Meri Kahani With Bhawana Somaaya

Himanshuu Sheth graduated from St.Xaviers College, Mumbai, with a degree in Ancient Indian Culture. After numerous diploma courses in diverse subjects, he decided that his heart craved for the camera and photography. He was groomed in varied styles by industry experts and got an opportunity to travel around the world. Currently, he works for a number of Advertising Agencies, Design Houses, Industrial Organisations, Creative Consultancies, Fashion Magazines, Travel and Hotel Industries…etc. He has also been a guest lecturer at prestigious institutions. In order to give back to his profession, Himanshuu started a parallel project, Himanshuu Sheth Photosafaaris, where he takes photography enthusiasts on a photography adventure. Teaching them along the way to improve their photography skills.  Continue conducting various Photosafaris in India, Turkey, Ecuador, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and looking at expanding to various parts of the world.  Listen to his amazing experiences on Meri Ka

Dr. Madhu Chopra is a powerhouse in her own right… a family physician and an ENT surgeon, she is now a renowned cosmetic aesthetician with a private clinic in Juhu, Mumbai. Dr. Chopra has travelled across the globe to learn and master the many procedures of cosmetic surgery and its ever-changing technology. She excelled scholastically and has a string of illustrious academic achievements.  She was a medical practitioner in the Armed Forces for a major part of her professional career. When Priyanka was crowned Miss India, and then Miss World, Dr. Chopra gave up a thriving practice and moved to Mumbai to allow her daughter every opportunity to pursue her dreams. This also led to her managing the formative years of her career, while also being an advisor, directly handling all the financial aspects of her life. This experience has equipped her with the skills necessary to successfully run a production house.  While Ms. Priyanka Chopra Jonas makes the creative calls at Purple Pebble Pictures, Dr. Chopra is the

A critically acclaimed award-winning filmmaker, Arunaraje is a writer, editor, director and producer. She passed out of the Film Institute of India with a gold medal and was the first trained girl technician to come out of the Institute and the first woman technician in the film industry. She received the First lady Award from the Government and was felicitated by the President along with other First Ladies. Advertising films, documentaries, television serials and features – she has done them all. Her feature films include (the first three as a part of the duo ArunaVikas) Shaque (Vinod Khanna, Shabana Azmi), Gehrayee (Dr.Lagu, Anant Nag, Amrish Puri), Situm (Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah), and Rihaee (Vinod Khanna, Hema Malini, Naseeruddin Shah), Patita Pavana & Patita Pavani (Sukanya Kulkarni, Raju Khandagale), Bhairavi (Ashwini Bhave, Sridhar), Keh Do Na (Simone Singh, Parveen Dabas), Tum (Manisha Koirala, Rajat Kapoor) and Firebrand in Marathi produced by Priyanka Chopra and released on Netflix in 2019.

Bharat Kumar is the youngest guest on the podcast. His love for cooking encouraged him to start a venture aimed to create magic of creativity in tasteful cooking. Listen to him talk about how he developed his passion into a profession and what gives him the courage to start on his own cloud kitchen. He won the title of “Andheri Masterchef” organized by Amul Masterchef India 2015! To continue with the passion for experimenting with flavors and different cuisine he Introduces a new menu every week. Find out his inspiring experiences now on Meri Kahani with Bhawana Somaaya. You can follow us and leave us feedback on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @eplogmedia, For partnerships/queries send you can send us an email at bonjour@eplog.media. If you like this show, please subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts, so other people can find us. You can also find us on https://www.eplog.media See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Veena Nagda's life is a journey from a coy, cloistered girl to a celebrated Mehendi artist! Born to a middle-class conservative Jain family and the youngest of 5 sisters, she wasn’t allowed to pursue further studies after SSC despite achieving First Class, then. But this did not depress her as she was born to excel. So, she began doing embroidery on saris. However, Mehendi drew her attention so much that with a cone in hand and a simple desire to turn out good work, a modest 17-year old Mumbai teenager has parlayed what started out as a hobby into a thriving career 3 decades back. In the glitzy world of Bollywood, Veena Nagda has become so indispensable that director-producer Karan Johar has dubbed her the ‘Bollywood Mehendi Queen.’ Veena’s work has also featured in several Bollywood blockbusters such as Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Kal Ho Na Ho, Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, God Tussi Great Ho, U Me Aur Hum, Patiyala House, Yeh Jawaani Hai Dewaani; and albums including Falguni Pathak’s Maine Payal Hai Chankari and

