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Meet Lakshmi Rebecca, the producer, director and presenter of the popular online talk show, Chai With Lakshmi.
Interview by Aparna Vedapuri Singh
Lakshmi Rebecca hosts Chai with Lakshmi, an online talk show where she interacts with interesting people from different walks of life and discusses a wide range of topics, ranging from music and art to technology and entrepreneurship – all over a piping hot cup of tea!
The Manthan Award, which recognizes best practices in e-Content and Creativity, was awarded to Chai With Lakshmi last year. Here Lakshmi Rebecca shares her thoughts on her motivation, goals and future plans for Chai With Lakshmi.
What are your top 3 favourite interviews, among all the shows produced on Chai with Lakshmi? Why?
Lakshmi Rebecca: First, the latest video because it really shows what we can deliver in terms of creativity and quality.
Second, the most emotional and inspiring webisode that came about quite accidentally.
Third, one from our very first season, which showcases a space designed to make every last day as peaceful as possible for final-stage cancer patients.
What drives you to tell the stories you do? Has the response been what you anticipated?
Lakshmi Rebecca: The need for inspiration and the continued need for inspiration. What get’s thinking people through mundane days? Inspiration.
I anticipated far more video viewership on Youtube much sooner, but we’ve nailed our viewership goal thanks to syndication and now Youtube too is showing steady increase in viewership.
Is there a criterion for people who make it on your show? What do you look for?
Lakshmi Rebecca: I now look for people who are making a difference to how we live and how India is shaping up for the future. It is about change makers, about thinkers who can talk about areas of concern sensibly, about doers who are working on sustainable solutions to our challenges.
How did it feel to win the Manthan award? Has Manthan given you any fresh perspectives on how you approach your show?
Lakshmi Rebecca: Winning the Manthan award was like getting a big pat on the back. Much needed for a start-up like ours!
Definitely a platform such as Manthan exposes you to a variety of great ideas that are coming alive on the internet and make you think beyond your own existing realities.
What lies ahead for Chai with Lakshmi? (as a business, and as a show).
Lakshmi Rebecca: As a business we want brands to now come on board and sign on as sponsors and as a show we want to continue with an increased focus on inspiration for the urban India.
*Photo credit: Lakshmi Rebecca.
Founder & Chief Editor of Women's Web, Aparna believes in the power of ideas and conversations to create change. She has been writing since she was ten. In another life, she used to be read more...
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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