A Winter that Burned Delhi: Silent Screams and Broken Promises of 1984, shot and directed by Rahul Milind, a Krea alumnus from the SIAS Cohort of 2023 as part of his History Capstone Thesis, has been awarded a Special Jury Mention for Best Documentary Feature Film at the 16th Jaipur International Film Festival 2024
We’re delighted to announce that A Winter that Burned Delhi: Silent Screams and Broken Promises of 1984, shot and directed by Rahul Milind, a Krea alumnus from the SIAS Cohort of 2023 as part of his History Capstone Thesis, has been awarded a Special Jury Mention for Best Documentary Feature Film at the 16th Jaipur International Film Festival 2024.
This was Rahul’s first-ever film festival entry. Out of the 329 nominated films from a total of 63 countries, 64 films were awarded, and Rahul’s documentary was one of them, under the documentary feature and student category.
Taking an ethnographic approach, his documentary film looks at the events of 1984 in Punjab and Delhi through the lens of collective memory and generational trauma. It was made under the mentorship of Dr Prithvi Datta Chandra Shobhi, Dean and Associate Professor of History, SIAS, Krea University, and Professor Ramachandra Guha, Distinguished University Professor, Krea University.
Rahul acknowledges that their role has been crucial in the entire journey and extends his gratitude to the faculty of SIAS who encouraged and supported his vision.
The Dance Club at SIAS, Krea University participated in Kurukshetra, the inter-college student run-fest of FLAME University. The team took part in both solo and crew dance competitions. Diya Gupta, Cohort of 2025, won second place in the solo dance competition. However, the crew, while not securing a position, was placed 4th and gained valuable insights on how to improve and excel in future competitions.
Congratulations to Harshi Shah, Ansh Bhargava, Tejas Narayan, and Krithi Raghavan from the School of Interwoven Arts and Sciences (SIAS) at Krea University for advancing to the national round of the HSBC India Business Competition.
Out of the 12 participating teams from prestigious institutions, they were selected as one of the six to proceed to the nationals, scheduled to be held in Mumbai this month.
Aishwarya Vedachalam and Joel Samuel from MBA Cohort of 2024 at IFMR GSB, Krea University achieved notable success by securing the first runner-up position in a case study competition organised by the Goa Institute of Management (GIM) and clinching second place in a business case study competition hosted by Thiagarajar School Of Management (TSM), Madurai.
Under the mentorship of Dr Soumya Pal, Assistant Professor of Economics at IFMR GSB, Krea University, Namrata Gupta, Shivam Khandelwal, and Bandi Sai Krishna, from the MBA Cohort of 2024, successfully advanced to the zonal round of the RBI Policy Challenge 2023. The event took place at the Reserve Bank Staff College in Chennai on December 11, 2023.
Congratulations are in order. Ritika Yadav, Cohort of 2024 at IFMR GSB has been announced as the winner of Live Project by Tally Solutions. She will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 10,000.
Live Project by Tally Solutions focused on the Big Belly of Indian Businesses: the informal and unregulated sector of businesses exclusively managed by the owners, who manage everything from supply to administration themselves. For ease, they called them micro businesses. The project entailed preparing a detailed business plan which covered areas that identified the triggers/barriers to, needs of and product scope of product adoption for micro businesses, product proposition and a go-to-market (GTM) plan.
Our very own Kreator, Naga Satish Pasupuleti, from SIAS, Cohort of 2025, has achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the world’s youngest person to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro twice in just three days. The feat has also been covered by The South First and The New Indian Express.
Srinidhi Pennathur, SIAS Cohort of 2025 shares her story, of interweaving art with University life, set against the backdrop of the learning tapestry at Krea. Srinidhi, most recently performed at Krea University’s Convocation 2023.
Srinidhi, you are a violinist and a vocalist; almost like a double major in the context of Krea; how do they co-exist in harmony and how does one affect and influence each other?
