Gentlewoman of Sports Broadcasting in India - Harini Rana (Profile)

This post is a part of the #madeofgreat contest hosted by #indiblogger and tatamotors

Check their page: http://madeofgreat.tatamotors.com

She is Sachin’s straight drive, Dravid’s cover front, Dhoni’s iconic helicopter shot to sports journalism in India. Meet India’s top broadcast journalist and commentator of the last decade, Harini Rana. Doesn’t flaunt a fancy pixy hair cut, no diamonds, or designer snob. Sports is male dominated, but I cannot take away anything from Harini's commitment. She makes hard work seem effortless, a true Gentlewoman. 

#Life Hack: Strong Women celebrate each other, 30ish wants you to read stories that are beyond the norms of conventional beauty.

As a journalist, you naturally start connecting with the athletes as someone who is silently watching their journey. Witness all the small steps before the big game, all the sacrifices that led to their victory and the heart break post loss. Harini has covered almost all the international sporting events in the last 8-10 years, such stories have constructed her own personality. When you are middle of so much glamour you can either be one of them or shine out like a star who believes in spreading light. I wanted to pluck her out of her profession and know who she really is. And she is Guts!

Harini's Vision - She is keen on sports being a part of our youth's upbringing by building on a robust plan to facilitate support and encouragement. Harini is endorsing #IAmTheChange and is working towards making this a reality, 30ish will be more than happy to be a part of this movement, where every child is allowed to dream and play like they were born for the field. 

Her words - "Being a journalist is a thankless job and you are only as good as your last story and having worked in this business for close to decade now I know how true each word in that sentence is. One needs to draw a line, self sense of right and wrong is your only weapon".

Harini has such clarity of thought, that this post just went with the flow. My only challenge was to not over dress her personality because the soul of this game changer lies in the fact that she is so genuine. You make us proud, watched you so closely in sports media and there was no person I met from your fraternity who wasn't charmed by your simplicity. Beautiful in and out and an inspiration for women who shy away from playing like a master blaster @30ish. Be as gentle and fearless, always.

PS: Her boss challenges the entire nation, (Any guesses?) and she thinks 2 strides ahead, to keep up with him. I rest my case! Respect lady :D

Watch the video and experience her intellectual power 

Video Link: Harini Rana in action, feel free to get impressed.

  

#WhatWomenWant - RE'LOVEUTION Vlog

It's ironic, as India approaches 69th year of its Independence, our government decides to ban porn (failed attempt). Next, they might ban DilDo.. I meant Dil Do (Love)**

30ish was challenged by India’s most renowned Mind Reader for a social experiment on decoding #WhatWomenWant. His conviction was freaking my blogger super powers, so challenge ACCEPTED!

Mind Reading is a talent developed over years of practice, its balanced on intuition and strong connect with the audience. Not that I doubt his skill, but a man’s understanding of a woman is different from what she thinks of herself. #Naturesjokeonmankind. 

#Life Hack: Women crave deep emotional intimacy, this social experiment wasn’t about condoms. All the women who took the challenge were spontaneous and free spirited. #WhatWomenWant is to be given a choice, in and out of bed. 

Fun Facts, to involve you in our madness.

• Pre Shoot - 3 weeks of hustling

• Number of Women contacted - 40

• Number of B & C grade actresses approached -15 (we can't afford an Aliya Bhatt or Irfan Khan)

• Number of Women who agreed to be candid -7 (An impressive profile - students, doctor, blogger, trainer, lawyer)

• Main Prop - Condoms, just to freak them.

• Standard Excuse - ‘It’s too bold and dangerous'. Sweetheart you judged yourself, before anyone else could, we are not talking about missiles

• Why 30ish - Pumping soul into individual brands is what excites 30ish. 70% of my readers are women, the rest 30% are very progressive men so the blog is facilitating reach and RELOVEUTION. Being feminine is an emotional stimulation, we got to own it. 

Tweet us at #WhatWomenWant

This marks 30ish's debut on YouTube. I had the choice between giving you hairstyling tips & #WhatWomenWant as my first Vlog, I chose this.. **AmBitchious 

Sex seems more glamorous in movies and novels, the real deal breaker is how you keep it alive. Pay attention to her. Check the Video to know what happens when a Mind Reader decodes your most intimate choice The video was previewed by 50 women before uploading it on You Tube, we hope to break the internet :D.  Don't miss the end, that's where the magic unfolds.

