Our Guests today are : Dr.Prakash &Chaitra Sontakke

Chaitra is a Vocalist, Performer, Teacher, Mentor, equally at ease with Hindustani Classical as well as Bhajan, Sufi, and Fusion music. She is presently with the Shankar Mahadevan Academy. Born in a music-loving family her interest in music was nurtured by her grandmother Smt Narayani Pai. She went on to formally begin Music education under Sri Subramanya.

She later started Hindustani Music lessons from Dr Smt Mani Sontakke and Dr. R. B. Sontakke. Under their guidance, she mastered the Gharanedar Gayaki of Pandit OmkarnathThakur's famous Bhavapoorna Gayaki style.

Presently pursuing her Ph.D. with Jain University Under Dr Arati N. Rao, she has done her Masters degree and MPhil in Vocal apart from B.E.

Dr. Prakash Sontakke is Vocalist, Multi-Instrumentalist, Composer, Director Filmmaker, Innovator, Motivational Speaker, and Traveller.

He is performing various Genres of music as well as performing Classical and Fusion on the Hawaiian Slide Guitar and various other instruments. His concerts are marked with a unique sense of creativity and exploration.

A Co-Composer, Vocalist, and Guitarist on the Grammy Winning Album “WINDS OF SAMSAARA” and the only Indian to have won the Independent World Music Awards, USA, and the Nashville Award for composers where his composition was chosen over that of the maestro Illayaraja.

An A grade artiste from Akashvani and Doordarshan with over 2000 Concerts experience Prakash has toured extensively with his troupes namely “Dr. Prakash Sontakke Group” (Progressive Hindustani Crossover ), and International Trio “Lehera” (World Fusion )

Recently his music for the Documentary on the Kashi Vishwanath corridor was shared by Shri Narendra Modi himself.

Our guest today is MAYA CHANDRA, a communications specialist & corporate filmmaker. She is one of the very few women in the country and is a leader in Karnataka who has established her name in the corporate filmmaking industry. Armed with a Master’s Degree in Mass Communication with a specialization in video film making from Boston, and work experience with Columbia Broadcasting Service (CBS), Boston, Maya returned to her roots in Bangalore. Starting off as an editor, one of the only woman editors in Bangalore, she then ventured into corporate film productions

Her Company MAYA, a film production house, based out of Bangalore, with over 18years in the business having worked in a variety of challenging domains, has successfully maintained the balance of working with both the corporate world & the State Government, with whom she still carries on her creative journey in government and political communications. She ventured into the health care sector too & pioneered in bringing in many initiatives in hospital and healthcare communications.

The multiple award-winning Maya Chandra also combines a successful academic career as she teaches film making to post-graduate students and has lectured at institutes in India & abroad.

Listen in as Maya shares her inspirational journey. Details on: https://www.mayafilms.in/

Our Guest today is the CEO of Masoom, Nikita Ketkar, who plays the role of a passionate guide and mentor for the fledgling NGO that has chosen to tread a different path by focusing on the night schools of Mumbai. Nikita’s is a story of a young and educated woman who finally found her calling in service. Having worked in different capacities as a Journalist, Lecturer and Social Worker she cleared the prestigious Union Public Services commission exams. After spending over 3 years in various administrative positions in DRDO, Airforce headquarters, and NCC directorate, Nikita felt the urge to do something beyond and left the service to work for various NGOs. It was while working on a social project she came across night schools accidentally, what she saw and heard compelled her to start Masoom in 2008 an organization focused on improving the night schools. Masoom is presently working in 85 Night Schools of Mumbai, Pune, Ahmednagar & Nagpur.

Nikita has been awarded the ‘Chakra for Excellence 2009 ‘The award was presented by ICONGO IN Delhi. She has also been awarded the Mahila Pratibha Sanmaan by Rajasthani Mahila Mandal and Gayatri Gyan Probodhini Mandal in 2010 on the eve of International women’s day. In 2011 she has been conferred with Moneylife Foundation awards, the Mumbai, Mayors award on the eve of international women’s day. In 2011 she was also awarded the Savitribai-Phule Fatima sheik award by Shikshak Bharti for her contribution to night schools. In the year 2014-15 Masoom won the prestigious Global Rising Star Award for its exemplary work in the field of education. This is an international award jointly awarded by The Global Fund for Children and Stars Foundation. Across the Asia Pacific 3 organizations bagged the award and Masoom is one of them. On 26th January 2020, Nikita was awarded ‘Varad’ Puraskar by Upnagar Shikshan Mandal for her contribution to the field of education. This year in January 2021 Nikita has been selected as Ashoka Fellow (Ashoka Fellowship) www.ashoka.org. It is an international fellowship. She will be called a 'Special Relations Officer’ for the time being.