Lassi with Lavina, India on My Mind….
[dropcap]I[/dropcap] wonder how many of you remember that old Hindi film ‘Anand’ in which superstar Rajesh Khanna played Anand, who is dying but loves people so much that he wants to touch the life of every single person that he meets. He stops strangers on the street, involves himself in their dilemmas and tries to bring some joy or connectivity into their lives.
Well, I can relate to that urge to connect! I’ve been writing about people since I was ten (honestly – getting 10 bucks from the Statesman newspaper in Calcutta for my articles) and I’ve always been curious about human beings and intrigued by the stories of their lives.
Byline: Lavina Melwani
[dropcap]A[/dropcap] history major in college in Delhi, I often pondered on what made people tick, and this led to experiments with fiction which appeared in Femina, The Illustrated Weekly of India and The Times of India. After living in India till the age of 23 I moved to Hong Kong where I won the award for best short story in the China Mail.
Gradually I moved to non-fiction and after living and writing in Hong Kong and Africa, I came to the US. As an immigrant in America who returns home often to India, to the Mothership, I am intrigued by There – and – Here, by people’s lives, and the journeys immigrants undertake as they remake themselves in a new world.
[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ver the years my work has appeared in 80 publications including India Today, Daily Mail, The Hindu, Outlook, Newsday, WSJ, Hong Kong Standard, Asia Magazine, Asia Inc., Avenue, Bride’s, Art and Antiques, The Week, Worth, Beliefnet and The Indian Express.
I’ve done columns in India Today and Hindustan Times about the immigrant life, over 70 stories in Newsday covering the South Asian community, and articles in several inflight and travel magazines, such as Winds, Namaskar and Jetwings.
It’s been fun to meet so many unique, wonderful people through my interviews – from gurus to celebs to cabbies – and introduce them to readers whom I’ve never met. Now, thanks to the Internet, it is possible to be a virtual Anand, to connect with so many more people and share their stories.
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]o welcome to Lassi with Lavina! There’s no koffee around, and I’m no Karan Johar, but it will be fun to create a kind of Delhi ‘chaat’ shop ambience where we can share some virtual lassis, analyze people and passions, and discuss what’s on our minds! Every month I will be posting live interviews with ordinary and extraordinary people, as well as my new work appearing in international publications.
I also invite you to add your voice to mine and that of other guest bloggers. I hope this will be a fun Tower of Babel, with many voices discussing many topics. In the beginning I tentatively bring one solitary voice – my own – and hope many others will join in. Be it Indian art, movies, books or spirituality – do bring in your point of view!
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s you all know, our community in the US is mighty strong, and millions more globally are just a mouse click away.
We need no longer be strangers, ships which silently cross each other in the night, but Anand-like, wave out to each other as we pass, and sometimes even connect to each other…
– Lavina Melwani
Do join me on Google + Lassi with Lavina
Facebook at Lassi with Lavina
Yes, follow me on Twitter too!
Related Post:
18 Comments
Thanks Vyna – great pleasure meeting you too!
Dear Lavina,
It was truly a pleasure meeting you during Asia Week NY.
Keep up the excellent work on Lassi with Lavina.
Vyna
Roshni,love your note although in my distracted fashion I’m responding to it months later! I agree it’s great to be a people person because then you always find something new, something funny, something unique about just anybody and everybody. Great stories everywhere!
Thank you Hina – and super glad to have you here! Virtual lassis – for the time being till we meet up in the real world!
Great bio and happy to be connected with your blog…
Thank you Shastriji – always appreciate the blessings!
Lavina, people’s person??? So am I! Maybe that’s why we connected in the first place… Love your Indian sensibilities, despite being a New York based journalist… Kudos to all that you do. Here’s raising a toast to wonderful times ahead: from your pen to our hearts, yes spreading ANAND, just the way you like it…
I have been reading each and every article of yours since 1980. Great. God bless.
Shastri
Nivi – aw, you make me feel so grand! Truth is the mentoring is a two-way street as I learn so much from you too.
Radhika, thank you! I’m just the messenger of all the great stories you all share with me!
Blessed to have been mentored by you!
Wow! So proud of you..
Thank you Samar – always great to know there are lassi fans out there! Writing is such great fun and I’m sure your sisters enjoy it immensely.
Great job Lavina! So proud of you and admire your success. I like how you and my older sister have been on the same path in a way as she is one of the desi girls who graduated from UGA with a Bachelor’s in Journalism and I have a younger sister currently studying journalism in Michigan State.
Meenal, it’s so good to hear from you! You have always been such a rich resource on facts about the community and Indian culture – I do hope to tap you for Lassi with Lavina!
Hi Lavina,
It is nice to visit your website. I have known you for so long but other than doing interviews we hardly had a chance to connect. I like your website and hopefully will visit often. Congratulations (though quite delayed) on starting this.
Meenal
Thank you Rashmi, so glad you’re enjoying this space – I have certainly enjoyed building it up and get a great deal of pleasure from interacting with all of you, ships passing in the night! It will be wonderful to use the Internet to really make a difference somehow.
I am glad to find your lovely space here and was surprised to see how beautiful it is with so much warmth.
Internet has made this so much easier and it feels great to see wonderful people and know more about them ….