Watch the Vlog #WhatWomenWant

MR has pulled off some phenomenal social stunts, catch a glimpse of his YouTube channel. Not to forget he changed his profession @30ish, one more reason for me to profile him. When a man is raised by strong women it show’s in his choices. This is probably why he picks on such edgy discussion points. 

He has also worked closely with the Safety of Women Department to promote their helpline 103. Making 103 women walk on glass, not one hurt, they achieved this by the power of their mind. 

It’s very convenient to be a corporate performer with more than 150 high profile shows, but a restless entrepreneur is a beast. I like to work with unconventional talent, they know how to 'raise the bar'.

Team Work makes the Dream Work - Bang Gae 

Concept and Skill Check - Mohit Rao

Sanity Check - Gauri Rao

DOP and Edit Check - Mrunal Shah

Promise to put my Best Vlog Forward! Tell us what you think, leave a comment. With lot of excitement and butterflies, 30ish gets BOLD.

  

Intellectual Freedom, I am the change - Living Local

This article has been published in Living Local, August 2015 Issue

http://www.livinglocalmag.com/articles/patriotism-is-progressive-30ish-blog.html

Patriotism in 2015, expects us to lay the foundation of Intellectual Freedom for generations to come. India is striding towards a positive society, according to market trend studies India’s strength is our youth. Ever thought, what makes them so powerful? They are progressive.

#Life Hack: If each one of us accepts the challenge of progress being a personal responsibility then our nation will never have to look back. 

Earlier parents influenced our career choices, now they trust our decision. This generation is not waiting to join MNC’s, they dream about start-ups and building their future. They want to be entrepreneurs, and redefine their boundaries.

30ish is a cusp age group, You are well aware about the expectations of the previous generation, and still in sync with Gen-Y. This makes us more powerful and capable to drive change. Match this to a situation 100 years back, when our freedom fighters took the ownership of fighting for their rights. They did not wait for political leaders to take a step, instead formed power groups and chased every opportunity to stand for the pride of our motherland. A century back, they screamed “I am the change” now its our responsibility to own their legacy.  Endorse ‘I am the change’.

We have the capability and strength, there will be no modi-fication, unless you modify yourself. Collaborate and grow, there is so much talent around us, the first step could be to support each other. The virtual world gives us the liberty of time and space, believe in people.

Its not about big promises, but small steps in the right direction. Our Yuva* has the potential to take India to the next level, all we need to do is channelise their energy. 

Respect your individuality, its precious.

Jai Hind, 30ish

  

Am'Bitchious by choice

You are too Ambitious! 

First Reaction - I do not want to be judged,  its very unsettling (back foot)

Second Reaction - Screw you, I refuse to be an invisible woman 

Our Society is averse to change. This is not a gender issue we are intimidated by someone who challenges life, probably a reflection of our own fear.

#Life Hack : You will grow, only if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable.

Before setting out on my own every time I went for an interview, they asked me "where do you see yourself 5 years from now". I tried having a standard answer but the interviewers attitude changed my response, I did not see myself working with him. My interviews were on the borderline of being tagged as rebellious, I had too many ideas that challenged their rules.

30ish and an entrepreneur is a deadly combination, you just challenged the entire universe to have an opinion about your life.  Not that I care, but when someone tells me to ‘slowdown’ I want to punch their face. Keeping this post short, giving you time to think of how every time you thought 'out of the box', you were shoved back in the box and locked.

I write this post to all those friends and readers who at some point felt judged for dreaming big. Be stubborn about what matters to you, it feels great to prove everyone wrong. Sometimes you have to be fierce to protect your sparkle, its justified.
  

IncrediBULL Panga

Match - PK V/S MC

Just updated - 30ish interviewed the #ArjunaAward winner 2015, #ManjeetChhillar. A super proud moment for Kabaddi. 

Opponent 1 - Pooja Kochar - 30ish and a Blogger  

Opponent 2 - Manjeet Chhillar - World Kabaddi Champion, Captain of Bengaluru Bulls and Ex Wrestler

So what if I was 1/4 his strength, it never stopped me from taking a panga #LePanga with the IncrediBULL captain of Bengaluru Bulls. He just smiled charmingly :D and thought I was crazy!

#Life Hack: You might not know the rules of Kabaddi, but when someone represents India on world stage, they should be applauded. 