Within the context of Carnatic Music, I’ve found that being a violinist has only broadened my horizons as a vocalist, and vice versa. When I learn to sing a song that I perform on the violin, I develop a clearer understanding of the lyrics or ‘sahithyam’ and its meaning. Knowing the exact words that I play is really important because it delivers the intended emotion or bhava of the song, even though the words aren’t being sung. It would be as though I were playing what I would sing, and that marks a good violinist. Singing also allows for more in-depth clarity with regards to nuances and intricacies that become much easier to play on the violin. Similarly, learning the violin has especially shaped my comprehension of core concepts in Carnatic Music such as Shruti, Tala and Laya Shuddha. (pitch, beat and rhythm) Learning to physically play in different speeds, with different ‘pitches’ has helped me sing the same with more ease and precision. All this to say that, instrument and voice co-exist in harmony because together they display a beautiful symbiotic relationship that constantly benefit the other.
You’ve spent a year at Krea; has the landscape and the learnings at Krea contributed to your journey as a musician?
The very arts-oriented environment at Krea has given me plenty of opportunities to showcase my talent on the violin and through singing. Performing different genres for different events has exposed me to the wonderful niceties of vast, yet soulful musical forms. I’ve also been able to further my understanding of my own art and reduce my stage fright. I would also say that the kind of discipline and work ethic that the academic trajectory of Krea demands in terms of punctuality and time commitment has urged me to make for myself a practice routine that is as, if not more time-consuming and intense.
What was it like for you to share/perform your music at the institution’s convocation?
To be given the opportunity to perform in the presence of esteemed dignitaries, professors, graduates, parents and other guests for such a milestone event was truly an honor, to say the least. I was greatly humbled by the praise I received for this performance and thankful to the Vice-Chancellor for noticing my talent and allowing me to showcase it.
What is your take on the role of arts/artistes in building the culture of an institution and how would you like to contribute and inspire the incoming batch?
The thing about art is that, it’s transformative. It contributes to building a culture by advocating self expression, bringing people from different backgrounds together, and acts a common medium of understanding between individuals. Furthermore, it is a way to learn about and explore its plethora of forms. I would like to contribute by representing Carnatic Classical Music whenever I can. To the incoming batch, I would tell them to take initiative and do things outside of their comfort zone. I would also want to reassure them that they will be okay, and that they will survive college. No seriously, they will!
To view Srinidhi’s performance from Convocation 2023, please click here.
From engaging in meaningful conversations with a diverse group of individuals to honing her sportsmanship and cherishing the camaraderie as captain of the Women’s Football Team, to experiencing the unparalleled opportunity of Bolt 2023 — Ahana Pairee, Cohort of 2023, SIAS reflects on how these experiences have enriched her life at Krea so far.
In conversation with Chaarmikha Nagalla on her experiments with all things finance, contributions to the world of content creation, and projects in the pipeline
There’s a spark in Chaarmikha Nagalla’s eyes and her face lights up everytime she talks about finance. “There’s a certain joy that comes with sharing your lessons on finances with others. It’s nice to see them implement your suggestions in their lives and benefit from it,” beams Chaarmikha from the Cohort of 2023 at the School of Interwoven Arts and Sciences, Krea University. A student of Economics with concentrations in Computer Science and Business Studies, Chaarmikha’s interest in business and finance intensified during the pandemic-induced lockdown. “I religiously followed a handful of Finfluencers on Instagram and picked up many trade secrets from them. It widened my horizons and shaped my perspective on managing personal finance. I remember investing my first pay cheque of Rs 1,500 from a competition in a mutual fund. Now it has compounded at a good rate and I’ve made a profit,” recollects Chaarmikha, who has been breaking down the ABCs of finance, simplifying jargon and educating her followers on social media.
Of connections and collaborations Budgeting, claiming insurance, investing… Chaarmikha sheds light on an array of topics to help followers make informed decisions. “Financial literacy is key to everyday decision-making. I’m a firm believer of thinking about money in terms of time and time in terms of money. Discussing money must not be frowned upon and information must be accessible to everyone. The wealth of information can be overwhelming but gaining financial fluency allows you to evaluate news, understand trends and business announcements,” reiterates Chaarmikha, who is also the Program Director of Project EIFL (Educate India Financially), where the team collectively envisions a financially literate world by striving to be every youngster’s go-to financial awareness program to intellectually equip themselves.
