Swishing Mindsets with Anuradha Varma

Ep 47: Sabita Radhakrishna, 82: Mismatched blouses & networking


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At 82, Sabita Radhakrishna, founder chairperson of Udhavi, provides a networking platform to elderly people, with retro karaoke evenings, social visits at home, and more. She talks about facing loss, the importance of family, the joys of reconnecting with old friends, and pushing forward at all times. 

Sabita has several firsts to her credit, such as starting Chennai’s first boutique where she introduced the then “daring” trend of wearing mismatched blouses with saris, in the early Eighties. Her saris, with unique prints, were modelled by Hema Malini in women’s magazines of the time, she tells us. Her “Rekha blouses” with printed motifs on a high back were also a hit!

She shares some delightful reminiscences of impromptu picnics in the old days and male classmates pinning paper tails on her as a prank in school. A food columnist, broadcaster and active member of the Crafts Council of India, she has six cookbooks to her credit, including Paachakam on Kerala cuisine and Annapurni, containing heritage recipes from Tamil Nadu. Her next one is called Amma’s Kitchen. Listen in!

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Timestamps: 
01:34 What is Udhavi? Loneliness, the empty nest syndrome and living alone
09:10 Annual get-together & retro karaoke courtesy patron Nina Reddy of Savera Hotels
14:38 Why assisted living for seniors is practical
17:53 Studying in a co-educational school with boys, who pinned tails on them
20:44 How she and her husband remained connected to classmates
23:57 Idyllic weekends in the old days, dancing and going on picnics
28:00 Introducing mismatched blouses in her boutique, helping weavers during the pandemic
31:44 On her passion for cooking and her six cookbooks
37:48 Mismatched sari blouses were considered “daring”, in the early Eighties
43:10 On social media48:05 Advice for seniors who feel isolated

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Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed are personal. Listener discretion is advised. 


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Swishing Mindsets with Anuradha VarmaBy Anuradha Varma