It’s always a good time to celebrate the lives of extraordinary women! Femina has always been at the forefront of showcasing women and their extraordinary journeys, providing a platform for their stories, voices, and achievements. This legacy is carried forward in the Femina Achievers East event, which highlights the achievements of women from the East of India who have made significant impacts in their respective fields.
Over the last nearly 65 years, Femina has celebrated women from all walks of life, whether in fashion, sports, the arts, music, entertainment or business.
The Femina Achievers East event is part of Femina’s way of honouring the diverse contributions of women who reshape the fabric of society. It will include a memorable awards show as well as a red carpet, captivating discussions with panellists from the East, and more!
Here are a few achievers from the East we’ve put the spotlight on before:
Gitika Talukdar
Photojournalist Gitika Talukdar from Assam was officially selected and accredited to cover the recently concluded Olympics in Paris. While the nation celebrated the performances of the athletes, she silently shone on the sidelines of the sporting events, the first and only female sports photojournalist from India to cover the 2024 Olympics.
Born in Arunachal Pradesh, Gitika grew up in various locations across the country owing to her father’s job, which involved frequent travel. Her fascination with photography was instilled by her grand uncle, the late Chandra Talukdar, a renowned filmmaker. She found his work interesting, which made her take up photography. She started with a photo news agency and contributed to many local media outlets as well. She worked with many leading publications before switching to sports journalism.
Receiving access from FIFA to cover the World Cup 2018 has been the most prestigious moment in Gitika’s career so far as she was the only female photojournalist from the Northeast region to be a part of such a prestigious sporting event. The National Games 2007, Commonwealth Games 2010, IPL Series 2013 until the present, ISL Series 2014 until the present, FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, AFP Cup 2019, South Asian Games 2016, India Pakistan Leagues and ICC Women’s World Cup are some of the other high-profile games Gitika has covered.
Iman Chakraborty
As a child, Iman Chakraborty learned music from her mother Trishna Chakraborty, and became interested in the literary works of Rabindranath Tagore. In 2017, she won a national award for her soulful rendition of Praktan’s Tumi Jaake Bhalobasho, which changed her musical career overnight.
“The early days of my career were extremely difficult,” Iman recalls. “My parents endured all the struggles on my behalf. As time passed, I began to participate in a variety of competitions, which helped me overcome my fear. I finished my Masters in 2012 and then came into this industry, eager to make a mark. I was awarded a national scholarship, and I used the money to record my first album, which was released by SaReGaMa HMB; my journey as a professional singer had begun.” She went on to record her first playback song, which earned her a National Award, and opened up new opportunities for her singing.
“Currently, I perform in different countries as well as in different parts of the country, and I receive endless love from my audience,” enthuses Iman, who adds that musicians face challenges despite the recognition and awards. “To be relevant, I must keep myself current, because newcomers to the industry are also extremely talented. As a representative of this generation of eminent musicians and their contributions to the field of music, it is my goal and desire to provide something new to the next generation,” she adds.
Rishika Sarkar
Four-year-old wonderkid Rishika Sarkar bowled the internet over when her batting video went viral a few weeks ago. The tiny cricketing sensation from Kolkata wowed everyone with her batting strokes in the same manner as she wowed super player Yuvraj Singh.
Born to parents from a modest background, Rishika had just turned three when her father Rajib gifted her a cricket kit. Noticing that she played exceptionally well for someone her age, he started devoting time to practise with her every day for a few hours. During one of the practice sessions that he used to conduct with Rishika in a parking lot, he noticed a few keen observers watching their game from a nearby tea stall. When one of them approached him to shoot a video of the child batting, he agreed. Little did Rajib know that the incident would change the course of their lives. One of the observers turned out to be popular content creator and RJ Praveen. He and his team visited Rishika’s home to shoot a professional video of her practising and playing. The video went viral; within hours, it had over 10.8 million views and 1 lakh shares. It is also the video that Yuvraj Singh watched, amazed by the talent the child displayed. He offered her a spot at the Merlin Rise Yuvraj Singh Centre Of Excellence in Kolkata.
Rishika’s parents are over the moon; never in their dreams had they thought life would take this turn. “I had planned that, once she was 12 or 13, I would start looking for professional training options for her,” Rajib told us, “but the opportunity has come knocking when she is only four.”
Gitika Saikia
Gitika Saikia identifies herself as an Assamese food evangelist and a curator of North East Indian food, who specialises in tribal and mainland Assamese cuisine. A pioneer in the home chef space, Mumbai-based Gitika led the charge on showcasing regional cuisines. Setting aside a successful corporate career in 2014, she started Gitika’s Pakghor. Her goal was to break stereotypes around the culinary cultures of the North East by highlighting their uniqueness and giving them an identity. Beginning with small menu offerings from her home kitchen, she quickly graduated to immersive experiences at various locations in Mumbai, then around the country and internationally. She’s hosted a pop-up at The Bombay Canteen, lectures as visiting faculty at culinary institutes around India, and has showcased Assamese cuisine on platforms such as Netflix and TLC. Her championing of the cuisines of Assam and the larger North East has inspired her customers to actually travel to the North East to explore the region.
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