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Performing arts and popular media can be powerful tools to end gender-based violence: Breakthrough India’s Pan-Asia Summit

NEW DELHI, March 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The second day of Breakthrough India’s Pan-Asia summit ‘Reframe’ highlighted the critical role of performing arts and popular media to educate, and spread awareness about gender-based violence and discrimination. Breakthrough India is a Delhi-based non-profit organization that through the use of pop culture and media, seeks to make violence against women and girls unacceptable.
The summit highlighted how key stakeholders, non-profit organizations and governments can use performing arts and popular media to create a violence-free world and influence how gender norms are challenged.
Kick-starting the conversation, Nidhi Goyal, Founder and Executive Director of Rising Flame, a feminist disability rights organization based in India shed light on the all-pervasive stigma around disability and gender through a comedic set. As a universal language of communication, art has served as an important tool for awareness and education around gender-based violence, as well as a means of expression for survivors to share their stories. It can help break the culture of silence and provide women with the space to talk freely about their experiences and speak out against gender-based violence.
Anuradha Kapoor, Founder and Director of Swayam, a feminist organization in Kolkata, said, “Arts are a very powerful medium of effecting social change. As the language of arts is universal, easy to understand, it reaches out to people from diverse backgrounds and helps us deepen our understanding of complex social issues in simple yet powerful ways. We can use arts to educate, stir consciousness, spark conversations to challenge stereotypes and oppressions like gender inequality, homophobia, racism, sexism, and also to imagine new solutions and shape the way we think about society.”
“The arts help promote creativity, change opinions, transform communities, and promote actions for positive change. The women’s movement has used arts extensively as a means for change. In public spaces such as protests, rallies, schools, colleges, performing arts like theater, songs, arts, fine arts, films, have all been used to highlight issues,” Anuradha added.
Arts have been known to have an intrinsic ability to connect with people’s emotions and bring visibility to the lived experiences of marginalized communities, due to which they have played a key role in virtually every social justice movement throughout history.
Talking about using music to sensitize people about gender issues, Farzana Wahid Shayan, a Dhaka, Bangladesh based musician, singer, lyricist, poet, music composer and a human rights worker recounted sensitizing her audience with her music. She said, “Instead of using my art to change the world, my art has changed me. From disliking attaching labels like “feminist songs” to my work, I have grown to embrace it and now I use it to educate people. Sometimes my music makes my audience, composed of families, uncomfortable, as it touches upon gender issues prevalent in every household. Yet I continue to reiterate that respect for women should come from the heart from all spectrums of the society, and upon receiving feedback and anecdotes on my music, I share that further with my audience, allowing us to learn from each other. Learning is an on-going journey.”
Studies have shown that involving communities in the artistic process instills empathy and values, transforms and enables them to communicate the change that they want to see in the world.
Kamala Vasuki, a feminist activist and artist from the North and East of Sri Lanka talks about how she uses creative arts (in painting, writing, and theatre) to promote issues of gender, human rights and social justice, Kamala said, “I believe in using colors and lines that could penetrate through the minds of the people to make a shift and transform people, and also provide them a space to reflect upon themselves and start a dialogue about gender based issues. Instead of just displaying my art in galleries, I am trying to involve the community in the process of creating the artworks.”
There is increased evidence that the current pandemic has increased the risk of abuse and exploitation of women and girls as they are forced to be in isolation with their perpetrators. While data is still emerging, based on available evidence UN Women has already warned of a ‘shadow pandemic’ (of violence) that needs to be recognized and addressed. With increases in internet usage between 50% to 70%, digital media has taken on a similar role as art and has helped reach out to a large number of people across the world, especially youngsters, to take forward the agenda of preventing and ending gender-based violence and discrimination.
Leeza Mangaldas, one of India’s foremost digital content creators, talked about how she started creating sex education content on YouTube and Instagram in 2017, with the intention of normalizing conversations around sex, sexuality, sexual health, gender, pleasure and the body–with a specific focus on girls and pleasure. “My work is largely digital, and the digital realm provides a huge opportunity to make an impact because of the high amount of people using the internet. Studies indicate that young people turn to the internet for questions about sex and sexuality due to the lack of sex education in schools and colleges. A potentially violent and misogynistic video could be the first thing that a youngster may find over the internet, which makes it all the more urgent to provide sex education on the internet to discourage violence and promote pleasure.”
Breakthrough India recognized the importance of engaging allies from diverse backgrounds in order to build an environment with strong response mechanisms that amplifies, supports and helps in pushing back against gender-based violence and discrimination with an intersectional lens.

