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.
(February 4, 2022) How many 13-year-olds are comfortable addressing large crowds and delivering motivational speeches? Or for that matter, how many of them host YouTube channels celebrating other young achievers? Chennai-based Hasini Lakshmi Narayanan does. The class eight student began her tryst with public speaking after she attended one that changed her life. Ever since, she began hosting her YouTube channel – The First Step that has so far highlighted the journeys of over 90 child achievers. She also launched the First Step organisation where she employs over 20 students to create motivational content. More recently, Hasini was appointed by the Tamil Nadu government as its young nutrition ambassador. The girl whose father inspired her Born in Chennai in 2008, the Chettinad Vidyashram student grew up watching her entrepreneur father Lakshmi Narayanan travel to various schools and colleges for public speaking assignments. And that inspired TN's young nutrition ambassador. “I’m following in his footsteps,” smiles Hasini. She developed a passion for public speaking at age five, and found that her parents always encouraged her. “I never had any stage fright, nor did I feel shy. I’ve always found it easy to connect with others and my parents have been a
onnect with others and my parents have been a huge support system,” she says.
[caption id="attachment_10386" align="aligncenter" width="668"] Hasini Lakshmi Narayanan with her father.[/caption]
When the idea struck
The turning point came when Hasini attended a talk by Sujith Kumar of Maatram Foundation. “I’ve always been a very hyperactive kid and usually find it hard to sit in one place. As I heard him talk about his journey, and what children can achieve, I was transfixed. That was the first time I sat through a speech. I was nine then,” says the teen, who was inspired by the speech to explore public speaking. “Since then, I began participating in school debates and inter school competitions,” adds TN's young nutrition ambassador.
But then the lockdowns began, and the bubbly girl was forced to stay home, and hanker down her enthusiasm. “I was bored out of my wits and wanted to use my time productively. That is when my father asked if I wanted to work on a project with him for Father’s Day and interview some children,” she reveals. That’s how in June 2020, TN's young nutrition ambassador began interviewing children on their achievements and journeys on YouTube.
While she started out interviewing friends and cousins, she soon found achievers like Nihal Tamanna (founder Recyclemybattery), the Great Australian Spelling Bee twins Harpith and Harpitha Pandian, Kush Malpani, Manas Bam, Anya Pandit, Vinisha Umashankar (who spoke at Cop26) among others to share their journeys and achievements on the First Step, which has nearly 2,000 followers. “Through these interviews, we speak to prodigies across the world – we have so far featured children from 12 countries – on their journeys, talents and achievements,” says Hasini, for whom it was a learning experience and hugely inspirational.
Going beyond interviews
By July 2020, Hasini had established The First Step organisation which currently has 20 youngsters working with her to create motivational content targeted at youth empowerment. “Our brainstorming sessions are fun. All of us bring our ideas to the table and decide the theme for each month. We also have over 100 youth ambassadors,” says TN's young nutrition ambassador, who also frequently contributes articles to The Hindu school edition.
Hasini was also invited to deliver her maiden TEDx talk in April 2021 where she spoke about - The First Step to Conquer. In January 2022, she gave her second TED talk on climate change. “Becoming a TEDx speaker was a dream come true. I’d always watch TED videos and dreamt of becoming one myself. So, when I got the opportunity, I was thrilled,” says the teen, who hopes to follow in her father’s footsteps as an entrepreneur and public speaker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzIdZ9-_cHM
Appointed by the TN government as its young nutrition ambassador in December 2021, she is thrilled. “It is my responsibility to create awareness about the importance of nutrition in adolescent girls. I do this through video clips and events, and have even tied up with Dr Koushalya Nathan, a leading nutritionist in Chennai,” adds the teen, who is also an avid painter and holds two graduations from Global Art by SIC Academy.
While she has a lot going on to keep her on her toes, TN's young nutrition ambassador admits sheepishly that she is not the most organised. “My father helps me organise myself so I give academics my first priority. Everything goes on parallelly. What I try to do to ease the process is to schedule my interviews for the last week of the month, and then work on transcribing them,” she smiles, adding, “I try to stick to my to-do lists without burdening myself with deadlines.”
