Entertainment / Roshni- The Light Of South Asia (Vol.2)

Roshni- The Light Of South Asia (Vol.2)

Entertainment May 31, 2013

by Anokhi Admin

Rashmee Sharma launches the second edition of the coffee table book

What is common to Deepa Mehta, Russell Peters, Bobby Jindal, Indra Nooyi and Vikram Pandit and our very own CEO and Founder of ANOKHI MEDIA, Raj Girn? They are all a part of the second edition of Roshni: The Light of South Asia, a coffee table book that profiles 51 personalities in North America who have had stellar success and are an inspiration to South Asians across the world. After the remarkable success of the first edition of Roshni which came out in 2005 and featured 101 personalities, Rashmee Sharma is back this time as she profiles 51 South Asians across USA and Canada who have carved their own path to success.

The opinion of South Asians in North America has always been mixed. While a part of the world sees them as entrepreneurs and successful, the others have stereotyped them as convenience store owners and cabbies. Roshni, which means "light" in Hindi, illustrates profiles of South Asians who have battled myth, stereotype and many other obstacles to come out successful in the world. The underlying theme of Roshni is inspiration. The coffee table book is not just the professional resumés of these successful individuals but highlights the many ways these South Asians have been giving back, both to their country of origin and to the one they have adopted as home. These stars have discerned areas that they felt needed care and attention. As Rashmee talks about it, "If they couldn't find an existing organization to serve the need, they created one".

Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State receiving Roshni book

The idea to write the book struck Rashmee while she was teaching at the University of Washington in Seattle. During her classes, she was often asked stereotypical questions from students who perceived Indians as primitives. Rashmee did her research and shared with them about various accomplishments of Indians in all walks of life. She felt the need for a comprehensive platform that could feature inspirational individuals from diverse disciplines and thus Roshni: The Light of South Asia was born.

Rashmee herself could serve as an inspiration to many. Born in Delhi and raised in Jaipur, she was fascinated by the power of words and became an English department chair in Sikkim, India. After an untimely demise of her late husband who was in the military, she decided to move to the U.S to complete her PhD. It was a daunting task for a mother of two young children in an alien country without any support. She worked hard and became successful and there has been no looking back since then. Over the years, she has been an educator, journalist, published poet and author. She has raised her children well – her son is an attorney and her daughter, a physician. She thrives on taking challenging projects and enjoys every moment of her life.

Mrs. Pratibha Patil, President of India receiving Roshni Book at President's House India.

When asked how she selects the personalities, Rashmee mentions that she has a research panel which based on nominations, research and decide on those who will make the final list. "Since we have many disciplines in which to feature individuals, it becomes a tough choice when we have to put a cap on certain areas. Roshni is not a definitive 'Best Of' list. Instead, it is a chronicle of the contributions South Asians have made over many decades", she adds. The first edition of Roshni received an overwhelming response not only from the South Asian community but also from schools and mainstream community. The second edition is set to be launched this week, and has already generated a lot of interest. It will be available for purchase on Amazon.com and on the Roshni Media website.

BY SMRUTI DAS

_{Sources: Forbes, Roshni Media, Amazon, Twitter, and gov.lousiana.gov}

COMMENTS

Interview With Samit Kakkad, Writer And Director Of Aayna Ka Bayna

Q&A With The Director Of The Sound That Broke The Silence

Premiere Of The New Song And Trailer For The Film FUKREY

ANOKHI & A Decent Arrangement at the ReelWorld Film Festival

Arshad Khan, Filmmaker

STANGE ADDICTIONS

Frieda Pinto & Director Kashyap At The 11TH Annual Indian Film Festival Of L.A.

