Theme: Catharsis

The word ‘catharsis’ is derived from the Greek word, translating to ‘cleansing’ and ‘purification’. Most of the definitions emphasise on two essential components of catharsis: the emotional aspect (strong emotional expression) and the cognitive aspect (an insight, a new realisation and a revelation). The expression of catharsis, or the relief we get after expressing our repressed emotions, helps manifest a positive change in our being.

Throughout the history of humanity, catharsis was considered to have a strong healing effect, and applied in medicine, religion, literature, music, drama and multiple other domains.

TEDxBandra 2017 attempted to encourage speakers and listeners to share, and collectively express their catharsis. There are multiple types of catharsis that one can see himself witnessing: catharsis of repressed emotion, of good taste, of amazement, of love, of anger, of inspiration, of fear. This year, we aim to bring out catharsis in some of these parallels.

Our array of speakers will talk about their journey and their catharsis in a multifold manner. Their individual catharsis when they are in the process of doing what they do as their passion, job, or responsibility, and the catharsis witnessed by the audience upon witnessing their talk or performance.

It is important for this catharsis to be collectively expressed, in order to lead way for positive conscience, and positive affirmations.

Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir
St Theresa Rd, Bandra West
Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400050
India

Abhina Aher

Transgender Activist

Abhina Aher is a transgender women, representing the Indian Hijra community. She has been working across topics of sexuality, gender, health and human rights fore mote than 20 years. She has been a founding member for various transgender rights and AIDS Control Program councils. She is a prominent trans activist, and will be sharing her journey of catharsis in strengthening trans visibility, equality, empowerment and policy change across the globe.

Ankur Warikoo

Entrepreneur

Ankur Warikoo is Cofounder & CEO of nearbuy.com – India’s No.1 Discovery and Transaction Platform for Stepping Out. nearbuy.com works with over 40,000 local businesses, across various industries and experiences. Ankur will be taking us through his individual journey of Catharsis, across his multiple ventures.

Anuj Puri

Real Estate Veteran

Anuj is an acknowledged expert on Indian real estate both in India and internationally. As Chairman of ANAROCK, he currently oversees a team of over 1000 staff based in 8 offices across India & one office in Dubai. With over 27 years of experience in multi-disciplinary advisory and transactions in real estate, he has expertise in planning, undertaking demand assessment studies and transactional services. Anuj will share his journey & cathartic experiences of working in the real estate business and simultaneously will throw some light on the current housing scenario!

Dia Mirza

Actor, Producer, UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador

Actor, producer, director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, UN Environment Ambassador and a champion of nature, Dia Mirza dons many a hat with élan and ease. Recently, Dia was appointed as the United Nations Environment Goodwill Ambassador for India. She is also an Ambassador for Swachh Saathi program, under the PM’s Swachh Bharat mission, an is the first Indian Ambassador for ‘Save The Children’ initiative. She will be sharing with us her cathartic journey of reigniting and strengthening the connection between man and nature.

Faizaanali Contractor

TEDxBandra Curator

Gajanan Vasu

Social Rural Entrepreneur

Gajanan Vasu, left his home after having contracted leprosy in 1972-1973. He settled in Anandwan, and turned 8 Small Scale Industries and Agribusinesses around, by increasing operational efficiencies and marketing efforts. He will be sharing with us his individual cathartic journey of taking things in his own hands, and helping over 200 farmers in Yavatmal district to double their crop in a 2 year time period.

Krishna Khunti

Wellness Warrior

Krishna Khunti is a symbiotic creation of East meets West. From the age of 5, she discovered her love for spiritual texts, practices and existentialism. Her continually evolving love, encouraged her to push societal norms and transform herself into a ‘Warrior of Wellness’. She is a yoga and meditation facilitator. Krishna will share her personal cathartic journey and her experience in coaching other people on well-being, allowing them to shine to their full potential.

Mahesh Jadhav

Founder, Mahesh Foundation

It was in 2008 when Mahesh first empathised with the plight of children infected with HIV, most of which were orphans. Mahesh will share with us his cathartic journey of overcoming social stigmas adopting HIV+ children, and setting up the Mahesh Foundation, which has today, positively impacted over 36000 individuals under its various initiatives providing food, shelter, education and clothing to them.

