Monday, May 30, 2011

Ideas for a Rainy Day


Hi everyone,

And we are back after an unexpected and slightly prolonged absence.
This time around we are back with a new topic, but before we get to that, we’ve had a few mails asking us about what happened to the last one, which was ‘ Now, why didn’t I think of that?’

The theme was open to interpretation and you were asked to be as creative as you want to be.

However, most of the submissions we got were links to articles, cartoons and videos on the web. With very few original entries to choose from, it was with deep regret that we realized that none of the entries we got were good enough for the blog and of course, the book.

And so now as a new month dawns, we’ve decided to call it a day for the last topic and introduce a brand new one. And we also thought maybe we should do something a bit more topical. So with the monsoons right around the corner and even on us, in many parts why not tell us about, 
‘Business Ideas for a rainy Day!’


The theme is open to interpretation and it can be about a business tip, or a monsoon campaign being run by a business, or on what you would start-up the day your metaphorical rainy day arrives and so on.

Like last time the entries should be within 500-1000 words and 35 of the best entries to the blog will be selected for publication in an e-book that will be released in April 2012.

The last date for submissions for this theme is June 30th.

So put on your Thinking Cap and mail us your thoughts at firstfeather.consultants(@)gmail.com and feel free to comment on the theme on our announcement on our Facebook page.

Team First Feather is waiting to hear from you J

(Image courtesy -http://www.dreamstime.com)

Monday, March 28, 2011

Of endings and beginnings

Yes, it’s been an interesting three weeks and we at First Feather have been overwhelmed by the number of entries that poured in for the ‘INSPIRING WOMEN’ series.  

And yet, we’ve had to select six of the entries that we felt represented women from different walks of life and inspired women to reach out for their dreams in different ways.

We had Paromita Mukherjee’s post on how a distinctive women entrepreneur is born.

Then there was Ullash Kumar’s impassioned post on a woman filmmaker and the trials and tribulations she faces.

Anjana K. Nair introduced us to a woman who creates elegant handbags from bits and pieces of tailoring material.

Prerna Uppal took us on a journey with two travelers who had transformed their passion into an online resource for Indian travelers who were heading to Europe.

We had multiple responses to Arushi Jindal’s post about an RJ who hosts a show on women and multi-tasks as a model.

And then we had Mira Pawar’s entry on a woman who had chosen to run an automobile garage over her previous life as a realtor.

Six entries that told the stories of seven inspiring women.

We are privileged to have been able to feature these posts on THE THINKING CAP.
At this point, we also want to say that we did enjoy reading all the entries that came in. While we would have loved to feature all of you, that would not have been fair to these entries that were written with the theme so clearly in mind.

Now don’t keep away your pens and papers or even delete that word document just yet, as we do have a new theme coming up for you!

This time around we are celebrating simple ideas and innovation and the theme is
‘Now, why didn’t I think of that?’

The theme is open to interpretation and you can be as creative as you want to be.
Like last time the entries should be within 500-1000 words and 35 of the best entries to the blog will be selected for publication in an e-book that will be released in April 2012.
The last date for submissions for this theme is April 18th
We’re looking for some jazz, pizzazz and some truly vibrant writing.

Yes, a lot like this feather here!





Mail us your thoughts at firstfeather.consultants(@)gmail.com and feel free to comment on the theme on our announcement on our Facebook page.
Team First Feather is waiting to hear from you :)

Friday, March 25, 2011

THE THINKING CAP - Inspiring Women series- VI



Today in the last post on THE THINKING CAP-Inspiring Women series we meet a realtor who ditched her corporate lifestyle  to succesfully run an Automobile Garage.

This post is by freelance writer Mira Pawar. Mira who previously worked for Gulf News has also written for the Khaleej Times, Trinod.com, Wikinut.com and also for the Chicken Soup for the soul series. She also does re-writes for a company called Bannus.

