When I began, the documentary form often lacked support or opportunity. Challenged, I crowd-funded my films, sought corporate sponsorship, and new venues to showcase my films, decades before these methods became popular.

Take for example, ‘Chukker- Around Polo’ which premiered at the Taj Rambagh in Jaipur, the Le Meridian in Delhi, and the prestigious South Asian International Film Festival in New York.

‘Purdah Hai Purdah’ was a conversation on the relationship between women and the veil, that made traditionalists and feminists alike, uncomfortable.

‘Get Set Go’ was a curiosity-driven behind-the-scenes look at the Commonwealth Games, to discover the sports story beyond the news headlines, and the rumour mills.

‘Her Own Sky’ examined women’s roles and rights, as reservation in Panchayati Raj was introduced was the first time in the country.

‘Rogi Kalyan Samiti’ told the disruptive story of public participation in health insurance that won the Madhya Pradesh government and its representatives, several international awards, including the World Bank’s prestigious Global Development Network Award for The Most Innovative Project.

Interviews in ‘Borders and Beyond’ on the Gujarat Riots were used as testimony in courts.

‘Where Do I Go From Here?’ began a dialogue that led to a change in Government policy, and greater protection for the rights of the aged.

Critically acclaimed, ‘No Problem!’ has won over a dozen national, and international awards, across categories. The jury at the Zanzibar International Film Festival awarded it with the coveted Ousmane Sembene Films for Development Award, describing ‘No Problem!’ as

"a skilful documentary by a visibly confident and compassionate female director..."

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Set in The Barefoot College, Tilonia (Rajasthan, India), and in Africa, the film explored the palpable change new skills and confidence made in the lives of illiterate women from two continents, transforming them into catalysts and change makers in their communities.

‘Filmisthaan-The Euphoric State of Bollywood,’ began a journey into the soft power of Bollywood and how it engendered the secular homeland modern Indians live in, which is the Idea of India. It starred the nation’s biggest movie stars - Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra, and many other famous personalities.

Exploring master craftspeople for a series called ‘Sunehre Haath’, led to a renewed interest in weaving and design.

House of Qidwa was born. Imbued with a Sufi soul, it brought together the best of Indian traditional weaves and prints, with contemporary silhouettes, while challenging notions of modesty and modernity.

I was happy to associate with The Aga Khan Trust for Culture which was working to revive and advance traditional crafts and embroidery, in the Nizamuddin Dargah urban cluster. Our areas of interest overlapped, and together, we were able to provide a sense of ownership, pride, and employment opportunities to the people.

COVID challenged us all: learning that several folk artists were struggling, I campaigned to create a cultural platform for them. I worked with Book My Show, Red FM and several A-list musicians and artists like Salim Sulaiman, Vishal Dadlani, Shubha Mudgal, Sachin Jigar, and Indian Ocean to organise paid online shows for Folk Artists.

I like to think that these efforts led to my election as Special advisor to the International Council for Local Environment Initiatives (ICLEI) 's Regional Executive Committee. ICLEI is a global network of more than 1750 cities and towns from 126 countries working for a more sustainable future.

In recent years my diverse experiences have found a new portal.

As a Cross-platform Strategist & Culture Enabler I have created new experiences that promote tourism and cultural exploration: encouraging sustainable travel, and hospitality-related investment, and creating avenues for employment in local communities, that support living heritage, crafts and performing arts.

In Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Delhi, I have charted new waters with multiple government departments, the private sector, experts, designers, artists, musicians across genres, artisans, conservatoire, and digital artists on cross-media projects, events, and campaigns.

Founding the Namaste Orchha festival for the Government of Madhya Pradesh in March 2020, which rebranded Madhya Pradesh, put Orchha firmly on the tourism map, and make it part of the Golden Triangle tourism circuit. The festival saw skill development workshops, and collaborations with big names designers and organizations like Airbnb, CII and the Embassies of France and Spain to train guides, local craftsmen, and hoteliers. Local folk musicians and classical singers collaborated with Bollywood singers to create unique experiences for delegates and tourists.

The festival remains a benchmark for other states to emulate when it comes to destination brand building.

Working with the Government of Chhattisgarh, I created the National Tribal Dance Festival 2021 and 2022 - the largest tribal festival in the country, reclaiming and rebranding the tribal heritage of the state.

Participatory in flavour, NDTF has hosted tribal dancers from over 9 countries, a Tribal business conclave, a Tribal sports event, tribal markets, and more. I then collaborated with the Hindustan Times Group to present Chhattisgarhi cuisine in collaboration with 5 renowned chefs at a curated event at Bikaner House, Delhi. A tourism conclave followed, complete with panels on Fashion-craft and tourism, in association with the Kiran Nadir Museum of Arts and The Economic Times.

I have also helped develop and promote the Van Gaman Paryatan Paripath Path project of The Government of Chhattisgarh through several large-scale events putting the route of Lord Ram’s legendary journey on the religious tourists’ map. There is more to come.

I strongly believe that to create something that benefits the community, one must be willing to listen, collaborate, and even take on contrarian views. As the founder of Springbox, my vision is to create an ever-expanding conglomeration of like-minded individuals who want to think out of the box. A big tent of opinions, abilities, and interests. I believe that together we can voyage even further. To discover new lands, and new opportunities, in uncharted seas of living culture.