Tag Archives: M&S Inspire

M&S INSPIRE: CRAFT CRUSADER PRAVIN CHITRAKAR

Pravin Chitrakar, Founder and Director of Patan Handicrafts, and the Creative Director of Yala Mandala, decided to take a chance and embrace the age old advice–follow your heart. Since he made that decision, life, for him, has been all about learning about, preserving and furthering Nepal’s rich artisan traditions. He has been in the skill-based business of arts and craft for more than a decade, since 1992, but his love and passion for Nepali craftsmanship remains alive, and shows when in conversation. In a chat with Alok Thapa of M&S VMAG, Chitrakar shares that the increasing interest in the provenance and authenticity of handicrafts in Nepal is bringing about a renaissance of the arts and crafts. He also talks about how our country needs more critical thinkers who can foster creativity and passion in this industry so that Nepal can carve out an identity as the nation of the finest handicrafts.

M&S INSPIRE: Lens on Life – Kishor Kayastha

At a time when everything is moving so fast–changes in habits, attitudes, technology, life itself–Kishor Kayastha wants his photo work to do the opposite. With a click, he can freeze a sliver of time, and document it for the next generation. He wants to draw viewers into “his world”, where people can create their own interpretation of stories from his photos. On the cusp of releasing his short film Shifting Valley, Kayastha talks to Alok Thapa of M&S VMAG about his early days, what Kathmandu Valley means to him and how his unique vision is sometimes misunderstood.

M&S INSPIRE: Dibesh Karmacharya On the cutting-edge

Dibesh Karmacharya always wanted to work in wildlife, and later, in genetics and biotechnology. And he wanted to do his work in Nepal. The first time he tried to do so, after having finished his studies in the US, he couldn’t get things going here, so he went back to work in the US. But even as he worked on challenging projects there, he kept thinking about doing cutting-edge research here in Nepal.

M&S INSPIRE: Fitness Instructor Rosy Pun

Rosy Pun is today one of the most sought-after fitness instructors in town. Pun, the owner of Niraamayae Fitness Studio and Academy, a 12,000 sq ft fitness facility, in Chakrapath, is known for being the consummate fitness professional. Little do people know that she has gotten to where she is after having had to piece back her life after living through years when she had lost all hope that she would be able to make something of herself. In this candid conversation with VMAG’s Alok Thapa talks about her unique life journey.

M&S INSPIRE: Love Sasha Director Prachanda Man Shrestha

Everyone has a story to tell, and for Prachanda Man Shrestha, film has been his platform through which to tell a variety of incredible stories about ordinary people. The noted scriptwriter’s second directorial venture Love Sasha is imbued with many subtle nuances that are at play in interpersonal relationships, and Shrestha is confident that the movie will resonate with its audience on an emotional level.

M&S INSPIRE: Assisting Nature, Dr. Uma Shrivastava

Dr Uma Shrivastava, reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at Infertility Centre Nepal (ICN), derives immense pleasure from giving people hope. Through her work, Dr Shrivastava has helped many infertile couples make use of in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures to conceive, while at the same destigmatize infertility. In this conversation with Alok Thapa of M&S VMAG, the IVF specialist talks about the intricacies of IVF treatment, why we need to regulate IVF practice and what infertile couples need to know before resorting to IVF.

M&S INSPIRE: The King of the Squash Court – Hari Bahadur Thapa

Every sport has its wonder-child. In Nepali squash, it’s Hira Bahadur Thapa. It’s not that he started playing squash by fluke and then went on to dominate the sport. It’s not that he went unbeaten for 17 years. It’s not that he has reached the final in most of the events that he’s ever played in. The appeal of Thapa lies in his honesty and his humble nature that masks a passionate fighter.

M&S INSPIRE: Dayaram Maharjan For Disabled Service Association

Selflessness, consistency and humility are the hallmarks of special teachers who take care of kids with special-needs. Amazingly humble, Dayaram Maharjan has been helping the uniquely-abled children find a place under the sun for nearly three decades. His organization, Disabled Service Association (DSA), which has now given hundreds of disabled kids a safe home, education, and hope for a better future.

M&S INSPIRE: Jagadish Tiwari’s Panoramas of Nepal

When he got his first camera – a hand-me-down, tiny point and shoot – Jagadish Tiwari hadn’t remotely considered that it might one day provide a career for him. Today, Tiwari’s famous panorama posters adorn the walls of restaurants, appear on brochures, postcards and are picked up by tourists as souvenirs. In conversation with the veteran landscape and mountain photographer who believes that for those who are artistically inclined, there’s no place to be born than in a photogenic country like Nepal.

M&S INSPIRE: Taking Charge – Preeti Thapa

Mediation expert at the Asia Foundation, Preeti Thapa’s mission has been to facilitate justice at the community level, and help build a peaceful nation. One of the invisible forces in Nepal’s judiciary system, she is an instrumental figure, who has helped lay the foundation of community mediation in Nepal.

Thapa believes if encouraged women can do more than just ‘take care’, they can also ‘take charge’ in the nation building process.