Karina Pandya

                                          On September 19 th , 2025 there was a spark in the air as the energy at Veda Kunba transcended borders. An event titled – India and USA: Can Art Unite brought together poets, film makers, writers, and theatre enthusiasts in a celebration of performance, reflection and storytelling. Poetry Session: Global Unity and Local  Unity   A packed evening, it began at 4.30 PM and stretched right till 9PM.    The evening kickstarted with a poetry session with performers such as Jasmine Babbar (Storyteller), J Brandon Hill (Actor), Stephan Fife (Author and Theatre Director), Karina Pandya (Author and poet) and Tracy Ann Chapel (actor) performing some of their finest pieces and engaging with the audience.     Panel Discussion: Can Art Unite?   After an engaging session of poetry which enlightened the audience, there...

Epilepsy is something most people don’t really know much about. For me, it’s just part of who I am—part of my head, part of what’s happening inside my brain. Sometimes something triggers it off, and I’ve learned over time that epilepsy can come from many different causes. Because I’ve had a brain injury, many assume that’s the only reason I developed epilepsy. But epilepsy doesn’t have just one cause. It can be genetic, it can arise from brain tumors, infections, complications, or even without a clear reason at all. And it’s not one fixed condition either—it has many types and patterns, which makes it complicated and often misunderstood. Types of Epilepsy and Seizures There are four main classifications of epilepsy: Focal epilepsy : Seizures begin in one specific area or side of the brain. Generalized epilepsy : Seizures involve widespread areas of the brain from the start. Combined (Focal and Generalized) epilepsy : A mix of both focal and generalized seizures. Unknown onset epilepsy ...

  I, Karina Pandya, joined the inspiring gathering at Jai Hind College on 29th June to witness and celebrate impactful leadership and community service. It was on this evening that Jai Hind College played host to an inspiring event led by the esteemed Smt Dr. Ruma Devi and her dedicated team from the Ruma Devi Foundation. Ruma Devi has empowered women with her skilled hands and earned global fame for her skill at village crafts. She has woven a legacy in her humble name and is recognised even at Harvard University for her work in empowering rural women through traditional handicrafts, and also across India.   The gathering was a remarkable celebration of leadership, philanthropy, and community spirit, graced by an illustrious line-up of guests who made the occasion truly memorable. The Event at Jai Hind College The event commenced at the college premises with an air of warmth and enthusiasm. The Chief Guest, Shriman Babulaji Mishrimalji Bhansali, Managing Director of Bhan...

  “For you, a thousand times over” When Khaled Hosseini wrote those words, he etched literary history. However, hearing them spoken aloud under stage lights at the NCPA Mumbai in a haunting silence, that’s what held one’s breath. This story was one such story that was meant not just to be read but also to be felt.   This June 2025, The Kite Runner landed on Indian soil in the form of a heart-wrenching stage adaptation, where it was not only a packed houseful that evening, but everyone waited with bated breath to watch this play. I still remember reading this novel when I had lost interest in reading altogether, but this book stood out from the rest, paving a special place in my heart.    The play, which was directed with sensitivity and restraint, drew all of Mumbai’s theatre and literary lovers together. Directed by Tahera, the founder of Arena Theatre Productions , the play has been produced by Ayisha and Tahera under Arena Theatre Productions. It has been adapted ...

    There’s something very deeply personal about launching a book from your living room. No stage, no spotlight – just heart and some friendly faces.     On the 30 th  of May, 7 of my NGO friends gathered at home for my first book launch. The setting was very humble, and the energy was very powerful. These are the people whom I regularly met in class, and where the seeds of the book took root. The menu was spread out for the evening – yellow and white dhoklas, khandvi rolls, sandwiches, jalebhi and cake. The room was brimming to the top with tea and laughter. While we clicked many pictures and had fun, we also created a fun video where everyone took my signature in their books.    There were no filters over here, just pure love and connection. That launch wasn’t just a product, but it was about purpose.   On June 7, 2025, fifteen close friends gathered, sprawled across sofas, balancing cups of chai, juice, and plates of sandwiches as we laughed, d...

Gone are the days when we prepared a long list of grocery items to purchase for the week. We live in an age of instant gratification, where goods are brought right to our doorstep via delivery apps such as Zepti, Instamart, Blinkit, Swiggy, and other 10-minute delivery apps. With the rise of these apps, urban India is changing the way it eats, shops, and lives.  What once began as ‘Grofers’ in 2013, a simple grocery delivery service, transformed into a major delivery app in 2021 through its rebranding. This was not just about rebranding and changing the name; it was about changing the entire game of service. What was the promise behind this? It was about quick delivery with speed, a promise of delivery to your doorstep within 10-15 minutes. This became a very convenient option for people. By 2022, Blinkit had also become part of the famous food delivery family – Zomato, which was backed by funding, smart tech and serious measures for speed. Life at one point in time was very slow, ...

  Writing Touching Void… Surviving a Car Accident was like reliving my past. It was not only a cathartic process but also a resurrection. It meant revisiting memories and the darkest corners of my life, reliving the trauma not for the pain but for healing. This book was, after all, a source of healing for me more than anything else. Through each chapter, I peeled back layers of my fear, resilience and unexpected hope. It was not at all easy, but I wanted my story to serve as an inspiration for other people who went through a similar situation; that they, too, could find hope, as I did. It wasn’t at all necessary to do, but I wanted my story to reach people. This book was about choosing life again.   It was in these pages that I rekindled the strength within me, and I started to rewrite poetry, something I had taken a long hiatus from. It just wasn’t about the accident but about the silence that followed. The strength and the slow rebuilding of life. Each word was like stitchin...