RESET. RECLAIM. RISE.

14th March 2026

Chaubara – by Veda Factory, Andheri West, Mumbai

Reset

inherited narratives.

Reclaim

rights and agency.

Rise

into accountable futures.

From Livelihoods to Justice - Why Legal Literacy Is Central to Women’s Economic Empowerment in Rural India

2:00 PM onwards

As rural women expand their economic participation through SHGs and national livelihood missions, income gains continue alongside persistent violence, limited legal awareness, and fragmented access to justice. This discussion positions legal literacy as the missing link between economic participation and real agency, exploring how rights awareness within livelihood systems can convert earnings into safety, dignity, and enforceable justice.

Panelists

Suneha Kandapal

Intersectional Feminist Researcher
Blessan M

Project Manager - Law, NABARD
Prabhakar Lingareddy

Executive Vice President and Head - Social Investments, ITC
Pooja Sanghavi

South Asia Women Foundation India

Bekhauf Baatein 7.0

Mardd | Mardana | Mardangi

5:00 pm onwards

Shweta Singh is a poet, storyteller, and host whose voice bridges Delhi and Mumbai. Through spoken word and performance, she crafts narratives that celebrate womanhood, challenge norms, and find power in everyday truths. A lyricist and script writer by craft, she uses art as her instrument for honest, human expression.

Aparajita Sharma is an Indian dialogue writer for national television, known for shaping some of the most beloved characters in Hindi drama through shows like Anupamaa, Imlie, Ishqbaaz, and Kullfi Kumaar Bajewala. Through her writing, she consistently gives voice to women's experiences, inner conflicts, and quiet resilience on screens that reach millions.

Divya Nidhi Sharma is an award-winning screenwriter, dialogue writer, lyricist, and poet with over 15 years in Indian film, OTT, and television. Raised in small-town Western UP, his work including Laapataa Ladies, Heeramandi, and Anupamaa centres women's voices, identity, and quiet resilience, bringing the Indian heartland's stories to millions with empathy and truth.

Nivedita Chandra is a poet, storyteller, writer, and designer whose creative identity lives at the intersection of art and lived experience. A mother who writes, she brings a grounded, intimate lens to her work, weaving personal truth into verse and narrative. Her voice reflects the quiet complexities of womanhood, making her a thoughtful presence in any conversation around gender and equality.

Parth Vasani is a poet, storyteller, lyricist, and voice over artist whose work spans performance, song, and the spoken word. Founder of the creative collective Taana Baana, he brings people and narratives together much like the warp and weft of cloth. His writing explores the full spectrum of human experience with honesty, wit, and quiet depth.

Smita Bharti is an award-winning playwright, poet, director, and Executive Director of Sakshi NGO, the organisation that catalysed India's POSH Act. A survivor turned changemaker, she uses theatre, storytelling, and art to challenge gender violence, empower survivors across prisons and communities, and rewrite the narratives that keep women silent. A Rotary Global Peace Fellow and Karmaveer Chakra awardee.

Mehak Mirza Prabhu is a Mumbai-based storyteller, poet, writer, certified life coach, and founder of the storytelling school Jhumritalaiya. A TEDx speaker whose own story of survival, divorce, and reinvention fuels her art, she uses voice, narrative, and performance to help women reclaim their stories across stages, corporates, and communities alike.

Shubham Shyam is a Hindi poet and performer from Dumaigarh, Bihar, who traded a mechanical engineering degree for verses that move millions. His poems Gir Jaana Mera Ant Nahi and Woh Aaj Nahi Toh Kal Hoga have gone viral, resonating deeply with ordinary people navigating struggle and self-worth. A teacher by day and a poet by soul, his work challenges who gets to define identity and strength.

Yash is a Mumbai-based musician, educator, and genre-defier whose artistry moves fluidly between jazz and rock. With a gift for captivating audiences and transcending musical boundaries, he brings the same depth and intention to teaching as he does to performance, believing in the power of music to move, connect, and transform.

Bekhauf Baatein 7.0 brings together powerful spoken word, poetry, and performance to examine masculinity as identity, system, and social performance. It creates a fearless space for honest reflection on complicity, accountability, and unlearning, inviting conversations that move beyond defensiveness toward responsibility and change.

Sandip Soparrkar is an internationally acclaimed Latin and ballroom dancer, Bollywood choreographer, TEDx speaker, dance therapist, and philanthropist. Rated among the world's 100 most influential dancers, he holds four National Honours from the Government of India and has pioneered India Dance Week and Dance for a Cause, using movement as a medium to champion social change and human dignity.

Ankita Bhargava Patel is a Mumbai-based Indian television and film actress known for her roles in Kasautii Zindagii Kay, Dekha Ek Khwaab, and Akira. Born into a family of actors, she has built a versatile career across screen and stage, while actively supporting causes around women's empowerment, child welfare, and education beyond the spotlight.

Step into an evening where love whispers in unexpected places, secrets linger in the silence between heartbeats. Two bold, unflinching performances unravel the invisible ties that bind us, quiet storms that shatter the fragile calm, echoes that haunt generations, and relationships that defy society’s map.

Through raw storytelling and haunting beauty, we invite you to witness the fragile dance between vulnerability and strength, where every choice ripples beyond the moment. Come discover what it means to hold on, let go, and rewrite the narratives we are in.

Starring

Kamini - Payal Nair and Priyasha Bhardwaj
Tedhi Lakir - Eesha Kiran and Parth Zutshi
Written and Directed by Smita Bharti

Two Short Plays

Written and Directed by Smita Bharti

8:00 pm onwards

RESET. RECLAIM. RISE.