Mustang Productions Ghazal Night In Aid Of CARE Pakistan

Interview With The Reluctant Fundamentalist Director Mira Nair

TV Fun Facts

TOIFA Winners Thrill 38,000 At BC Place

Sunny Leone's Item Song 'Laila' In Shootout At Wadala

Award-winning Documentary Blood Relative Premieres At Hot Docs

The Manhattan Cocktail Classic Opening Night Gala

Bollywood Film: Gippi

Madonna In Malawi

Deepa Mehta's Behind-The-Scenes Look At Her Latest Film Midnight's Children

Sir Ben Kingsley, Nicole Scherzinger, Anupam Kher & More Honoured At 3rd Annual 'The Asian Awards'

The NYC Red Carpet Premiere for MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN

Justin Timberlake's 'Mirror" Music Video

Pitbull Performs At The IPL 6 Opening Ceremony

Man Of Steel Trailer

ANOKHI'S 10th Anniversary "All-Star" Event Was A Night To Remember!

Bulletproof Backpacks For Your Kids: Extreme Safety Measure Or Necessity?

11th Annual Asian Music Series

Kai Po Che Film Review

Celebrity Birthdays In June

Music, Movies And Gossip In Bollystar A Brand New Board Game

Wellesley Wives

Move To The Ragas And Rhythms

Our Chat With '90s Bollywood Star Raveena Tandon

Making The Biggest Beats With DJ-A-Slam

9th Annual HSBC City Of Bhangra Festival 2013

Tips On Having The Perfect Girls' Night In!

Public Speaking Toastmasters' Style

Film Review: Patang (The Kite)

DesiFest 2012 Rocks It Alright!

Indian Filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh Dead At 49

Summer Camp Time!

The Book Of Mormon Brilliantly Breathes New Life Into Musical Theatre

Karan Brar Makes Waves In The World Of Disney

Let's Learn Salsa!

Celebrity Domestic Violence- Laughable, Enjoyable, Cashable

Little Mosque On The Prairie

The Dhol Revolution

Up Close With Rohan Fernando

Interview With Dan Lin, Producer Of Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows

Up Close: A Chat With Actress Vidya Balan

Lady Gaga's Ist Trip To India!

Interview With Abhay Deol At Masala! Mehndi! Masti

Anything Other Than Naked: Book Review

No 'Thank You': My Day As An Extra In A Bollywood Movie

`Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani` Breaks Into US Top 10 - Weekend Movie Charts

The South Asian Comedy Showcase

Fun Nature Facts

Priyanka Chopra's New Single "Exotic"

Up Close: Q&A With Aasif Mandvi

Pink Saris - Empower Women

Miral - Hopes For Peace

Much Music Video Awards 2013: True Kick Start To The Summer Festivities

Kiran Rao's Dhobi Ghat Is Soulful And Stirring

You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger - A Comedy Of Illusions

Up Close: Behind-The-Scenes With The Cinematic Power Duo Of KITES

Alice In Wonderland: Down The Rabbit-Hole

Up Close: Shah Rukh Khan

Up Close: Jay Sean

New Gear, New Year!

Holiday Special: Ode To Regifting

Crazy World Records

Russel Brand Live In Toronto

Much Music Awards 2013: Red Carpet And Winners

The Ugly Face Of Fame

Trials and Tribulations Of Celebrity Parenthood!

The Ultimate Price For Cheap Fashion

Unique and Bizarre Celebrity Baby Names

Celebrity Birthdays In July

Ajay Devgn and Kareena Kapoor attend UK Trailer Launch of UTV Motion Pictures' Satyagraha

IIFA 2013: IIFA Celebrations Begin At Macau

'Jatt & Juliet 2' Takes International Box Office By Storm!

Priyanka Chopra Soars High In 'Planes'

IIFA 2013: DAY 2 IIFA Rocks Pays Tribute To 100 Years Of Indian Cinema

IIFA Awards 2013: The Winners Are Finally Here!

Summer Fun Facts

Priyanka Chopra's Video 'Exotic' Released

Film Review: Lootera Is Not Your Typical Song And Dance Bollywood Love Story !

Jay Sean Releases His New Album 'NEON'

Roshni- The Light Of South Asia (Vol.2)

by Anokhi Admin

Rashmee Sharma launches the second edition of the coffee table book

COMMENTS

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE