Maharani Talks

Shaili Chopra was a prime time anchor and a well known business journalist who had interviewed eminent people such as Warren Buffet, Indra Nooyi, Christine Lagarde among many others. She had also covered the horrific 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. Shaili quit at the peak of her career and decided to launch a women-only platform when she witnessed conversations concerning women are considered niche. And hence was born, SheThePeople.TV, considered to be India's largest media platform for women's voices.

Shaili Chopra was awarded the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Business Journalism and named one of India's 50 most influential women in media by Impact Magazine.

You can check out SheThePeople website at www.shethepeople.tv

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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•Shaili's memory of anchoring her first show [04:28] •Climbing the corporate ladder of broadcast journalism [07:40] •Her thoughts on the current scene of television journalism [14.35] •Why did she feel a platform like SheThePeople.TV was necessary [16:02] •Why convincing women was the biggest challenge she faced [19:54] •How can independent and investigative journalism can thrive in the age of social media? [31:32] •Her secret to time management [36.39] •How did covering the 26/11 terror attack change her? [39:09] •Her fond memory of interacting with Warren Buffet [42:32]

This episode is the second part of my conversation with digital marketing expert Jag Sharma, where we sit down and talk about all things social media. If you have come here directly, I'd suggest that you check out the first part as this episode is a continuation of the earlier one. To recount from the first part, some of the topics we talk about are measuring social media success, rise of bot accounts, the role of social media in the US Presidential election this year and Facebook's Oversight Board. So let's continue where we left off.

Highlights:

• From sparking political tensions in Myanmar to Ethiopia, why is Facebook failing to curb false information? [1:17] • The movie 'The Social Dilemma' doesn't discuss the needs of small creators and businesses [29:43] • The rise of influencer marketing [38:09] • Predictions for social media for the next decade [45:43]

You can reach Jag Sharma at www.instagram.com/jagsharma and check out his podcast Society 4.0 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

MUSIC: Lights by Sappheiros https://soundcloud.com/sappheirosmusic

We no longer log off social media like in the early days. It's available literally at our fingertips. And that's exactly how the social media companies would want it. But to what end? How is it changing us in ways we don't notice? Where is it headed? In this two part series, these are some of the points I discuss with Jag Sharma.

Jag Sharma has over a decade of experience driving social media campaigns in industries such as FMCG, luxury goods, automobile and finance among others and for companies like Nissan, HSBC and Mondelez. His passion is social media and he also hosts a podcast Society 4.0 where he talks about this very phenomenon.

Highlights:

• What got him interested in social media? [6:03] • Driving social media campaigns for corporates vs. influencers [18:30] • Why we're stuck in measuring social media success with followers and likes [27:07] • How is social media being used for the 2020 US Presidential election [33:06]

This interview was recorded prior to the 2020 US Presidential election results.

You can reach Jag Sharma on LinkedIn @JagSharma and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/jagsharma. Check out his podcast Society 4.0 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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One in three women are sexually harassed over the course of their lifetime. That's an alarming statistic but yet, violence against women no longer brings out a reaction in us unless it's a rarest of rare case like the brutal rape and death of Jyoti Singh in 2012.

This led Dr. Shruti to set up Sayfty in 2013, an organisation that educates and equips women to fight against violence through workshops and offering support to survivors. For her work, Dr. Shruti has been named as One of the Most Influential People in Global Policy 2019 by Apolitical and one of EU top 200 Women in the World of Development Wall of Fame 2016 and a nominated changemakers for the United State of Women 2016.

Join me as I discuss with Dr.Shruti the steps that need to be addressed to combat this problem.

To learn more about Sayfty, please check out their website: www.sayfty.com

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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"I hope when people see my art, they are able to get some sense of our connection to the world - seeing the planet and skies anew. To just look up and change their perspectives. That would be wonderful." - Rohini Devasher, artist.

When I came across Rohini's work, I was intrigued how she used her art form to explore our natural world - how science, fiction and speculation can transform our construct of this planet. Having trained as a painter and printmaker, Rohini enjoys working in a variety of media such as video, prints and wall drawings. Her art has been showcased in museums across the world. Rohini was named as Forbes Contemporary Artist of the Year in 2014 and Skoda Breakthrough Artist Award in 2013. So let's find out what draws her to this subject.

To learn more about her work, do check out her website: www.rohinidevasher.com

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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We see hunger all around us yet we're immune to it. This is where a cause like The Plated Project has stepped in by raising our interest with its beautiful plates and an interesting tagline, 'Buy a plate. Fill a plate.' For Chitresh Sinha, its founder and director of Chlorophyll Innovation Lab, the aim is also to start conversations around charity.

The Plated Project which has so far sponsored 4.8 lakh meals and collaborated with numerous artists and NGOs such as CRY, Creative Dignity and Goonj, has also received support from many celebrity chefs, influencers and big brands who've shared it on their social media feed. So what makes a worthy cause like The Plated Project successful?

Please check out The Plated Project on Instagram at www.instagram.com/theplatedproject

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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Gunjan Menon was so passionate about telling the story of the diminishing numbers of the red panda that she trekked 12,000 feet in Nepal. The short documentary film, The Firefox Guardian, soon caught the attention of the world and went on to win numerous awards and nominations across several countries, including a student BAFTA nomination.

She also donned many hats for a conservation series, "On the Brink', that aired on Animal Planet and Discovery Channel. Let's listen to Gunjan Menon as she talks about the impact storytelling can have on wildlife conservation.

You can reach Gunjan Menon on Instagram at www.instagram.com/gunjunglebook

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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For someone born with spina bifida, a condition where the spine is not completely developed, and hence was paralysed from the waist down, Niranjan Mukundan is now training to compete in the Tokyo Paralympics as a para swimmer. At the 2015 International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports World Junior Games, he won a medal for all 10 events he competed in and became the Junior World Champion.

Niranjan also received the National Award for Best Para Sportsperson that same year and Karnataka's Eklavya Award for Outstanding Performance in Sports in 2016. Listen to his journey that exemplifies his mental fortitude and the sacrifices made by him and his family to get him to where he is now.

Niranjan Mukundan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niranjan_mukund/

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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If you haven't seen P.C.Ramakrishna on stage, the chances are you would've heard his voice. An eminent theatre and voice artist in India, he completes 51 years in theatre and is a member of the oldest theatre group in the country, The Madras Players.

The group itself celebrates 65 years in theatre this year and during this lifespan has given a huge boost to India's English theatre scene and encouraged many Indian playwrights in the process, like Vijay Tendulkar and Girish Karnad.

Ramakrishna is also among the first few English newsreaders in the country and his distinctive voice is considered as one of the most recorded voices in English in India. In this podcast, he talks about his early days in theatre playing 'chocolate hero' roles, handling criticism and what sets a good voice actor apart.

You can check out The Madras Players (@themadrasplayers) on Facebook and Instagram.

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

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Parth Upadhyaya fulfilled his nine year long dream of successfully scaling Mt. Everest summit (8848m) on May 23, 2019. As a professional mountaineer, who has climbed many high peaks including Stok Kangri (over 6000m), he often deals with the gargantuan task of raising funds for mountaineering that is sometimes not considered nor supported as a sport but the wins are celebrated.

Parth is currently preparing for his expedition to climb Mt. Annapurna (8091m) on March 24, 2021. His goal is to climb all 14 mountains that are over 8000m. Check out the podcast to listen to his interesting stories during his climb, about his gruelling routine and having the right mindset to conquer a mountain.

You can check out the Maharani Talks on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maharanitalks

MUSIC: Lights by Sappheiros https://soundcloud.com/sappheirosmusic