Alongside finance, her passion for empowerment and entrepreneurship brought her responsibilities and opportunities to create an impact among a larger crowd. Chaarmikha is the President of the Hyderabad Coalition of the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up campaign that works towards bringing a change in the perception of gender dynamics globally. “The more you learn, the more you diversify. Liberal arts does that to you. Also, for me, the drive to work for women’s empowerment comes from personal sentiments given the taboo and stereotypes that I witness as a woman in everyday life. We need to normalise conversations around it,” smiles this two-time TedXSpeaker.
Chaarmikha also previously co-founded The Indian Conclave, a start-up registered under the Government of Telangana; where her team closely worked with educational institutions on leadership cultivation, entrepreneurial interest and public speaking for the youth to be equipped in this unpredictable world. “We identified and taught the key skills that are not taught at schools but are crucial for students to thrive in this competitive environment. We’ve impacted 15,000 students so far,” says a proud Chaarmikha.
Besides this, Chaarmikha’s impressive line of work includes volunteering experiences as part of campaigns and at various organisations. One that Chaarmikha cherishes the most is when she got selected among the 200 creators for the LinkedIn Creator Accelerator Program. “It was life-changing. I was the youngest from the lot and working alongside intellectual minds from all walks of life boosted my confidence. I got to explore and experiment with the world of content creation. There comes a responsibility with every word you put out there on digital platforms for readers to consume. The internet is a powerful resource and I intend to make the best use of it,” admits Chaarmikha who has her plate full with content creation, data analysis, social media marketing, business development and freelance graphic designing.
Campus diaries Despite wearing many hats, Chaarmikha has always taken the positions held at Krea University seriously and goes the extra mile to give her best to the legacy. The elaborate list includes – Elected Representative of the Connect Club (MUN, Debate and Quizzing societies) for two consecutive years, Student Ambassador of Outreach, Elected Representative of the School of Interwoven Arts and Sciences at the University-Wide Committee on the work-study program, Founding Treasurer of the Economics Society and Executive Board member (Public Relations head) of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship club. “When you love your work, you don’t see it as a burden,” she chips in. Chaarmikha actively engages in activities pertaining to innovation and entrepreneurship, mindfulness, nature & outdoors, Connect (MUN, quiz, debate) and sports. “The experience at Krea varies for different people. It’s a platform to grow if you use the opportunity wisely. Most of my content for social media is inspired by Public Policy classes. I learn from the conversations I have with peers and professors everyday. My exposure to disciplines like Design Thinking, Philosophy and Ethics have also transformed my understanding of the world as an individual,” adds Chaarmikha.
The road ahead Going forward, Chaarmikha wishes to pursue a career in FinTech. “I either want to pursue a Master’s degree or land a job; as long as it lets me pursue my passion on the sidelines. I will start a digital marketing agency if neither of my plans work out. I would also love to contribute to content houses and their newsletters. Creative economy is another domain of interest. In a week’s time, a few of us are pitching an idea to investors on FinTech. A larger topic I’m also working on is inclusion of women in the financial ecosystem,” offers Chaarmikha, an overview of her plans in the pipeline. True to what Chaarmikha’s LinkedIn profile reveals, she breathes content 24×7. What truly keeps her tank full is taking the time out for self-introspection. “Thinking for yourself and by yourself is crucial for personal growth. This is the mantra that keeps me going,” she sums up.
Quick three with Chaarmikha
What are the best books to start learning about finance?
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
The Richest Man in Babylon by George Samuel Clason
The Financial Independence Marathon by Vinod Bhat
A tip to keep in mind while consuming information from Finfluencers on social media?
Diversify your sources and be mindful of them so you don’t fall prey to misinformation. Don’t take things blindly, do your groundwork.
How to start saving money?
Investment is the best way forward. Do your research on the benefits of compounding and budgeting. I’d encourage cash transactions so that you are aware of how much you spend.
