Bharti (Celebrated By Parth)
My aunt, Mrs. Bharti Malhotra is the Founder of the Red Ribbons, Amritsar. She has 15 years of experience in the fields of Art, Decor, and Fabrics. Mrs. Malhotra works to empower women who are homebound but wish to become independent and have awe for art.
Over the years, she has been a part of many national and local art workshops and has mentored hundreds of students and women. She is an honorary member of the Indian Academy of Fine Arts and Panchrang KT Kala. Being driven by her work, Pidilite Industries offered her the position of Specialist Art Teacher where she heads Punjab State of India and organizes workshops for all types of arts and fabric paintings across the state. She also organizes solo and group exhibitions across Punjab and has been very vocal about arts and woman empowerment.
In terms of her contributions to society in the COVID era, in the lockdown, Mrs. Malhotra took the initiative of using her skill to teach housewives and homemakers the fine art of fabric painting and help them find a stream of income to be independent. She was successful in organizing the drive and mentored many women, who then started their own businesses and classes.
Mrs. Malhotra has been recognized for her extensive accomplishments. She is a proud recipient of the DIFF award (2013), the Indian Academy of Fine Arts Award(2014), Kalashree Award by KT Kala (2017). Mrs. Malhotra has also spoken at international forums like TEDx where she shared the importance of Art in the Future.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Parth Bhandari. I am a Writer, Poet and Social Media Marketer by profession. I write on topics including Food and Beverage, Nutrition, Travel, Entrepreneurship, Woman Empowerment, LGBT+ etc. I was a Vocalist in the World’s Largest Indian Cinematic Band (Live 1000), for which we received a Guinness World Record. I am also a published poet on Amazon’s #50 Best Seller Anthologies including Guldastaa and Scribblers with Emotions. I am a featured writer in magazines like Youth Ki Awaaz, Startups Magazine UK, and NewsBreak, and also on news platforms such as Jio News and Dailyhunt. I love travelling, writing poems and skating in my free time.
What's your favourite memory of your aunt?
She became my first client on my freelance journey and taught me the challenges of being a woman in a male dominant industry. She has spoken at TEDx while sharing her insights on the Future of Art in the Textile Industry and showed up with her family’s and students’ faith in her story.
How is your relationship with your aunt today? How has it evolved over the years?
It's been that of a mother-son relationship. She has always motivated us to be self-dependent and to forge our ways into our dream jobs, just the way she did.
What are some very specific ways that your aunt has helped you to get to where you are today?
As I said, she became my first client on my freelance journey. I was changing careers and industries amidst the pandemic. She helped me believe in my art of writing and marketing and helped me to find my first gig with her company's social media. Following that, I have been able to work on many more clients nationally and internationally and have also been featured in many international magazines. Her help was the stepping stone for my journey in the world of Creative Marketing.
"My aunt always says..."
Parth, whatever you do in life always listen to yourself. Don't go deaf to the world, because if there is a scope for improvement only the world beyond you can reflect it back. And when it does, your doors should be open in acceptance. Final decisions will always be yours, but inputs from others always help you decide the best for you.
Complete this sentence: "I adore my aunt because..."
She is a strong self-made woman who has always believed that if there's a problem, there's also a way, you just need to be able to see it clearly.