Born into a family of classical musicians with a legacy spanning over twenty generations, Qamar Dagar felt a stronger pull toward the visual arts, particularly calligraphy. Captivated by the interpretative works of Arabic calligrapher Hassan Massoudy, she followed her quiet inner calling into the world of letterforms.

In this episode of #HowDidYou?, she traces her path from a childhood interwoven with music, poetry, and spirituality to receiving the Nari Shakti Puraskar, India’s highest civilian honour for women. Qamar recalls her early attempts to mimic Massoudy’s strokes, only to discover her own voice and style—one inspired by the profound and quiet aspects of everyday life. She also speaks fondly of the lasting influence of her family’s spiritual guide, a Sufi she lovingly calls Baba, whose presence continues to shape her perspective, philosophy, and practice.

Tune in to Qamar Dagar’s journey from curious child to celebrated calligrapher, composing music with letters and intentional brushstrokes

Prof. G.V. Sreekumar's design spark was lit in childhood—enchanted by wedding cards, film posters, and the shape of letters in newspapers. In this episode of #HowDidYou?, he traces a remarkable journey from his first bamboo-pen calligraphy lesson in school to becoming Institute Chair Professor at IDC, IIT Bombay. He reflects on formative moments: learning from masters like Prof. R.K. Joshi, designing for leading publications, and mentoring students like Prof. D. Udaya Kumar, who designed the Indian Rupee symbol. Prof. Sreekumar also shares stories from a childhood steeped in literature and art—growing up among iconic figures like ONV Kurup, Ayyappa Paniker, M.T. Vasudevan Nair, Bharath Gopy, and more.

In this conversation, he explores how design quietly shapes every moment of our daily lives, and how teaching, for him, is the art of polishing diamonds—each student unique, each a story worth telling!
Guest:  Shreya Merin Mathew

Akshaya Thombre is a calligraphy artist and educator whose journey began on the back pages of school notebooks, sketching letters that would one day shape her life’s work. In this episode of #HowDidYou?, she traces her path from those early doodles to formal training in art college, discovering a passion for Gothic scripts, practicing calligraphy as an art of letting go, and crafting a teaching style rooted in history, creativity, and meaningful self-expression. She also opens up about the challenges artists often face—from navigating familial doubts and resistance to standing tall in life’s standstill moments, trusting the process, and staying true to one’s heart.

A recipient of the Excellence Award at the 18th Cheongju Jikji World Calligraphy Association in 2021, Akshaya brings warmth, wisdom, and a deep-rooted love for letters to this heartfelt conversation. Host: Shreya Merin Mathew

Shipra Rohatgi is a fourth-generation calligrapher who inherited the craft from a long line of calligraphers in her family, beginning with her great-grandfather, whose elegant handwriting earned him a position in the court of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. In this episode of #HowDidYou?, Shipra traces her artistic lineage, shares insights and stories from collaborations with iconic names like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Priyanka Gandhi, and reflects on how calligraphy has become a meditative, healing practice in her life. With humour, honesty, and warmth, she takes listeners along on her journey through the ever-evolving world of hand-lettering—adapting to new tools, technologies, and styles—in a conversation that flows straight from the heart, much like her beautiful lettering |  Host: shreya merin mathew

For Sanjana Chatlani, founder of The Bombay Lettering Company, the journey into calligraphy began with a series of serendipitous detours. While working her very first corporate job at Möet Hennessy, she found herself captivated by a calligrapher crafting gifting letters for the company. This curiosity led her to email a Californian artist, asking for a crash course in the craft during a family vacation.
In this episode of #HowDidYou?, Sanjana shares how a side hustle quickly snowballed into freelance gigs for friends, a bold decision to quit her job, the honour of lettering for Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ wedding, followed by projects with Deepika Padukone and others. Today, her client list includes global luxury names like Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Ferragamo, and more.
This is the inspiring journey of a millennial who transformed her passion into profession—rooted in curiosity, shaped by intention, and sustained by conscious perseverance. 