A New Avenue for Women to Trudge Upon
Although in the past it was difficult for women to survive in a man’s world on the professional front, today women have been progressively surprising everyone with their presence in every male dominated bastion. Vidya Nambirajan from Mathuranagar, Sainikpuri area of Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh has done women proud through her endeavour of taking over the task of running an Automobile Garage thus adding another avenue for women to tread upon.

Vidya’s career went through a transition in the year 2002 when her father N.R.Nambirajan, the owner of Paramount Automobile Garage fell seriously ill leaving the Garage in the care of the workers. Business hampered considerably during the period of his illness. Nambirajan’s two sons were involved in their individual enterprise and were not able to provide any support. His only daughter was also away from home working in Chennai as a realtor. When there seemed no help coming from any where, Nambirajan requested his daughter for help until he recovered. Under the circumstances, Vidya offered to look after the garage for a specified period. As luck would have, even after recovery Nambirajan was not in a state to resume work as usual so after giving the situation a lot of thought Vidya decided to continue her stint at the garage for good and gave up her profession as a realtor.

Her career transition from a realtor to a garage owner was not at all easy.  It was like stepping into a boxing arena where she stood in the centre and everyone kept knocking her from all angles. As a realtor in Chennai, she was accustomed to working out of a posh air conditioned office, immaculately dressed in perfect corporate apparel, to attend meetings with the CEOs and MDs of various companies. But, in her father’s garage, the workers put on overhauls to go under the cars to inspect and work on the defects located. Vidya would have to get used to working in a similar condition. Now, this seemed like a real tough situation to encounter, but Vidya didn’t think twice, she offered to join the bandwagon. In order to maintain the discipline and harmony at workplace, she decided on being treated in par with the workers to gain their confidence which seemed very important at that point of time.

Vidya was taking a very serious plunge and if she made any blunders, it could mean the end of her father’s garage. The garage meant a lot to her father and therefore, she wanted to keep it going. The question was how? To a certain extent, her father imparted his expertise as best as he could, but from a male point of view. Vidya quickly formed a strategy in compliance with the existing one so she could fit into the environment without the workers feeling conscious about the situation. She would join them during the tea break, order tea and spend few relaxing moments with them talking about the families etc. A lady boss is not so easily acceptable especially if it happens to be in a hard core male bastion. Initially, she felt humiliated and demoralised by the worker’s attitude towards her, but she was sure time will come when she would get her due respect. It took quite a while for the worker’s mind-set to change but today they look upon her for advice in every decision they make and respect her for her industriousness. They have been provided mobiles, given yearly increments, each one’s birthday celebrated in style and yes! Vidya does not forget to give them pep-talk from time to time to boost their morale and confidence at work. Another important practice she has imbibed in the workers is abstain tips from the customers which is much appreciated by her clients.

While working upon the task of changing the mind-set of the workers, Vidya simultaneously had an even more challenging work on hand, and that was to learn the technical aspect linked with the automobile business. With the help of the workers in the garage, she got herself to acquaint with the basic knowledge including the practical task of going under the car to identify the problems. Every day was a new challenge for her and she would look forward to it with great eagerness. 

Although Vidya did not have any formal training, her enthusiasm at work place caught the attention of various leading car dealers who would provide assistance to her from time to time.  Very soon she tied up with MY TVS who were into quality used cars. They offered her to be their authorised service point. This was a great turning point in the business at Paramount Garage and things started looking up.  MY TVS gave her an opportunity to work on multi-branded cars. They also provided Vidya and her staff training at various outlets like the Tata Motors, Volkswagen, and Nissan etc.  Whenever, a new model of car was launched, the dealers would conduct training and invite Vidya and her staff to be part of the seminar to enhance their knowledge on the subject. Manuals were provided at the seminars which Vidya used when required while servicing multi branded cars. She also negotiated with Europ and availed assistance for their 24X7 breakdown services.