(April 13, 2023) Aryan Verma arrives at our virtual meeting dressed to the nines, in formal attire. "I'm an investment banker," he says, when I ask him about it. At 20, Aryan, who is a student at The University of Sydney Business School, juggles two internships alongside. "It's pretty full on," Aryan admits but since he also hopes to follow in the footsteps of Warren Buffet, Ray Dalio, Bill Ackman and Chase Coleman who began their own firms at the age of 26, he’s got a lot to do. He's already the founder of Young Entrepreneurs Connect, which has chapters across Australia and the US and the Managing Director (Australia) at Beyond the Bounds, an organisation that addresses mental health concerns among GenZ. He also works with the Newland Global Group, which works to leverage bilateral relations between India and Australia. Growing up in Sydney Aryan’s dad moved to Australia in 1996 and when he married in 2001, his wife joined him there as well. Aryan was born two years later, in December 2002. "I had a pretty traditional upbringing," he says, during his interview with Global Indian. His parents wanted him to do medicine, and his own academic record
Aryan’s dad moved to Australia in 1996 and when he married in 2001, his wife joined him there as well. Aryan was born two years later, in December 2002. "I had a pretty traditional upbringing," he says, during his interview with Global Indian. His parents wanted him to do medicine, and his own academic record was in line with that. He studied at Sydney Boys' High School, part of the prestigious AAGPS network, the equivalent of the 'Great Nine' or 'Clarendon Schools' in England. Growing up between two cultures and continents, Aryan Verma had the unique opportunity to learn from diverse perspectives and experiences, which has undoubtedly shaped his entrepreneurial spirit and success today. He was offered a partial scholarship to Harvard University, which he turned down because the tuition fee was still out of reach.
When he was around 14, Aryan discovered an interest in finance and investment banking, and began teaching himself real estate valuations. He would even send out his estimates of listed unit blocks to see how close he was to the offer price. "It's not really a field you can enter so young, though, so I switched to startups and entrepreneurship." By the time he turned 16, he was "ahead of the curve," he says. "I had observed that an entrepreneurial mindset is beneficial for every industry, no matter what your career is and I wanted to spread that message."
[caption id="attachment_29221" align="aligncenter" width="426"] Aryan Verma, founder, Young Entrepreneurs Connect[/caption]
Young Entrepreneurs Connect
That year, he started Young Entrepreneurs Connect and held the organisation's first event just before Covid-19 hit - YEC collaborates with universities to help them build their entrepreneurship programmes. It did well almost immediately, with about 60 people attending their first event, and speakers from companies like Deloitte, Mercedes and a handful of nonprofits. "We wanted to give high-schoolers clarity about career options and that there is always room for them to be entrepreneurs." For a sixteen-year-old, this is no joke. It meant patience, lots of cold emailing and aggressive social media campaigning. At the end of the event, they recruited more students to the organisation.
The pandemic hit soon after and YEC hopped onto the Zoom bandwagon. It allowed them to expand to the US fairly quickly. "Our community events were a lot stronger in the US, we started working with societies, clubs and external events." I ask him about his process - "a blanket search for major universities and their entrepreneurial efforts for students," he replies. The cold emails worked, as Aryan suspected they would, because "we were free labour, basically." Today, the US chapter accounts for more than 50 percent of their 4000-strong community and includes collaborations with several universities.
What YEC does
YEC Talks are the organisation's flagship events, and are held both virtually and in-person through the year. Experts from various industries are invited to discuss trends, career trajectories and entrepreneurship efforts, creating a bridge between students planning their careers and professionals who are the top of their fields. They try to keep the panels diverse, including company founders, executives, investors, academic and politicians.
There are also the YEC podcasts, which are also available on YouTube and lunchtime school clubs, called 'interschools'. The later helps to create engaging spaces for students, giving them supplementary learning and allowing students to pick their own leaders and members. The YEC syllabus, which Aryan says is being developed still, currently includes topics from business knowledge to startup skills, career insights and advice on how to make investments. These clubs also compete against one another in business and startup competitions. In the YEC Hustler's List, the organisation showcases young, talented entrepreneurs in Australia.