Mukul Bhatia

Mukul Bhatia is an internationally acclaimed documentary photographer who lives a nomadic life and has been featured in Forbes America, The New York Times, National Geographic. As a photographer, he has worked on a variety of issues and subjects like the longest running war in Kashmir, the diaspora of Hmong tribes in Northern Vietnam, to most recently about the issue of gender in Modern India. Mukul’s passion for nomadism has now come together in a unique visual anthropology called Nomadic Origins that has covered intimate encounters with modern nomads in over 32 countries so far. He is an advocate for sustainability and rural craftsmanship in India, and has worked with over 3000 artisans across South Asia and connected them with major sustainability driven enterprises and change-makers across the globe.

Nikhil Taneja

Teacher

Nikhil Taneja is a Mumbai based writer-producer, and is currently the General Manager and Head of Development at Y-Films at Yash Raj Films. He also serves as the Creative Producer on all Y-Films project. He has developed some of the biggest hits in the online space: Bang Baaja Baaraat Man’s World, in association with the UN, India’s first Transgender pop band and many more. He is going to share the catharsis in movies and the entertainment business.

Raquim Khan

Raqim Khan is Rajasthan's Sport Secretary and also the senior coach for the cerebral palsy football team. He has always believed that sporting opportunities should be equal for all and instilled the same belief in his students suffering from cerebral palsy, as he taught them to grab ati sporting opportunities as professional athletes A players. He ts also a wildlife conservationist and is passionate about working with the civil defences. He will share with us his challenging, yet cathartic journey and what he learnt along the way.

Roland Mascarenhas

Sports Enthusiast & HR Expert

Roland Mascarenhas believes that sports can have a transformative effect. He believes that in a country like India, where fitness culture is just about seeping in, there is a lot that sport can teach us about ourselves. He has played sports for over 25 years, and has been featured in media as a writer and a pundit, and has also served as a tournament organiser. Roland will take us through his cathartic journey of how his passion of understanding and developing people in sport, inspired him to take a career in Human Resources.

Samiksha Godse Amte

Samiksha Godse Amte is an economist by education. She has been working extensively in the field of education, predominantly dealing with children from tribal communities. She is aiming to imbibe mother tongue, culture, civic sense and a sense of community in children, through schooling processes.

Sangeetha Chakrapani

Co-worker Autism

Sangeeta Chakrapani has been partnering with people with autism, since her two children were diagnosed with it. In her own journey of raising her kids, she realised the need to teach ground level skills, in order to empower people with autism to co-exist with others in the society, and support themselves. She has spent over five years formulating an unique model that teaches essential life and work skills to people with autism, with hands-on experiences, through her trust, called Together.

Solomon Darwin

Father of Smart Villages

Professor Solomon Darwin in a remote village, hidden away in the South East India, called Mori. Known as the father of the smart village movement, his definition is very unique, and is based on the concept of Open Innovation and business models. He defines a smart village as “a community empowered by digital technologies & Open Innovation platforms to access global markets”. Professor shares his journey of catharsis while working with the Indian Government for the prototyping of the smart villages model.

Subarna Ghosh

Health & Rights Activist

Subarna Ghosh is an academic-activist and founder of the ReRight Foundation. She will be sharing her cathartic journey of breaking the silences of childbirth and ensuring that women’s voices remain at the centre of healthcare systems and policies. She has been felicitated by The Ministry of Women and Child Development, and was part of the UN General Assembly ‘Goalkeepers 2017’ event.

Taru Jindal

Gynaecologist and maternal and child health expert

Dr. Taru Jindal’s mission is to bridge the gap between remote villages and healthcare services. She joined a District hospital in Bihar, wherein she worked to strengthen maternity systems in government hospitals. She currently practises as a Lactation Consultant, and her awareness work on breastfeeding was featured in ‘World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action’. Dr. Taru will be sharing her cathartic journey of perseverance and struggle, and bringing change from grass root level.

Truptraj Pandya

Tabla Player

Truptraj Pandya, is a Guinness world record holder, for the youngest Tabla player. He gave his first public performance at the age of 2 years and 2 months, at Somaiya College. He played for All India Radio when he was 3, and for Doordarshan at 4 years of age. He will bring out his catharsis of music, and the passion he brings into his performances.

Varun Duggirala

In 2009 Varun co-founded The Glitch , a new Age marketing communications company that is a modern partner to ambitious brands. From a production house for the web in 2009 to the powerhouse it is today, The Glitch has evolved daily to encompass everything brands require to succeed in today’s digital driven economy.