Vidya was now fully charged and in control to make decisions to develop the garage into an ultramodern outlet where the customers would feel their cars being pampered and not just serviced. She availed loan from the bank and bought state-of-the-art equipments. She introduced the latest mode of checking through an electronic control module (ECM) which was performed through software loaded for various functions in the car. A diagnostic engine scanner, injectors, decarbonising machine, pneumatic tools and some other relevant machinery was an answer to this. She also put up a hydraulic ramp for servicing the cars. This initiative was a big step towards upgrading the garage. The scanner was a great boon as it could read all parameters/functions of a car and this helped Vidya to learn further and correlate with various other aspects. Technology changes every other day and to stay updated one has to continue the process of learning and this practice is very earnestly followed by Vidya.

Eight years of hard work and her belief in ‘never say die’ attitude multiplied the business at Paramount Garage ten folds. Today, her father has recovered completely but refuses to take over the garage because he thinks no one can do more justice towards running the garage than Vidya.  
~~
Team First Feather

Vidya’s story is one of grit and determination and the drive to turn an existing idea around to reach new heights.

Submissions to the ‘Inspiring Women’ series are now closed.

Remember to keep checking back as we will be announcing our next topic on 28th March, Monday.

Want to be in the know before we announce it officially? Drop us a mail at firstfeather.consultants(@)gmail.com

And for all other random thoughts and shouts do join us on our Facebook page and our Twitter account.


Tuesday, March 22, 2011

THE THINKING CAP - Inspiring Women series- V


And as we wrap up THE THINKING CAP: Inspiring Women series, we meet with a voice that launched many radio dreams and hosts a talk show on women’s issues while balancing a successful modelling career inspiring many young girls in Punjab to opt for unconventional careers.
This post is by Arushi Jindal, a freelance writer and a content writer with an IT firm. She has worked with the Hindustan Times and the Times of India and writes on fashion, art and lifestyle. You can get in touch with her here.
Seep- The oyster of beauty and euphony
One can easily take Seep as professional model at a first glance. But hang on she is the first voice to launch ‘MY FM’ Jalandhar. She is none other than RJ Seep, the popular RJ from Jalandhar, one of the most famous voices on the local radio and an inspiration for me. You must be wondering why an RJ inspired me? But that’s not the only thing she is.
Seep joined My FM when she was just 18 years old. And her story of success starts from here. Seep says, “The amount of hard work you put decides how lucky you will be, but in my case it was the opposite.”
As a child, she always wanted to be either an airhostess or a pilot. But it was by chance that she got selected for My FM in the first round. Seep says, “I had never thought of being a Radio Jockey. I was a very shy girl. But it’s all about destiny. And when I joined My FM it boosted my confidence.”
There is turning point in everyone’s life, so is in the case of RJ Seep Taneja. When she got selected for the ‘HUNT FOR THE KINGFISHER CALENDAR GIRL’.  Seep says that the Kingfisher calendar was the biggest turning point in her life as never in her wildest dreams had she ever dreamt of any such thing. Seep, who has a smile attached to her lips, feels her eyes are her biggest assets. Seep was aware of the stiff competition she would have to face to become the most sought after model in India's most sizzling calendar.
She wanted to be in the Kingfisher 2010 Calendar and she got her first portfolio made the same month the call from NDTV came.
She wanted to back out at times because she felt that her competitors were a lot more professional than her and as well as being experienced models. At one point she decided to step out and call her mother to inform her about her decision. But when her mother urged her to stay on and compete, Seep stepped up and geared up to be the best.
“My mother's suggestion was like a command to me and I started working hard to get a position in the competition and to make my mother proud. It is a universal truth that diligence is the mother of good fortune and it proved to be true for me as well. I was one of the top 12 finalists of the show. That was when I understood that participation is much more important than winning or losing, says, Seep.”
She also shot for the ‘Ibibo I Beach Body Calendar 2010 and is featured on the October page of the Ibibo Beach Body Calendar 2010.
Seep also works on “16 ALWAYS” a programme targeted at woman listeners. She says, “I enjoy doing this programme, as it actually gives me the power to explore the issues that are pertinent to women.” Meanwhile she has also walked the ramp for international brands like United Colours of Benetton, Tommy Hilfiger and others.
Seep says, ‘I am a creative, determined and happy go lucky girl who believes in living life ‘Queen Size’. I don’t take life as it comes rather I turn it as I want. ’
Now you must have understood that she's not only my inspiration but also the inspiration of many who aspire to reach out for the stars.
~~
Team First Feather: We are sure that many a young reader is inspired by Seep’s hard work and determination to succeed.
Submissions to THE THINKING CAP: INSPIRING WOMEN series are now closed. We do have a post or two coming up on the subject, but we will not be accepting any more entries.
But no need to lose hope as we will be announcing our next topic soon :)
Want to be in the know before we announce it officially? Drop us a mail at firstfeather.consultants(@)gmail.com
And for all other random thoughts and shout-outs do join us on our Facebook page and our Twitter page.