Non-profit and volunteer-led
YEC runs on a non-profit model, with all their services provided for free. How does this work, and why choose this model? Volunteers join the organisation to work on real, impactful projects that provide them the opportunity to build relationships and real-world skills - it's prepping, really, for their careers. Extracurricular activities play an important role in securing internships and graduate jobs. "When I was 16 and 17, I wouldn't attend any event that was charged, even if it was cheap. Kids don't have a lot of money and don't want to spend on events." Student-led and student-run remains their philosophy.
Beyond The Bounds
Then, in 2022, Aryan discovered Beyond the Bounds, an organisation founded by Indian student Vidhi Yadav, who had just moved to Australia to study. Yadav was looking to expand her western market when Aryan reached out for a collaboration. With his knowledge of the local landscape, Aryan now works to expand BTB's campus presence. "University students tend to associate with clubs that are on campus,” he explains.
Aryan Verma joined Beyond the Bounds in 2022 to lead its Australian expansion. Beyond the Bounds is an international youth mental health organisation with a 12,000+ community across Asia. Originally founded in India by Vidhi Yadav, it is now present in Indonesia, Malaysia and parts of Africa. Being BTB's first Western market, the two young leaders are refining their strategy to use as a template for expansion to the US and Europe down the line.
A life of discipline
All this doesn’t leave Aryan with much free time on his hands. He understands that his ambitious career goals mean lots of hard work. Aryan hopes to join a bulge-bracket investment bank after graduating university, like Goldman Sachs or JP Morgan and eventually, build his own private equity firm. “A lot of this has been about building my work ethic as well,” he explains. His signature productivity tool is to 'count his hours', keeping track of how much time he works and is productive. All this is in a bid to continue improving focus, attention span and overall work ethic. "If it isn't measured, it isn't managed". He currently works 90+ hours every week, across YEC, BTB, university and his 2 internships. “Work-life balance isn’t really my thing,” he admits. “Your twenties are when you have the most energy and I’m not planning to have much of a work-life balance in the next few years.”
"I have given myself a goal and I'm working towards it," he says. "I want to finish up with non-profit work and move on to other things - over the last few years, I have been trying to build my work ethic." He admits that his goals don't leave him with much of work-life balance - and he's okay with that, for now. "Your twenties are when you have the most energy. And I'm not planning on having a work-life balance for the next few years, at least. And I also minimize socialising and parties and stuff, I have never really been in a nightclub! I aspire to be world class - right now, I can only work towards it and hope for the best. I’m a firm believer of hustling in your 20s, building in your 30s and scaling in your 40s."
(February 2, 2022) At just eight, he dreamt about a ship braving a sea storm, and startled by its intensity, he woke up. Curiosity kept him anchored to this lucid dream. Unable to find an answer, he started visualising. “It was a turning point in my life when I realised that I have the ability to weave stories,” this youngest writer Riyad Maroof Hassan tells Global Indian. Two years after this watershed moment, the boy from Dibrugarh became the Youngest Writer of Assam when he published his debut book at age 10. "In 2019, I won the award for my debut book. It has been such a source of inspiration." - Riyad Maroof Hassan An author, essayist, talk show host, podcaster, and poet, Riyad is a jack of all trades. “There is much to learn and do - I use every opportunity to evolve and make the world a better place,” says the 13-year-old who has dabbled in various mediums, and is keen to expand his
o - I use every opportunity to evolve and make the world a better place,” says the 13-year-old who has dabbled in various mediums, and is keen to expand his horizons.
Creative spurts as a toddler
Born to a government teacher-mother and an AIR announcer father in Dibrugarh in 2008, this youngest writer became interested in writing at five but it wasn’t till he was eight that he began weaving stories. “While I was always attracted to books, my grammar wasn’t on point. After some scolding from my parents and teachers, I decided to pull up my socks,” giggles the 13-year-old. It was that vivid dream which helped him sail towards story-writing. “I saw a sailor on a ship in a storm. It was real, dangerous and then I awakened. The urge to finish the dream kept nagging at me. So, I decided to complete the story by visualising it. It’s a gift for any author to connect the thoughts between a writer and a reader,” adds the Shiksha Valley School student.
