Showcase Events and Nehru Centre London Celebrate Women with Wings

By Noor Anand Chawla After centuries of not having a voice, the deafening roar of women achievers can now be heard loud and clear around the world. To celebrate this fact and the various social, political, and economic achievements of women, March 8 is universally acknowledged as International Women’s Day. Always at the forefront of highlighting talent in the sphere of culture and the arts, ShowCase Events and Nehru Centre London teamed up to mark the occasion with a special event called ‘Women with Wings’. This show was hosted by the CEO of ShowCase Events, Nanni Singh, and broadcast simultaneously on Facebook and YouTube on March 8, 2022. Nine influential female achievers from varied backgrounds were the esteemed guests for the evening. The event began with a photo montage of the guests and opened with Nanni Singh’s empowering address. She said, “These nine exceptional ladies have amazing stories, they have pursued their passion and carved a niche for themselves.” This was followed by a pre-recorded message sent in by the Director of Nehru Centre London, Amish Tripathi, sharing a glimpse of the wonderful activities on offer at this iconic space located in the heart of London. Joining in live, Amish ji said, “What an honour to have such great women achievers on the Nehru Centre platform. As one of our scriptures says – even gods abandon the land where women are not respected! So, it is our absolute delight to host such amazing women.” Singh then took over and invited the guests sequentially and asked them to summarize their professional journeys, the challenges they had faced as women, and how they overcame these challenges. The first guest for the evening was Padma Shree Shovana Narayan - a recognised Indian Kathak dancer, who is famous as a performer and guru. Having made Kathak an internationally recognizable dance form, she has successfully merged Kathak with other dance forms like Western Classical Ballet, Tap dance and Spanish Flamenco. She is also an acclaimed author and social thinker. Narrating her interesting life journey, she said, “I’ve lived my life the way I wanted to – while keeping my values intact.” Tabla virtuoso and music composer Anuradha Pal was the next guest. Acclaimed as the first professional female Tabla player in the world by Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Limca Book of Records, her story is one of courage, fortitude, commitment, and creativity. At the event, she highlighted her contribution to women empowerment. She has done this by creating three unique bands Stree Shakti, SuFoRe and Recharge. Further, to empower young girls in the field of music, dance and social work, she instituted an award - the Padma Shri MT Vyas Award named after her grandfather. She has many awards and accolades to her credit. Ghazal singer Dr Radhika Chopra who has a Doctorate in Indian Classical Music, joined in next. Known as the Ghazal Queen, her versatility is reflected through her repertoire of bhajans, film songs, Punjabi folk songs, and Sufiana Kalams. At the event, she wisely said, “Each day is women’s day and being a woman is a celebration in itself. In fact, I would like to be a woman in my next birth too.” She was followed by dancer, choreographer, philosopher, and professor of Natyashastra, Sohini Roychowdhury, who is the founder of Sohinimoksha World Dance and Communications as well as Sohinimoksha Artes de L’India in Madrid, Kolkata, and Berlin. As an ambassador of Indian culture for the last several years, her performances have garnered audience appreciation all over the world. “Dance for me signifies a world without frontiers and discrimination – this is the kernel of what I have always believed.” Shweta Shetty, the next guest on the show, has always been known for her Hindi pop numbers as well as her Bollywood songs – which stand apart from everyone else’s due to her distinctive voice and style. She has won numerous awards and is the first artiste to introduce and compose Hindi Pop/Opera. “I wanted to rebel against rules, and I love the fact that I became an inspiration for many people,” she exclaimed with pride. The Indian High Commissioner to Malta, Sangeeta Bahadur, who was the next guest in the line-up, joined the prestigious Indian Foreign Service in 1987. Since then she has been posted in Indian diplomatic missions in Spain, Bulgaria, Mexico, Belgium, UK and Belarus, and has served in various capacities in the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi. Sangeeta is a published author of speculative fiction. Her heroic fantasy epic, the Kaal Quadrology, has received wide appreciation and a dedicated fan-following. She shared her life’s learnings with Nanni Singh. Singer Suneeta Rao graced the stage next. Known for her songs ‘Paree Hoon Main’, ‘Kesariya’, ‘Ab Ke Baras’ and loads more, she has also been part of theatrical productions like ‘Evita’, ‘Grease’, ‘Bottoms Up’ and ‘Man of La Mancha’ and more recently ‘Gaa Re Ma’. She supports and is the spokesperson for the Girl Child initiative of Population First, for whom she even made the video ‘Sun Zara’ for women’s empowerment, which was also the message she sought to impart on the occasion. Gitikka Ganju Dhar was the next guest on the show. She is an orator, a communication coach, an Indian TV personality, anchor and emcee, and the founder of Ministry of Talk. She has been named Nation Builder by India Today magazine for recrafting the archetype and redefining communication on the Indian stage. She shared her journey with candour and said, “I just wanted to prove to all the naysayers that women can pursue their careers no matter what. To do this, I worked harder than any human being possibly can!” The event rounded off with Garima Avtar, a rally driver, freelance automotive journalist and social media influencer. She was the first woman professional driver for Mercedes Benz Luxe Drive, and the first professional woman rally driver for Mahindra Adventure Rally Team. A two times TEDx speaker, Garima has numerous awards to her name. On the occasion, she said, “Making a career out of my job was unheard of, but I was very determined, and had both mental and physical strength needed to excel.” After the individual stories and anecdotes, all nine guests came together for an impromptu performance. While most of them sang songs, Shovana ji narrated poetry and Sohini Roychowdhury performed Mudras evocative of the Devi’s form. Nanni Singh then summed up the lovely evening by saying, “This women’s day will always be memorable,because of the inspirational guests, and the powerful messages shared by them.”