Monday, March 21, 2011

THE THINKING CAP - Inspiring Women series- IV

Today on THE THINKING CAP- Inspiring Women series, we meet with two women who transformed their love of travel into a portal with Indian travellers headed to Europe in mind.

This post is by Prerna Uppal, a London-based freelance writer. Prerna is currently lending her prose to help raise funds for charity and exploring the world of fiction writing. A post-graduate in communication studies, she has reported for The Week, The Indian Express and CNN-IBN. You can read more of her writing here.



Northward Bound

I don’t know about you but I, like many people, thought that the Lonely Planet was the last word in travel literature. Till I met Chetna Prakash and Sakshi Ojha and learnt of their recently launched online venture called Indian Compass.  The website’s tagline reads –Directing Indians around Europe like no guidebook can. A tall claim, may be, but one that is full of promise and for good reason.


Indian Compass is a one stop portal for all travel needs of Indians headed towards Europe. Unlike guidebooks like the Lonely Planet which caters to a general market, Indian Compass deciphers European travel for Indians, who as the owners point out, have different sensibilities and travel needs than western travellers. And the website takes care to address all possible issues that travellers can face.

Behind the conception & launch of Indian compass are two well-travelled individuals. London-based Chetna and Sakshi’s passion for travel was fuelled the year they began their Erasmus Mundus programme. The two year scholarship was based in Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark. During the time they made sure they travelled all over Europe and experience the continent with its good and the bad.

Between the two of them, they tried everything from backpacking to budget travel to more conventional type of travelling. This was in 2008. Over these last few years, they have put together quite a repository of information and useful anecdotes. These include their stories as well as of some other well-travelled contributors.

While their experiences add credibility to what they write and recommend, that’s not all. They are seasoned journalists who write extensively about travel in leading publications, and they have been there done that when it comes to travel. But they wanted to do more.

“Most publications guide books and websites (at least in India) tell you what to do. No one addresses the practical issues that crop up before and during travel,” Chetna says. She goes on to give me an example. “They (publications) will tell you how Croatia is a beautiful destination but say nothing of the visa hassles you can encounter, for a reason as simple as the fact that Croatia is not a Schenghen visa country.”

The website is simple in design and user friendly. Its pages are helpfully divided into sections like, travel, paperwork & practicalities, accommodation, experiences, etc. Here you can access fuss free and practical advise culled from personal experience of writers.

The writing is simple and content too the point, but never in a pedantic tone. And this is a very conscious choice the dynamic duo made.

“We had decided at the onset that we will never have a top-down approach in this website. While we do consider ourselves an authority about what we offer, we are always open to discussion,” Sakshi explains.

And interactivity is at the heart of the site’s operations. It is an open platform for discussion by all, where visitors are welcome to share their experiences. And even ask for what they want to see on the website. It hopes to reach out to many more audiences via social media forums like Facebook and Twitter, a task which the two rightly point will take time.