Within two years, his first book How We Become Magnificent, a fantasy adventure was published. He won the Youngest Writer of Assam Award at age 10 for it. “In 2019, I won the award for my debut book. It has been such a source of inspiration,” says Riyad.
His debut piqued his interest in Indian English literature. Soon, he began researching. Enchanted by the work of Indian writers, the boy from Dibrugarh founded Literature on Screen, a virtual literature organisation to spread awareness. He realised that not much is known about desi literature, and took it upon himself to spread the word on the internet (2019). “It dawned upon me that in this age of evolution, technology is the key, and we need to connect more readers with Indian English literature through tech,” explains the young writer who created a Facebook page which has over 1,000 readers. “We share stories, articles, and poems and conduct discussions,” adds Riyad.
When story writing became a passion
Words - a story or poem fascinated him. “I was pulled into the world of poetry at six when I started reading Rudyard Kipling’s poems. The poetic way of describing emotions and situations made me fall in love,” pipes Riyad, who started writing poems at age nine. A year after winning the award, he published his first poem The Silhouette of Reality in 2020 in the Indian Periodical. “It was republished on Kavishala, a platform for young poets,” adds Riyad, an admirer of Robert Frost and William Wordsworth.
While the world was coming to terms with the pandemic, Riyad found it the perfect opportunity to engage with creative folk through storytelling sessions with Karadi Tales, an independent publishing house that primarily focuses on audiobooks. “Those sessions helped me understand the visual and audio power of storytelling. It gave me the idea to start the world’s first-ever written interview on YouTube,” says the Class 8 student who started media company the Clippers in 2020. “I wasn’t too confident about doing a video interview, so I decided to learn how to convert a written interview into a video on YouTube. It took me two days to convert the text into slides. I was able to create history,” beams Riyad with pride who believes that “necessity is the mother of invention.”
A journey to words
Soon he started connecting with the creative field for interviews, and in 2021, he began A Sketch of The Sky, a podcast streaming on Spotify, Apple iTunes, and Amazon Gaana. “I needed to connect to people and what better way than a podcast,” adds Hassan, who calls it an enriching experience – with 15 episodes in season one.
In an episode, Riyad met environmentalist Prasiddhi Singh who became one of the first members of the Clippers Child Council of India that he founded with the aim to work for child development. “It’s the first-ever council whose founders and board members are children. We want to give children a platform for their voices,” informs Riyad. The council has 22 board members, three global representatives from Sri Lanka, UAE and the US. “We have conducted virtual events wherein children meet and discuss issues with our knowledge partner Skill Sharp EdTech,” adds the youngest writer who was also the runner-up in the NASA International Quiz Competition 2020.
This youngest writer is 13, and going strong
An accomplished 13-year-old, Riyad credits his parents for his perfect support system. “Since both my parents are writers, they have always encouraged me. My grandfather Hassan Sharif Ahmed was a noted literary figure in Assamese literature. I am happy that I am making my family proud,” adds Riyad, who loves listening to songs of different languages. “My love for music comes from my father, a music composer,” says the youngest writer who plays badminton when free.
Despite juggling so many professions, Riyad manages his time between studies and passion admirably. “I don’t like the concept of following a timetable. I follow my heart, go with the flow,” says Riyad who plans to research on AI and information technology when he grows up.
Advice to other children? “I truly believe in the adage ‘where there is a will, there’s a way,’ for the betterment of the motherland, be the change you wish to see,” he signs off.