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Reliance Digital Launches ‘Baaptaa’, a Father’s Day Campaign Celebrating the Many Expressions of Fatherhood

MUMBAI, India, June 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Reliance Digital has launched ‘Baaptaa’, a Father’s Day campaign to celebrate the many expressions of fatherhood. Built around a simple cultural observation, while “Maa ki Mamta” has long been a part of India’s collective vocabulary, there has never been a word that captures the distinct ways fathers express love, the campaign introduces ‘Baaptaa’ as a tribute to the many shades of fatherhood.

Conceptualised as an original music-led campaign, Baaptaa celebrates fathers not as idealised figures, but as they are experienced in everyday life, protective, dependable, emotional, quirky, practical, occasionally embarrassing, and always present. Through a relatable narrative, the campaign acknowledges the countless ways fathers care for their families, often through actions rather than words.Watch Video: https://youtu.be/9XyUsJB33Ds?si=PM67vhxrzth1JEkz At the heart of the campaign is an original music video told from a father’s perspective, capturing the different roles he plays across life’s moments and milestones. The film brings to life the humour, warmth and unspoken affection that characterise father-child relationships, while giving a name to a form of love that many recognise but few have articulated.The campaign stems from a simple insight: while motherhood has often found expression through familiar phrases and popular references, the unique language of fatherhood has remained largely undefined. Baaptaa seeks to fill that gap by creating a term that reflects the everyday gestures, practical wisdom and quiet sacrifices that fathers make.Father’s Day communication often leans into familiar emotional territory, but Reliance Digital’s campaign celebrates fathers in a way that feels more culturally authentic and relatable. The idea for ‘Baaptaa’ came from a simple observation — mother’s love has been immortalised in a number of heartfelt, emotional songs, there needed to be an anthem dedicated to dad’s love. And thus was born Baaptaa – a love language that is often awkward, practical, protective, humorous and deeply felt, even if rarely verbalised. It’s a celebration of fatherhood in all its wonderfully imperfect forms immortalized by a song that you won’t be able to stop humming.Shop for the widest range of electronics at Reliance Digital and thank your father for his Baaptaa.

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Canara HSBC Life Insurance Celebrates Father’s Day with a Heartwarming Tribute to Dad Jokes

The digital film highlights how fathers express love through humour, turning everyday moments into lifelong memoriesNEW DELHI, June 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company Limited (“Canara HSBC Life Insurance”) today announced the launch of its Father’s Day digital film, a light-hearted and heartfelt tribute to fathers and their unique way of expressing love through humour. Celebrating the universally relatable phenomenon of ‘Dad Jokes’, the campaign shines a spotlight on the small yet meaningful moments that often become some of the most cherished family memories.

Presented in the style of a mock documentary, the film follows a sibling duo as they recount some of their father’s most memorable jokes—ranging from playful puns to classic one-liners. While the film begins with humour and nostalgia, it gradually reveals a deeper truth: behind every seemingly cringe-worthy dad joke lies a father’s sincere effort to connect, bring joy, and remind his family that he is always there for them.The campaign is rooted in the insight that fathers often express their emotions differently. Rather than through words alone, they communicate their care through everyday actions, practical guidance, shared experiences, and sometimes, through humour. Dad jokes may not always receive the loudest laughs, but they often become lasting reminders of a father’s presence, warmth, and unwavering support.Through relatable storytelling and candid family moments, the film celebrates fathers who may not always wear their emotions on their sleeves but consistently show up for their loved ones in their own unique ways. It captures how these seemingly ordinary interactions become treasured memories that families carry forward for years.Reflecting the campaign’s central message, Canara HSBC Life Insurance reiterates its belief in standing by every promise that matters. Just as fathers quietly support and protect their families through every stage of life, the company remains committed to helping customers secure their loved ones’ future and fulfil their financial commitments, truly embodying its promise of being a ‘Promises Ka Partner’.The campaign is now live across Canara HSBC Life Insurance’s X (twitter), LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram channels.IG- https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZwH5IKhCzG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== FB- https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1cSkxsFWNY/X- https://x.com/CanaraHSBCLI/status/2067808467205918962?s=20Li- https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7473574831364468737Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2997652/Canara_HSBC.jpgLogo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2739906/6008480/Canara_HSBC_Logo.jpg

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Harper Collins Publishers India is Delighted to Announce the Recent Publication of ‘People We Love’ by Preeti Shenoy

NEW DELHI, June 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — HarperCollins Publishers India is delighted to share the recent publication of People We Love by bestselling author Preeti Shenoy. At once tender and sharp, this collection of stories offers intimate, truthful and relatable portraits of the people we cherish, the ones we lose, and the people we become.