Hailing from a highly respected and prominent family VISSANJI KHIMJI OF shipping yards and rice mills in BURMA. Chhaya Momaya is a metaphor for sophistication, timeless style, and luxury entrepreneurship. India's most admired life coach has morphed personalities and careers of prominent industrialists, politicians, housewives, investment bankers and youngsters over the years. The couture-wearing, jet-setting stylista is the tallest figure to reckon with in Mumbai’s caviar circles. She is a self-made and self-taught professional whose name spells elegance and refinement.  Listen to his incredible journey on Meri Kahani with Bhawana Somaaya! You can follow us and leave us feedback on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @eplogmedia, For partnerships/queries send you can send us an email at bonjour@eplog.media. If you like this show, please subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts, so other people can find us. You can also find us on https://www.eplog.media See omnystudio.com/listener for

The most respected brand amongst Indian women entrepreneurs.  President of The Indian Television Academy. Founder of The ITA Awards since 2001, GR8 Women Achiever Awards, NGO BETI Association – Charity for Women, Anchor & Producer of Reel or Real with Anu on Facebook. Television veteran with a 3-decade repertoire, Philanthropist and educationalist. Self-motivated multi-tasking entrepreneur and authentic visionary who changed the face of Indian Television. To garner and galvanize the entire TV fraternity under one umbrella, Anu envisaged The Indian Television Academy in 2001, with the cardinal aim of building bridges amongst the disparate sectors of this medium. As the President of The Indian Television Academy, she was the first person to introduce a structured system into the unorganised television segment to provide a ready platform for the industry to meet, interact and figure the future landscape Simultaneously she single-handedly launched the ITA Awards dedicated towards honouring personalities of the

Actor-Filmmaker Ajinkya Deo is the son of legendary actors Seema and Ramesh Deo. In his long and effective career, he has collected many State Awards and a National Award.  He has dabbled in Marathi films, Hindi films, television, and web series. He has directed feature films, documentaries, produced the pioneering "24" series starring Anil Kapoor, directed by his brother Abhinay Deo. He is on the board of several social institutions, engaged in academic and humanitarian causes. Listen to his incredible journey on Meri Kahani with Bhawana Somaaya!   A Small Note: The last year or more has been a tough one for all of us. And the second wave of COVID-19 has been much worse. To help those affected by the pandemic in India, the podcasting community has come together under the #PodForChange banner to raise funds through an exclusive NGO partner, Give India. Join Ep.Log and #PODFORCHANGE as we look to make a positive impact in the lives of those affected by COVID19. Please visit the link: tinyurl.com/PodFo

Padmashri Darshana Jhaveri, a Manipuri dancer, scholar, teacher is one of the 4 world-renowned Jhaveri sisters whose name has become synonymous with Manipuri dancing.  She has dedicated her life to preserve, perpetuate and propagate the classism of Manipuri dance under the able guidance of Guru Bipin Singh. A technically versatile and immaculate dancer, Darshanaji has specialized both in tandava (masculine) and lasya (feminine) elements of Manipuri dance.   Her innate sensitivity to the highly developed intricate and complex Tal and rhythm patterns led her to competent mridang (drum) playing. The creative contribution of the Jhaveri sisters and Guru Bipin Singh has been to bring the traditional and classical dances of Manipur from the temples to the theater without polluting its original form and spirit. Since1958 she has performed extensively all over India and over 40 foreign countries. She has received many honors and awards, the most prestigious being National SNA Award, President's Padmashri award,

Shweta Shalini has been active in Indian Politics for more than a decade now. She holds many organisational posts in Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), both on the state & national level.  At present, Shweta Shalini is the spokesperson for BJP, and a frontliner in the village transformation mission, chaired by the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Devendra Fadnavis ji. There are many facets of Shweta Shalini, and we will discover this in conversation with her. Listen to her share his journey on Meri Kahani with Bhawana Somaaya. A Small Note: The last year or more has been a tough one for all of us. And the second wave of COVID-19 has been much worse. To help those affected by the pandemic in India, the podcasting community has come together under the #PodForChange banner to raise funds through an exclusive NGO partner, Give India. Join Ep.Log and #PODFORCHANGE as we look to make a positive impact in the lives of those affected by COVID19. Please visit the link: tinyurl.com/PodForChangeIndia. Remem