(September 2, 2023) The United States discards more food than any other country in the world. Every year in United States, approximately 31% (133 billion pounds) of the overall food supply is wasted by consumers and retailers, as per the estimates of the United States Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (USDA-ERS). The wasted food is either dumped in landfills or burned in trash incinerators. This leads to 18% of the US' total methane emissions that come from landfills, resulting in global warming and impacting food security and resource conservation. To address this problem in her community, Maryland based Shrusti Amula, a senior at Richard Montgomery High School, founded the NGO, Rise N Shine Foundation. The youth-led initiative aims to tackle the effects of food waste through composting and food recovery programmes, and in the process – avert climate change. [caption id="attachment_32863" align="aligncenter" width="749"] Shrusti Amula[/caption] So far, Shrusti has diverted close to 1,00,000 pounds of food waste from incinerators, converting it into compost instead. Her non-profit also runs food recovery programmes to combat hunger amongst the underprivileged. Rise N Shine’s food recovery programme has been adopted by Montgomery County’s public school system and will be running in all 209
So far, Shrusti has diverted close to 1,00,000 pounds of food waste from incinerators, converting it into compost instead. Her non-profit also runs food recovery programmes to combat hunger amongst the underprivileged. Rise N Shine’s food recovery programme has been adopted by Montgomery County’s public school system and will be running in all 209 schools by June 2024. In the past year, the non-profit has donated approximately 150,000 meals to the food insecure community.
Shrusti has received many awards and recognition, the most recent being named a ‘Woman of Worth 2023’ by L’Oreal Paris.“It is difficult managing school, Rise N Shine’s initiatives, and my other extracurricular activities. The main reason I am able to manage the non-profit is because I am passionate about the work we are doing,” Shrusti tells Global Indian.
L’Oreal’s Woman of Worth
Each year, L’Oreal Paris launches a nationwide search for ten extraordinary non-profit leaders to be named ‘Women of Worth’ honourees. Each honouree not only receives $25,000 to support their charitable cause, but are also provided mentorship from the L'Oréal Paris network and a national platform to tell their stories.
Shrusti is the youngest of the ten honourees of 2023. “With this honour I hope to expand the reach of our programmes and inspire youth nationwide that they too can create change in their communities,” she says.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kuJ6CRYVQI
Making impact
Through Rise N Shine, Shrusti has been meeting many goals - cultivating green habits in students, creating leadership opportunities for them by making them their schools’ volunteers, and helping them become climate change makers of tomorrow.
Her composting programme currently runs in nine schools while three more are in pipeline. Rise N Shine’s food recovery programme is now running in 40 Maryland schools, apart from offices, restaurants, grocery stores and bakeries. It will expand to all 209 schools of the county by the end of 2024.
It started when…
“In 2018, I stumbled upon on the acute problem of food waste and its impact on climate,” Shrusti shares. She extensively researched its impact in her community and found out that it was being overlooked to a great extent.
The youngster presented this problem and the possible solutions at the eCybermission competition - a STEM Competition, backed by the US Army. One of her proposed solutions was to start food waste collection programmes and divert the wasted food to compost facilities.
The teenager was delighted to find herself as one of the top five winners of the competition, and started her pilot project at Clarksburg Elementary School in her community. The school principal and the administrative staff of the school were very supportive of Shrusti’s idea.
In this programme she was able to haul the leftover food from the students’ lunch boxes to make compost, thus diverting the school’s food waste from incinerators and landfills and giving back to the environment through compost. “I learned that it is easy to educate young minds on the harmful effects of food waste and spearhead the behavioural adaption to proper disposal of food waste,” she says.
This learning served as an impetus for further work in the arena. Since then she has partnered with close to a dozen local schools and multiple organisations to make this solution a big success.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1W2eVaAHfo
From composting to food recovery
After tasting success with her composting programme, Shrusti expanded her initiative towards food recovery in schools and businesses, looking at the amount of uneaten food wasted and the burgeoning problem of food insecurity after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the success of her pilot initiative, and the potential of her programme to combat hunger amongst the underprivileged, it got adopted by Montgomery County’s public school system, and would be rolled out to all the 209 schools of the county by 2024. Rise N Shine Foundation also partners with companies to redistribute food that would otherwise be wasted to homeless shelters and food banks. In the past year, the non-profit has donated approximately 150,000 meals to the food insecure community.
How does it work?
“Unused food in Montgomery County accounts for nearly 124,000 tons of our solid waste, Our wasted food contributes to greenhouse gas pollution and wastes the land, water, energy and human effort that was used to produce the food” shares Shrusti.