I like to write about game changers and achievers. They are unconventional and bold but their skill and handwork is an inspiration. This interview was conducted in the car on our way to the Star Sports studio. Manjeet was so kicked about his sport getting the global exposure it deserved. This is for your dedication towards the game of Kabaddi.

Attention Please:Accolades 

Manjeet is a gold medallist in the National Championships in 2010, 2011 and 2012. He has also won gold at the Asian Indoor games in 2009 and the 2010 Asian games. He claimed bronze at the 2012 Asian beach games. India’s top defender.

The Bangalore team is a reflection of his leadership style. He would choose the harder right over an easy wrong, his only goal is to win the championship. He is a true blood of the soil and 

believes in strengthening the game at the grass root level by coaching young kabaddi players. 

What did I learn from Manjeet, in his own words,‘losing is not an option Pooja’ji. He wants to make a difference and proudly states that its never about the role, always about the goal. I agree Manjeet :)Wishing the the Bengaluru Bulls a great season.

It’s important, I look beyond the surface and choose stories that are less well-known than some of society’s more famous but 30ish is committed to challenging conventional blogging standards. #LePanga

Photo Credit - Sportskeeda
  

Cricket to Kabaddi - Thigh Five #LePanga

It took 45 minutes for someone who was never interested in the game to being an enthusiast. Today I write about a sport that originated in our very own country and is the second most viewed sporting event in India with a record 435 million viewers across the globe. Kabaddi is India's contribution to the sports fraternity, but does it get its due respect from us? 

#Life Hack: India is the most successful team on the Kabaddi world stage, having won every World Cup and Asian Games title in both male and female category. Lets make "Thigh Five" popular. Check Salman Khan* doing it :D

Gold medals are not made of gold, but guts, determination and focus. To test my own skills I counted the number of times I could say kabaddi.. kabaddi.. Kabaddi in one breath, wasn’t tough but that’s not how it happens. Imagine 2 defenders pulling my leg and 3 locking my hands and 2 making sure I collapse before the center line. Kabaddi teaches you to use your strength and agility with the right balance. 

Star Sports has launched the 2nd season of the Pro Kabaddi League(PKL), They are doing a fabulous job in promoting the sport and providing world class exposure to the game and its players. The campaign for this season is called #LePANGA, suits the mood of the game. 

All of us like to take “panga” with that one person who instigates the beast in you:D. The players are fierce and take their passion for the game very seriously. Watching all 7 captains in the same frame during the Press Conference ensured the fact that PKL is going to inspire lot of youngsters to consider kabaddi as a profession. It’s a good sign as our nation needs inspiring sporting stories. Today  Amitabh Bachchan will sing our National Anthem at the opening ceremony of the Pro Kabaddi League

Watch Pro Kabaddi League on Star Sports :)

The followup post is an interview with the winner of 2 times Asian Game gold medalist, Manjeet who leads team Bangalore. His sincerity and commitment towards Kabaddi is a story worth knowing. Stay tuned for an interesting fan moment when PK takes over PKL #LePanga #Bengalurubulls  

'Take Light', Hyderabad style

I visited Hyderabad like a first timer on my 20^th trip.  This time the only difference was that I followed their life motto ,“Light Le Re”. Everytime there was panic and delay, a random person walked up to me and said “kuch nahi hoga re, light tisco”. 

#Life Hack : No matter how old you are, they will call you Amma or Pottie (chick), can't decide which one is worse! Girls please take it light :D 

I was in Hyderabad for a photography assignment and what took me by surprise was their fascination for Wall Art. A husband-wife team of Vijaya and Swathi use graffiti as an expression of art. They love to showcase Hyderabad’s cultural vibe through these paintings. Vibrant colors in true Hyderabadi style gives you a feel of downtown LA. Please include this in your next itinerary.

Another unbelievable phenomena of this city is their love for Telegu Soup’er Stars. I experienced this, thanks of the release of a recent blockbuster. Tollywood fans dance, burst crackers outside the theatre and watch the same movie 3-5 times. If you ever wish to experience stardom then head to Hyderabad. An average Mumbaikar can pass off as an upcoming movie star, they are quite liberal about their beauty standards.

They experienced more bandh's than working days in the last couple of years, thanks to the political confusion but there's something very Nawabi about the locals. Stress is not what happens to them, its their response that takes them to another level. #HyderabadSWAG

PhotoblogHER went all out on street photography. 

Hyderabad has to be relished, like their Biryani. It belongs to the young at heart old timers, if you know what I mean.