But if one was to look at figures, the site has the potential of enjoying a very large audience.  Currently there are 9 million out-bound travellers from India out of which 40% are headed to visit Europe. This, Chetna tells me, is from European Travel Commission report. The total number of Indian tourists, the report adds, is set to reach 50 million by 2020. You can do the math.

The reason most compelling was to break the usual “do this, head here” formula and help the Indian traveller enjoy travel the way it is to be enjoyed – by exploration; be it of the place, culture, cuisine and people.

By sharing their writers’ travel experiences, the website hopes to spare travellers some anxiety that travel and its planning can bring on. This, they hope, will help visitors be better prepared for travel and more at ease at their holiday destination.

And it gets better. These two are not so arrogant to proclaim that they know everything there is to know about travelling in Europe. They admit there is good stuff out there on the internet. So what they do is peruse the www and bring to their visitors websites/blogs/links useful to plan a successful trip. In other words, they do the hard-work for any Indian looking at European travel.

The way forward for them right now is to attract a larger audience. They want to eventually bring European service providers and Indian customers within reachable distance of each other. This is also to generate money to sustain the website. The latter while important will not dictate the editorial policy of the website. For them credibility matters and that’s where the journalistic ideals kick in. “We need the money to sustain the business but that doesn’t mean our work will be biased towards sponsors,” Sakshi iterates. “And given the medium we have chosen to work in, it’s not possible. Internet is quite an honest and ruthless playground,” Chetna adds.

And these two are not afraid to play the game. Instead of moping about a bad economy and waiting for the right job to come to them, Sakshi and Chetna chose to become pioneers instead. They discovered an untapped market and utilised their collective skills and experience to create an opportunity for themselves (and their writers). For these two, every challenge is a chance to grow and learn. And for these reasons and more, the compass does seem to point North for the young entrepreneurs.    


~~
Team First Feather: We are truly inspired by these travel entrepreneurs and wish the Indian Compass all the best!

Do you know of anyone who inspires you to put your first creative feather in your cap? Hold on to that thought!

Submission to the ‘Inspiring Women’ Series is closed, but we’ll be announcing a new topic on March 28th!
Remember that 35 of the best entries from the overall submissions to the blog on different topics will be selected and compiled into an e-book to be released in April 2012.

So join us on FB or drop us a mail at firstfeather.consultants(@)gmail.com to catch the new topics as soon as they are announced!

We’ll be back with the last post on the Inspiring Women series tomorrow! 

Sunday, March 20, 2011

THE THINKING CAP - Inspiring Women series- III

As we enter the last week of posts on our series on INSPIRING WOMAN, we meet a woman who creates elegant bags from the waste material from tailoring shops.

This post is by Anjana K. Nair who has been a Bhagwad Gita scholar since the age of 6. Once a corporate trainer, as well as a singer and dancer today she is a freelance writer. Anjana is currently working on her first book ‘Confessions of God’, which she says is spiritual fiction based on the first eighteen chapters of the Bhagwad Geetha. You can read more of her work here


A WOMAN WHO TURNED TRASH TO TREASURE
It’s a go green era. The cities have clogged drains and people are worried about waste disposal. There are ecological revolutions happening in and around the metros. Reduce, Reuse, Refuse and Recycle. This is the mantra of many ecological revolutions that happens around. But have we ever thought that the bits and pieces of tailoring waste can be sewed out into beautiful and elegant bags? Definitely not! They were just landfills for us. But artist Radha Gomaty did. That was how Sangmitra was born as the friend of the society.

It was at an exhibition of cloth bags in Cochin, I came to notice her. She and her ‘sisters’ made beautiful jholas and Batuas that would tempt one. It would go with anything. They are more natural, fashionable and affordable ones. There were also backpacks, spectacle cases and pouches.  They work as a team, a team of highly inspired women.
She is an artist who has won Lalithakala academy award for sculpting, a poetess, a painter and a nature lover. As she says every single woman has a tendency of hoarding bits and pieces together. Sangmitra is an extension of it.