JayPrakash Sharma is a credible name in the television business. In 14 years, he has directed 18 series, mostly mythologicals like Devo ke Dev Mahadev, Siya ke Ram, Vighnaharta, or historicals like Porus, Jodha Akbar, Chandragupta Maurya, and Hatim to name a few of his magnificent works. He works round the clock and is always on the move.  Listen to him share his experiences from the television world and he also talks about humble beginnings! Listen to him share his journey on Meri Kahani with Bhawana Somaaya. A Small Note: The last year or more has been a tough one for all of us. And the second wave of COVID-19 has been much worse. To help those affected by the pandemic in India, the podcasting community has come together under the #PodForChange banner to raise funds through an exclusive NGO partner, Give India. Join Ep.Log and #PODFORCHANGE as we look to make a positive impact in the lives of those affected by COVID19. Please visit the link: tinyurl.com/PodForChangeIndia. Remember, someone really ne

Parag Desai, CEO of Universal Communications, started operations in 1993 with Corporate Communications and later diversifying into the Films & Entertainment space. In 2004 he marked the entry in Bollywood with noteworthy and acclaimed films such as National Award winner Madhur Bhandarkar’s PAGE-3, Corporate beings amongst our early projects. In 2006 he helmed the publicity of one the biggest Box office successes of 2006 i.e, ‘Golmaal’ starring Ajay Devgn and since then he has been at the forefront of Publicity and Marketing of one of the biggest Bollywood films till date. Parag Desai produced Kajol starer 'Tribhanga' for Netflix which received overwhelming reviews from fans and critics alike. Hi next as the producer is Oh My Kaduvale a Tamil hit to be now adapted in Hindi.  He has also produced with his wife Director Seemaa Desai's award-winning children film Pappu Ki Pagdandi for Children's Film Society of India (Released) and her recent award-winning short film titled 'Tindey' with Large Short Films, as

Rasika trained in Acting at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII, Pune ).  She has played significant roles in films, original series, and short films, exploring the nuances of diverse characters in artistically challenging and socially relevant productions. She is known for her performance in feature films 'Manto' (directed by Nandita Das), 'Hamid' (directed by Aijaz Khan), 'Qissa' (directed by Anup Singh), 'Kshay'( directed by Karan Gour), Lootcase (directed by Rajesh Krishnan) and short films 'Chutney', 'The School Bag' and 'Banana Bread'. In digital series, her varied roles as the feisty Beena Tripathi in  'Mirzapur' (Amazon Prime), the idealistic cop Neeti Singh in 'Delhi Crime' (Netflix) have won her many accolades and much popularity amongst audiences. She was also seen in 'Out of love' (Hotstar) headlining the series as Dr Meera Kapoor.  She then starred in Mira Nair's A Suitable Boy in the role of Savita Mehra. Most recently she was part of an international audio series titled 'The Empi

Siddharth Anand Kumar has worked in varied aspects of the film and TV industry from writing, directing, photography, editing and teaching in a career spanning 18 years. He has directed two independent feature films and over 20 TV shows. He is currently VP of films and events for Saregama where he has a mandate to produce compelling story-led feature films for theatrical and digital audiences in India and worldwide. Yoodlee Films, as the venture is known, has quickly become a focus point for Indian independent cinema.  Listen to him share his journey on Meri Kahani with Bhawana Somaaya. You can follow us and leave us feedback on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @eplogmedia, For partnerships/queries send you can send us an email at bonjour@eplog.media. If you like this show, please subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts, so other people can find us. You can also find us on https://www.eplog.media See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lalit Pandit constantly upped competition by churning out hit tunes, keeping with the changing trends of times & giving back the essence of the youthful emotions of the large masses of Indian population.​ Lalit Pandit composed the song "Munni Badnaam Hui" for 2010's all-time blockbuster movie Dabangg.​ He won over 48 Awards for this song.​ Apart from this, Lalit Pandit has won several national and international awards for his music in different films.​ He has scored music for over 150 films and carries on the work.​ He specially composed ‘Aati Kya Khandala’ in the film Ghulam for Aamir Khan.​ He also composed a song for Sanjay Dutt in the movie ‘Khoobsurat’.​ The BBC Radio London honored him by declaring the music of DDLJ as the most popular Indian music film track in the history of Indian cinema.​ Lalit Pandit has done lots of shows in India and Internationally. He has performed taking along other singers with him in Trinidad, Europe, West Indies, North America; almost around the Globe mesmerizing the