ABOUT THE BOOKThe people we love never truly leave our story…In these tender yet piercing stories, Preeti Shenoy returns to some of her most beloved characters to reveal who they were before they appeared in her bestselling novels It’s All in the Planets and The One You Cannot Have.Aniket, a coder, carries the weight of a longing for Trisha that he cannot bring himself to act on. Nidhi abandons her corporate life to teach pottery, only to discover that clay is far more forgiving than the people she loves. A quiz competition sparks an unlikely romance between Aman and Shruti, one that must withstand parental disapproval and class divides. And Anjali, a journalist, is so busy chasing stories that she almost misses the one unfolding in her own life.Set against the pulse of contemporary India, People We Love explores the tug-of-war between duty and desire, family and freedom, who we are and who we dare to be. Intimate and deeply felt, these are stories about love that stays, leaves and almost slips away … love that quietly and irrevocably shapes the people we become.Preeti Shenoy, author, says, “People We Love is a collection of three long stories, prequels to my bestsellers It’s All in the Planets and The One You Cannot Have. If you have read those books, you already know how these characters’ stories unfold. But what you don’t know yet is where it all began, the loves they carried, the choices they made, and the people they were before life shaped them into who you met on those pages. Writing these prequels felt like returning to a home I hadn’t realised I missed, and discovering rooms I had never been in before.”Rashmi Menon, Associate Publisher – HarperCollins India, adds, “Preeti Shenoy has an extraordinary gift for finding the heartbeat of ordinary lives. People We Love is a warm, wise and deeply humane collection of short stories that reunites readers with favourite characters from her bestselling novels It’s All in the Planets and The One You Cannot Have, weaving them into fresh, deeply satisfying narratives. These characters feel like people you know, and their journeys will move, comfort and surprise you. This uplifting, thought–provoking collection reminds us why we turn to stories in the first place. We couldn’t be more excited to share it with our readers.”ABOUT THE AUTHOR Preeti Shenoy is among the highest-selling authors in India. She was featured on the Forbes longlist of the most influential celebrities in India. Her books include When Love Came Calling, Wake Up Life, Is Calling, Life Is What You Make It, The Rule Breakers, A Hundred Little Flames, It’s All in the Planets, Why We Love the Way We Do, The Secret Wish List, The One You Cannot Have and many others. Her work has been translated into many Indian languages. Preeti is also a motivational speaker, an avid fitness enthusiast, and an artist specializing in portraiture and illustrated journalling. Preeti lives in Bengaluru, Karnataka.ABOUT HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS INDIAAt HarperCollins Publishers India, we believe in telling the best stories and ensuring they reach the widest readership. We publish around 250 new books every year across 10 imprints, adding to a diverse catalogue of more than 3,000 titles in print and digital formats, with an array of genres and voices that ensure there is a book for every reader. Our authors have won some of the most prestigious literary awards, and we are proud to publish many acclaimed writers, alongside new and emerging voices shaping contemporary literature. We are also the publishers of The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, winner of the Booker Prize 2008, and Girl in White Cotton by Avni Doshi, shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2020, and HarperCollins India itself has been awarded “Publisher of the Year” several times. In addition, we represent some of the finest global publishers such as Harvard University Press, Lonely Planet, Oneworld, Nosy Crow, Usborne, and National Geographic Children, bringing Indian readers access to world-class books and ideas. We are also proud to be certified as a Great Place to Work for two consecutive years, a recognition of our culture, people, and values that make HarperCollins India a truly inspiring workplace. PRESS CONTACT:Nandini Tripathi, Manager – Marketing (Commercial)Email: nandini.tripathi@harpercollins.co.in | Mobile: +91 9718928839Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2997583/HarperCollins_People_We_Love.jpgLogo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2105077/4665143/HarperCollins_Logo.jpg 

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