There was no such stimulus for a beginning. But Radha got a chance to go to Bristol in 2004 where she took some homemade stuff like terracotta trinkets, vegetable dyed shirts etc. She got a stall between the chrome and steel and all tech ones. But as soon as all these were placed, it resembled a wild tropical flowering. Some of them came in and to her surprise they bought from her many of the handcrafts. The ecological awareness they had, inspired her. She is helped in this venture by Reena Rosario, the neighbor who runs a tailoring unit and Jaya, who stitches the bags.

 In 2009, they launched the first exclusive collection of bags in association with ANMPU Media trust, Cochin. This was the one which I had stumbled upon.
Sangmitra bags are made with care and quality. The process is not an easy one though. Radha picks the waste that tailoring shops and units generate. Each bundle of waste is a celebration and it creates some sort of anticipation. In her words, “We don’t know what we are going to find in there. It takes a lot of time and energy sifting through the pieces of cloth.” 

Sourcing tailoring waste is just the beginning. The real work starts later which is divided into two steps – sifting the rags and picking the suitable ones. The production of bags comes next. Some they have designed, for the others there are samples which they fabricate.

Once they complete the sifting and sorting, a little patch work, blend of colors and textures, a short discussion and finally the bags are done. 

“Patch work is a woman’s narrative, her passion, her story and this recycling is a prayer to all beings” says Radha.

“These rags may have stories to tell. If the cloth has a strong smell of pan, beedi or cigarettes it’s a men employed unit. If there are stains of food, it has to be women.  I know several women who have this tendency of hoarding small pieces of cloth. Even I did, for whatever reason, and it stays there. I just extended that tendency,” she laughs. It’s an extension of a hidden passion inside many of the women. But here the waste that may be dumped is exchanged for currency.


It is a perfect option for a classy affair and there is never a need to attach an accessory as the fabric itself gives you the edge. Backpacks in heavy or light fabrics, available in a number of shades, with pockets for cell phones and other essentials will be liked by all. Sling bags and totes, which are a mix of fragments of different pieces of cloth in various hues, are sure to spice up your wardrobe. They also have silk bags in aqua and apple green colors, which catch the eyes of any passerby. Jholas and Batuas promise the desi stroke to one’s costume and many have small add-ons and are a great choice for gift bags.

Sangmitra makes corporate gifts too, provided they get enough time. The reason is they don’t work like any other unit, which purchases production materials from stores. Though made from cut pieces the quality is not compromised. Attention is paid on each stitch and seam that brings out the bags. Jaya, the core strength of Sangmitra worked in a garment export house for sometime which helps maintaining the quality.

