-chair turn, asked her to sing 'something Indian', too. Janaki obliged quite sportingly with a piece of Carnatic music. The Indian singer is the youngest contestant in the show's history and made it to the top 20.
Born in 2009, Janaki has been performing on stage since she was eight years old. The Melbourne-based teen started early, with violin lessons when she was five. Her parents noticed that she had talent when they heard her singing around the house, and, in order to help her connect with her Indian roots, sent her for Carnatic music lessons. She is deeply tied now to her native culture and is fluent in Malayalam, which her parents made sure she learned as a child. Both her parents are from Kozhikode and moved to Australia some 15 years ago. Her father, Shobha Sekhar, is also a trained Carnatic musician, and his daughter's first teacher.
At the age of eight, she discovered an interest in western music and began training under David Jaanz, at the Jaanz International Music Academy one year later. She continues to learn Carnatic music as well, at the Kalakruthi School of Music in Melbourne.
In April 2020, when Australia began a four-month lockdown, Janaki tried her hand at more serious songwriting. At the time, she was also releasing covers of popular songs, like Enaadi Mayavi, which garnered quite a bit of attention among Indian audiences back home. For the next year and a half, she wrote songs, composed with her guitar and recorded demos, using her phone and her home studio. It resulted in her debut single, Clown, which she released in July 2021, followed by Bittersweet.
It's fairly easy to forget that Janaki Easwar is only 13 years old, as she strives to make it in a competitive and often cut-throat industry. Her voice and demeanor carry a gravity that is far beyond her years. When she's at home, though, Janaki makes time to simply be a kid. Like other teens, she hangs out with her friends and spends time trying on makeup. She's also interested in fashion and in dance, which she learns as a form of exercise.
Muskaan with Narain Karthikeyan[/caption]
Muskaan Jubbal[/caption]
Muskaan Jubbal[/caption]
Jason Sangha[/caption]
Nav and Vihaan Agarwal[/caption]
Janaki Easwar[/caption]