About Me
It was a humid morning in June, when on the 8th floor of a hospital's maternity ward, a cry - "WAAAAHHHHHH" - was heard. This hospital was the Indian Naval Hospital Ship Sanjivani at Kochi, Kerala. Even though it wasn't technically a "ship" the hospitals still go by that And that baby? Me.
I
was born in the largest military hospital across Kerala and Tamil Nadu - Indian Naval Hospital Sanjivani. However, as is the case with military life, we moved to Goa within a few months, where my mother suddenly found herself dealing with an infant and a new environment, all by herself. So, at 6 months old my mother introduced me to the captivating world of storybooks to keep me engaged (but also, I'd bet, to keep her sanity). Characters filled my life from the get go and landed me my first ever "acting" role at the very mature age of 29 months as Mother Mary in the Christmas Tableau of Tiny Tots, Dabolim.
Several other characters followed. Unniyarcha, the legendary warrior from Kerala; an old malayalee grandmother with itchy wig and all; a snake charmer with a fake snake and pungi flute; and the kicker - a fisherwoman.
This was my father's brainwave, complete with red paan in my mouth, fresh fish in the basket over my head (that I dangled at the judges as part of my "act"), and water balloons for...
I did not win the fancy dress competition that year. I wonder why...
Finally, at age 6 seeing that my favourite hobby in the whole wide world was to be left alone in a large library or a room with a tv (remember those days?), an attempt was made to socialise me with other children my age and other creative avenues.
So, I was sent to Carnatic music classes from the age of 6 and began learning Bharathanatyam by the time I was 9. I took to the performance arts like a fish to water. Through the upheavals of changing cities, growing up and finding myself, the performance arts stayed my grounding force.
Growing up in the Indian Navy, raised me with a mindset of unrelenting excellence, but my adult civilian life shaped my empathy and resilience. This balance is what I bring to my practice as a storyteller, theatre artiste and trainer. I believe that a deep curiosity to learn, a resilient approach to difficulties and a fundamentally empathetic and kind approach is the key to lifelong happiness.
With over a decade of experience as a thespian and storyteller, I now conduct reading programs in schools that combine Teacher Training Workshops on Storytelling Techniques for the Classroom with Storytelling Performances. I also do Storytelling Shows for schools and communities, write and direct corporate theatre for organisations' DEI initiatives and teach Theatre, Public Speaking, Communications and more, to children of different ages and across school boards!
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My dream is to be able to leave an impact on the world not just by telling my stories, but by empowering people of all ages to tell theirs.