Karina Pandya

Around 10 % of India’s population depends solely on homoeopathy, i.e. over 100 million people. Depend solely on homoeopathy for their healthcare. Having almost a quarter of a million registered homoeopathic doctors, India has more homoeopathic doctors than any other country in the world.       Being a practising homoeopathy doctor since 2000, Dr Ravi Doctor (Waghela) has a specialisation in integrative and palliative oncology. While he mainly operates out of his clinic in Colaba (RD Holistic Wellness Clinic), he is also attached to the Department of Complementary and Alternative Medicine of Saifee Hospital and Masina Hospital, which are leading super speciality hospitals in Mumbai.  He is also  the examiner on board with the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences Nashik.    Also serving as an honorary Homoeopathic physician to the Indian Army, he is also attached to the Mumbai Police Hospitals. He is one of the first Homeopathic Physicians in I...

  Written and directed by Sofia Alvarez who is known for having directed films such as To All The Boys I’ve Loved and To All The Boys: PS I Love You, Along For The Ride is her directorial debut that was also based on the novel  Along for the Ride  by  Sarah Dessen .  It was released in May 2022. Starring Emma Pasarow as Auden, Belmont Cameli as Eli,  Kate Bosworth  as Heidi (Auden’s mother-in-law),  Dermot Mulroney  (as Robert – Auden’s father) and  Andie MacDowell  as Victoria (Auden’s mother), Auden decides to spend a carefree summer with her father and mother in law before she joins college.  Life is all about discovering yourself and making all the necessary adjustments in life to do the same. On the first day that Auden arrives at the beachside town of Colby where her father lives, Heidi advises her to go explore the Tip – a very popular social hangout where all the youngsters spend their evenings. It is here that Auden be...

  Imagine never  having met your biological mother but living your whole life as if everything was normal.   Enter Mia (Virginia Gardner)  and Kyle  (Alex Aiono) , a young 18-year-old girl who ages out of the foster care system and a boy -depressed high school senior).   Not only does she stumble across this boy as he climbs a cliff and seems ready to jump but she also distracts him by crying for help. Somehow in a matter of no time, she convinces his parents to allow her to go on a trip with him to Spain!    Known for his films such as Sequia, Antivicio and Tierra de Lobos, Joaquin Llamas has directed this film. It is written by Victoria Vinuesa – a screenwriter and author. This movie is an adaptation of her debut novel – See You On Venus!   This film is more than just an entertaining film to watch but takes you on a journey of purpose where Mia is on a fixated mission to find her biological mother and manages to rope in Kyle to help her do ...

      Adityanama, a book which covers the life of Aditya Puri was published on 24 th  February by Anita Puri, Aditya’s wife. It is the emotional journey that these two individuals shared that inspired Anita to unveil the person behind the persona of the banker.   Anita (Smiley) Puri is known to have pursued a diploma in Travel & Tourism, after which she went on to work for Japan Airlines and Kuwait Airways.   It is a delightful read taking the reader on an extraordinary journey. The ace banker, Aditya Puri is no new name in the field of banking and it is because of his wife Anita Smiley Puri the novel Adityanama: The Man Behind the Banker Unveiled from Jaico Publishing House.   While he initially rose in Citibank, he is well known for having built the private bank, HDFC Bank from scratch.    He has served as the former CEO and MD of the country’s second-largest bank – HDFC Bank and has had a remarkable career spanning over four decades in...

  Although this film was released ON Netflix in 2017, I just got a chance to stumble across this witty yet charming coming-of-age drama, The Incredible Jessica James. Directed by American screenwriter and film director – James Strouse who is well known for his films such as Love Again, Lonesome Jim and Grace is Gone, Strouse has also written this film as well.   Starring Jessica Williams in the lead as Jessica James who is well known for her roles in Crying in Public, Delivery Man and People Places and Things, Jessica has surely outdone herself in her highly charismatic and daunting role as she not only balances a breakup but also navigates her way through her grief by developing a romantic relationship simultaneously.    Known to be a fiercely independent woman, Jessica is also a teacher at a children’s theatre workshop in Hell’s Kitchen. With LaKeith Stanfeild playing the role of her ex-boyfriend Damon, LaKeith is seen as a heartbroken man who hasn’t been able to f...

An incident of coming across a homeless and mentally ill woman in distress on the road in front of her college in Chennai paved the route for Vandana Gopikumar to establish one of the leading NGOs in the field of mental health – The Banyan. While she was yet a Master’s student of Social Work, Vandana along with a close friend Vaishnavi Jayakumar encountered several other incidents of not being able to find the right shelter and mental institution for a woman in need of medical and psychiatric attention.     The Banyan, which was established in 1993 has been a one-stop destination to not only rescue, and rehabilitate but also treat mentally ill women from low-income groups. Vandana Gopikumar has pioneered a movement, helping thousands of individuals not only reintegrate into society but also secure long-term medical treatment.    Not only is she the co-founder of the NGO – The Banyan, but is also the co-founder of The Banyan Academy of Leadership (BALM). She is also a...