Rise N Shine Foundation collects food from local businesses that would have been otherwise thrown away and provide it to homeless shelters, food pantries and under-served communities, where people are experiencing hunger. “We are playing our part and contributing towards Montgomery County's recycling goals for reducing food waste,” she remarks.
[caption id="attachment_32870" align="aligncenter" width="786"] One of Rise N Shine's food donation events[/caption]
Although it’s a youth-led non-profit organisation to promote and motivate kids to do their bit for the environment, Shrusti works with people of all ages and backgrounds.
The non-profit has expanded to a wide array of service campaigns that support causes ranging from hunger and social justice to quality education, civil rights, and youth activism.
Shrusti Amula has participated and contributed to various legislative bills at the school and county level. Outside of school and community activities, she is a trained Indian classical dancer, USA national women's cricket player, mentor, and a debater. She is also a bronze and silver awardee of Girl Scout.
Rise N Shine’s awards and recognitions:
Recipient of 2022 Climate & Energy Leadership Award given by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
Recipient of Citation from The Maryland General Assembly
Recipient of Proclamation from The County Executive of Montgomery County, Maryland
Shrusti’s recent awards and recognitions
‘Women of Worth’ honouree by L’Oreal Paris
Riley's Call for Kindness Award - Grant and Fellowship Winner (2023)
EPA President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) Winner (2023)
Governor's Youth Service Award (2023)
Women Making History Award (2023) by Montgomery County Commission for Women and Montgomery women
Points of Light Award Honoree (2023)
The President's Volunteer Service Award (Gold) (2022)
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Climate and Energy Leadership Awards (2022)
(November 13, 2024) When Soo Mei Fei appears on stage, dressed in her Bharatanatyam costume made out of Kanchipuram silk sarees, audiences can’t help but be drawn to her. Her distinct Chinese features, paired with the traditional Indian attire - complete with intricate pleats, jewellery, and expressive makeup - create a mesmerising contrast that has quickly turned her into a rising star. This unique combination, along with her graceful precision and dedication to each movement, showcases a commitment that transcends cultural boundaries, making her performances fascinating. “I’m blessed to learn Bharatanatyam,” Mei Fei shared in an interview. “It’s such a beautiful art. It’s not been an easy journey, but it has been extremely fulfilling. I want to train more,” she added. The beginning as a teenager’s curiosity For Soo Mei Fei, who is now in her twenties, her fascination with Bharatanatyam started unexpectedly at the age of 17. While attending the National Junior College in Singapore, she stumbled upon a try-out session for Indian dance. Originally intrigued by Bollywood, she and her classmates assumed the session would focus on Bollywood dance. To their surprise, they were introduced to Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance known for its intricate footwork, expressive gestures,
Junior College in Singapore, she stumbled upon a try-out session for Indian dance. Originally intrigued by Bollywood, she and her classmates assumed the session would focus on Bollywood dance. To their surprise, they were introduced to Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance known for its intricate footwork, expressive gestures, and emotive storytelling. Though the majority lost interest, Mei Fei was hooked.
Determined to understand the art form fully, she began digging into Bharatanatyam’s history, spending hours at libraries near her home in Punggol. “It was fascinating,” she reflected. “I wanted to know everything, from the significance of the hand gestures to the stories conveyed through each dance sequence.” Her dedication to understanding this art form laid the groundwork for the journey that followed.
Challenges on the path
The young dancer’s path in Bharatanatyam wasn’t without hurdles. Learning from Vijaya Nadesan, her instructor at Apsara Arts - a prestigious dance academy in Singapore -Mei Fei soon realised the challenges of grasping the technicalities of Bharatanatyam as a non-Indian. Her Chinese heritage meant that the language, lyrics, and cultural nuances were initially foreign. Mei Fei remembers the struggle of understanding Carnatic music that accompanies Bharatanatyam performances, often resorting to Google Translate and spending extra hours reviewing each lesson.
Despite the obstacles, she dedicated herself wholeheartedly, spending entire days at the academy, watching her teachers and classmates. This immersive approach allowed her to improve steadily, and with time, she began to master Bharatanatyam’s unique hand gestures (hastas), foot movements (sthankas), and facial expressions (abhinaya).