When we learn about her more and more, it’s inspiring. She is a nature lover who contributes her part to the society in a pretty interesting way. Now she is looking forward for the expansion of this to garment industry as well. Who knows, this creates a green revolution!
Hail Nature! Hail Sangmitra!
~~~
Team First Feather: Radha truly is an example of someone who has transformed an original idea into a successful business venture. What’s inspiring is how she does her part for the environment at the same time.
Do you know of anyone who inspires you to put your first creative feather in your cap?
Send your thoughts in around 500- 1000 words to firstfeather.consultants(@)gmail.com and we'll feature you on the blog!
The deadline for our Inspiring Women series – is March 21st.  Yes  today and we’ll be accepting entries till the end of the day only!
Oh and also 35 of the best entries from the overall submissions to the blog on different topics will be selected and compiled into an e-book to be released in April 2012.
So make sure that your thoughts reach us by then and yes, we can see you whipping out those thinking caps!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

THE THINKING CAP - Inspiring Women series- II


Continuing on our series on 'Inspiring Women', The Thinking Cap presents a woman who’s been making hard-hitting films, despite all the odds.
This post is by Ullash Kumar, a Tribal Rights activist and Wildlife lover who is inspired by Nature. He is a freelance journalist who writes on Environment, Development and South Indian Cinema. He is also a documentary film maker who has worked with names like K P Sasi, Sarat Chandran, Suresh Heblikar and many others. He blogs on what he calls ‘a mixed Masala’ of topics here

LEENA- MY INSPIRATION, MY LIFE
I always knew Leena Manimekalai as a filmmaker. I had seen only one film of hers before seeing the preview of Sengadal. I never knew her in person. I never imagined even in my wildest dreams that I would become a friend of this firebrand lady who is full of life. She is everything. Leena is active in so many fields from poetry to theater to film making. She is determined to make a change in the lives of many.
As a filmmaker she touches upon subjects of deep sensitivity, a poet who writes without any hindrance about the truth within. She loves to address issues that are hardly touched by mainstream media or writers. She is a charged up activist who is on a mission of exposing the cruelties and injustices done to a large section of the powerless population.

Born in a family fully immersed in Left Politics she had a good understanding of politics at a very young age. Her grandfather and father were part of the ‘Communist Party of India’ and its cultural front ‘Kalai Ilakkiya Perumandram’. Leena grew up listening to passionate discussions and reading Gorky, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky among other authors. Tarkovesky’s films, a mixture of nostalgia and mirror work intrigued her, prompted her to explore the canvas of cinema.
She grew up in a atmosphere electrified with social change and activism. She was a young journalist and wrote in Childrens magazines like Gokulam and Poonthalir.
Her defining moment of her childhood came when she was thirteen years old. She won a painting contest conducted by the Young Pioneers Association and was selected as one of the three students to attend an International Camp in USSR. It changed her life. She always used to imagine what was the point of everything she learnt as a child. Leena went on to firmly entrench herself in the world of films, literature and activism.
Leena’s journey hasn’t been easy. She says, ‘every women’s life similar in someway'. Leena feels it is a man’s world. ‘Women are all made to feel guilty for no reasons though they are desperate to achieve something’, she adds. For example, her mother and other women in her family are educated but they are still confined to the kitchens. They don’t make it beyond that. All their knowledge is concentrated on marriage and raising a family.
Leena wished to write, create and travel. For Leena, Cinema is a brilliant form of literary expression. She is an activist by heart, through and through. She has principles of her own. She has created her own democratic space within a system. She gets exhausted fighting, but never loses hope, she is a fighter for life.
Leena writes to intervene, create a dialogue and she has clear thoughts and views about why she has to shock the senses. When women write about their body, it blasts the institutions like religions, caste, state and language itself that she sees as tools in the hands of chauvinistic powers.
I still remember the last scene from her film Sengadal where she beautifully presents the lives of a poor fishing community. You can see it in her eyes that she was touched by the lives of the people that she has showcased. I got up from the preview with tears in my eyes. I could see her loyalty to the cause she believed in. I was touched.
Today this very feature film ‘Sengadal’ has been denied censorship by the Censorboard. Fighting to get Censorship for ‘Sengadal’ and trying to get it into theatres is what is taking our energy these days.
It’s Leena’s dedication and multifaceted personality that inspires me everyday. I have decided to work and travel with her for the rest of her ventures if she decides to involve me. Hats off to a brilliant human being and a good friend.
~~
Team First Feather – Leena truly is an inspiration to budding women filmmakers out there. And she is an example of gunning for your dreams, no matter what! According to us, she’s put not just one but many, many feathers in her cap.
What about you the women who you think have already put that first feather in their caps?

Send your thoughts in around 500- 1000 words to firstfeather.consultants(@)gmail.com and we'll feature you on the blog!
The deadline for our Inspiring Women series – is March 21st. So make sure that your thoughts reach us by then!
Oh and also 35 of the best entries from the overall submissions to the blog on different topics will be selected and compiled into an e-book to be released in April 2012.
We can see you whipping out those thinking caps!