Rajitdev has worked in the film industry for more than 15 years. Started working as Background Dancer and then as an Assistant Choreographer to Vaibhavi Merchant for 8 years. He has also participated in a Dance Reality Show “JUST DANCE” in 2011. Since 2018 he started working independently and have done several music videos, film songs and Advertisements. To name a few, my recent songs have been Superhit like Chor Denge with Nora Fatehi, Tehas Nehas (Khali Peeli) with Ishaan Khattar, and Ananya Pandey. Radha with Dhvani Bhanushali and Baarish KI Jaye with Nawaazuddin Siddiqui. Listen to him share his journey on Meri Kahani with Bhawana Somaaya. You can follow us and leave us feedback on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @eplogmedia, For partnerships/queries send you can send us an email at bonjour@eplog.media. If you like this show, please subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts, so other people can find us. You can also find us on https://www.eplog.media See omnystudio.com/listen

A distinguished and internationally renowned Kathak exponent who brings a track record in dance and academics as a holder of a Bachelors in Commerce, Masters in Dance (Gold Medalist) and has audited contemporary dance courses at York University, Toronto Canada. She is a rare combination of an accomplished performer, choreographer, visualizer, director, teacher, administrator and artist. A choreographer recognized for innovative presentations with the established Indian traditions represents the lineage of Kathak Gurus Nrityacharya Prahalad Das, Pt. Vijay Shankar & legendary Pt Birju Maharaj.  Being a Research Scholar, her long span career of 35 years in dance includes special field of research “Chaarani Ballad” singing, its manifestation and adaptation in Kathak performances which has finally resulted in a new addition to the arena of Kathak Dance “Chaarani Kathak for which She received Senior fellowship from Department of Culture, Government of India. This research is original in its kind and is viewed as

Shitala Pandey better known as Sameer Anjaan, is the son of famous lyricist Anjaan. Sameer is a Guinness World Record holder for writing most songs. Sameer started his career as a lyricist in 1983 with the film Bekhabar (1983). The first film song he recorded was "Maar Ke Kataaree Mar Jaibe" for the Bhojpuri film Bairi Saawan (1984).  In 1990, he came into prominence with songs in films such as Dil and Aashiqui. He won his first Filmfare Award for the song "Nazar Ke Saamne" in the latter. In the following decades he emerged as a leading lyricist in Bollywood, writing the lyrics for over 500 Hindi films (4,000 songs)! In this 50th episode of Meri Kahani with Bhawana Somaaya, Sameer Anjaan candidly shares his journey from Banaras to Bombay! You can follow us and leave us feedback on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @eplogmedia, For partnerships/queries send you can send us an email at bonjour@eplog.media. If you like this show, please subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts, so other

Best known for the role of Jagdeep Chaddha in the Indian adaptation of The Office on Hotstar. Apart from this, has acted in other films like Sherni (to be released), Gurgaon, Shaadi ke Side Effects, Island City, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, and I, Me Aur Main; and web shows like Sunflower (to be released), Bichoo Ka Khel, Broken But Beautiful, and Zero Km. Has been active on the Mumbai Theatre circuit, acting in over a dozen productions, including a current play called Ila. Has been performing and teaching Improv Theatre for over 10 years. Is a founder member of Improv Comedy Mumbai, which stages completely improvised, unscripted shows across Mumbai and for corporate events. Listen to his journey from investment banking to Bollywood on Meri Kahani with Bhawana Somaaya! You can follow us and leave us feedback on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @eplogmedia, For partnerships/queries send you can send us an email at bonjour@eplog.media. If you like this show, please subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get

Anuradha Parikh is the Founder and Artistic Director at G5A. An architect and filmmaker, she envisioned and established G5A in 2015, as a multi-functional, multidisciplinary, cultural center and community hub, for the city. Mumbai has been an integral part of her creative journey, as her work continues to be foregrounded by the city and community. As an architect, her practice consists of an eclectic mix of projects, both commercial, industrial, and residential. As a filmmaker, she has been the producer and production designer for the path-breaking, cult, indie films English, August, (1993) and Split Wide Open, (1998) while creating a visual narrative to reckon with, as the production designer for Zoya Akhtar’s Luck By Chance (2008). Her range of experience in architectural practice, a deep immersion into Hindustani classical music, and an ongoing engagement with contemporary visual and performing art and cinema have uniquely shaped her, embodying everything she does. Her commitment to creating deeper, soci