Connecting with Indian culture through dance
Over the years, Bharatanatyam became more than just a dance form for Soo Mei Fei. It became a bridge to Indian culture. She began donning traditional Indian saris, learning the art of wearing them, and embraced the aesthetic requirements of Bharatanatyam. “Most of my friends had their mums to help them get dressed, but I had to learn a lot on my own, getting valuable tips from friends and teachers along the way,” told the young dancer whose Bharatanatyam batchmates are mostly Indian.
Bharatanatyam also introduced her to Carnatic music, which she now adores. “It’s very rich. The lyrics and melody have a lot of meaning behind them. I understand the songs because I feel it,” she explained. The connection was so profound that in 2018, she took up another Indian dance form, Odissi, expanding her knowledge and appreciation of Indian classical arts.
Bharatanatyam in Singapore
The introduction of Bharatanatyam to Singapore began with pioneer practitioners from India and Sri Lanka, who brought the classical dance form to life through their productions that included members of the diaspora and non-Indian artists. This collaboration promotes unity in diversity, as people from different ethnic communities bond over learning and performing Bharatanatyam. These interactions also lead to an exchange of ideas across ethnic dance styles. Inspired by their teachers, students of these pioneers have begun using Bharatanatyam as a tool to educate Singaporeans on social issues, breaking traditional boundaries. While performances were once rooted in Hindu texts and mythology, today, the youth choreographers have shifted towards using Bharatanatyam to convey meaningful messages, moving beyond entertainment.
Arangetram: A milestone in her journey
Soo Mei Fei’s commitment culminated in her Arangetram in 2021, a debut solo performance that marks a dancer’s readiness to perform on stage independently. This achievement was a significant milestone, as Arangetram is often regarded as the pinnacle of a Bharatanatyam dancer’s journey. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Mei Fei worked tirelessly, balancing her part-time job, university studies, and dance practice to prepare for the performance.
Reflecting on the challenges she faced, Mei Fei shared, “I didn’t have time to practise for the entire week before the rehearsal, and I just hoped my efforts from before would pull me through. My rehearsal ended up going okay, and that’s when I realised that sometimes you just have to let go.” This experience taught her to trust her skills and the journey she had undertaken. “The movements in Bharatanatyam are very structured, and the dance itself just gives me a form of stability. It is my solid anchor,” she shared, expressing how dance has become her grounding force amidst life’s challenges.
Empowering through art and education
As a certified Bharatanatyam dancer and a graduate in Fine Arts from LASALLE College of the Arts, Soo Mei Fei’s journey now extends beyond personal achievement. She’s passionate about fostering an appreciation for Bharatanatyam among younger generations, especially non-Indians. “Art should not have boundaries. It’s a great learning experience to know more about another culture that is different from us,” she says. “In doing so, we discover that we are more similar to each other than we thought”.
Her work as an instructor at children’s enrichment centres and dance academies in Singapore allows her to instil this philosophy in her students. To Mei Fei, Bharatanatyam is more than a series of movements—it’s a means of personal growth, self-expression, and cultural discovery. She sees her students not just learning dance techniques but also developing qualities like discipline, resilience, and empathy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKWB4PchDsg
Looking Ahead…
Soo Mei Fei envisions a future where Bharatanatyam continues to flourish across cultural boundaries. She’s interested in exploring collaborative projects that merge Bharatanatyam with other art forms, such as classical piano or visual arts, and creating interdisciplinary performances that bring new dimensions to the traditional art form.
For Mei Fei, every step she takes in Bharatanatyam makes her belief stronger that art transcends borders and unites people from diverse backgrounds. Her journey reflects the power of curiosity, dedication, and the unyielding pursuit of passion. Soo Mei Fei reminds us that the language of art is universal, resonating with the heart regardless of where we come from.
Hasini Lakshmi Narayanan with her father.[/caption]
Aryan Verma, founder, Young Entrepreneurs Connect[/caption]
One of Rise N Shine's food donation events[/caption]
Shrusti Amula[/caption]