Host:  Shreya Merin Mathew 

അക്ഷരവടിവില്‍ മായികസൗന്ദര്യം വിരിയിച്ചെടുക്കുന്ന ശില്പി, അക്ഷരങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് വേണ്ടി ജീവിതം ഉഴിഞ്ഞുവെച്ചയാള്‍, പഠനകാലത്ത് പോസ്റ്ററെഴുതി തുടങ്ങിയ അക്ഷരങ്ങളോടുള്ള പ്രണയം ഇന്നും തപസ്യയായി തുടരുന്നയാള്‍. പേര് നാരായണ ഭട്ടതിരി. മലയാള കാലിഗ്രഫിയുടെ പെരുന്തച്ഛന്‍. ഹൗ ഡിഡ് യൂ പുതിയ സീരിസിന്റെ ആദ്യ എപ്പിസോഡില്‍ ഒരിക്കല്‍ എഴുത്തിനെ പ്രണയിച്ചിരുന്ന ഭട്ടതിരിയുടെ ജീവിതം കാലിഗ്രഫിക്ക് വഴിമാറിയ കഥയും ഒപ്പം കലാകൗമുദിയുടെ കൈപിച്ച് അഭ്രപാളിയില്‍ കാലിഗ്രഫി വിസ്മയങ്ങള്‍ സൃഷ്ടിച്ച അനുഭവങ്ങളും അവിടെ കണ്ടുമുട്ടിയ മഹാരഥന്മാരെക്കുറിച്ചും സൗഹൃദങ്ങളെക്കുറിച്ചും പറയുന്നു.

When Kenyan short story writer Troy Onyango—who had never written a story before—penned his first piece at a friend’s request, he had no idea it would mark the beginning of an eventful writing journey. Nigerian-British novelist Onyi Nwabineli, on the other hand, always knew she was meant to write. For her, storytelling has been a source of joy, for as long as she can remember. In this episode of #HowDidYou?, they share their paths into and through writing, the recurring theme of grief in their work, and finding time to write while juggling day jobs, businesses, family, and everything in between—even on late-night buses, at the gym, or on the ride back from a night-out.
Tune in for an inspiring conversation between two remarkable storytellers as they reflect on the moments, memories, and motivations that shaped their craft!

 Mayura MSConcept & Creative direction - Renjini Menon Show Producer - Aravind Gopinath Video Producer - Mathew Joyappan, Mridul Sanalkumar Sound Engineer - Sundar Sethumadhavan Video Team - Biju Bhaskar, Manu M Nair, Nikhil Editor - Vijayadas

Tejaswini Apte-Rahm, a fiction writer living in Germany, is the author of 'These Circuses That Sweep Through the Landscape' and 'The Secret of More: A Novel'. In this episode of #HowDidYou?, she shares her literary journey—how growing up as an only child made books her closest companions and Enid Blyton’s role in sparking her entry into the world of writing. She also delves into the real-world inspirations behind her novel, like her great-grandfather’s extraordinary rise from a Mumbai chawl to a palace-like home, her writing process, upcoming projects, and more...Listen in as she unravels the experiences, influences, and aspirations that shaped her life as a writer! Host: RJ Smriti

Producer - Mayura MSConcept & Creative direction - Renjini Menon Show Producer - Aravind Gopinath Video Producer - Mathew Joyappan, Mridul Sanalkumar Sound Engineer - Sundar Sethumadhavan Video Team - Biju Bhaskar, Manu M Nair, Nikhil Editor - Vijayadas

Tejaswini Apte-Rahm, a fiction writer living in Germany, is the author of 'These Circuses That Sweep Through the Landscape' and 'The Secret of More: A Novel'. In this episode of #HowDidYou?, she shares her literary journey—how growing up as an only child made books her closest companions and Enid Blyton’s role in sparking her entry into the world of writing. She also delves into the real-world inspirations behind her novel, like her great-grandfather’s extraordinary rise from a Mumbai chawl to a palace-like home, her writing process, upcoming projects, and more...Listen in as she unravels the experiences, influences, and aspirations that shaped her life as a writer! Host: RJ SmritiProducer - Mayura MSConcept & Creative direction - Renjini Menon Show Producer - Aravind Gopinath Video Producer - Mathew Joyappan, Mridul Sanalkumar Sound Engineer - Sundar Sethumadhavan Video Team - Biju Bhaskar, Manu M Nair, Nikhil Editor - Vijayadas

Saras Manickam, winner of the 2022 Commonwealth Short Story Prize (Asia region) and author of My Mother Pattu, has dedicated her life to storytelling that challenges, inspires, and sparks conversation. She started out as a teacher, teacher trainer, and writer of textbooks and school workbooks before moving into copywriting. Eventually, she found her true passion in fiction, using short stories to explore themes of race, gender, trauma, identity, and more. In this episode of #HowDidYou?, she shares the people, experiences, and cultural shifts that have shaped her stories and perspective, leading to the creation of her heart-stirring work.Tune in to this fascinating conversation—full episode out now! |

Host: RJ Roshni Producer - Mayura MSConcept & Creative direction - Renjini Menon Show Producer - Aravind Gopinath Video Producer - Mathew Joyappan, Mridul Sanalkumar Sound Engineer - Sundar Sethumadhavan Video Team - Biju Bhaskar, Manu M Nair, Nikhil Editor - Vijayadas