SHE LIVES LIFE LARGE, THE ‘LAKHNAVI’ WAY!

APunjabi, whose parents migrated from Pakistan to Delhi, she was brought up in Kolkata and eventually made Lucknow her home. As someone fond of colours and crafts since childhood, when Madhavi Kuckreja moved to the city of Nawabs in 2004, she soon soaked up the cultural ambience and the invaluable heritage of the place.

Today, her name is synonymous with the famous Sanatkada Lucknow Festival’.

The winner of this year’s Lakhnavi Andaaz award at the HT Woman Award ceremony organised here recently, Kuckreja began her journey as a social worker early in life.

As a student, she actively participated in social activities at Loreto House and La Martiniere College in Kolkata. She continued with her causes later too, as the student president of the Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) in Delhi.

Apart from visiting slums for working against sexual harassment, Kuckreja also worked as a student volunteer during the 1984 Sikh riots. “This was the turning point in my life,” she says. “I saw death and so much suffering, it left me shaken from within.”

The love for culture was also deeply rooted in Kuckreja’s heart. It was what prompted her to revive the cultural festival at LSR.

“The college cultural fest had been discontinued. As the president, I worked to revive it.” Later, when Kuckreja left for the US to pursue postgraduation, she continued with her social causes. One of the key themes on which she worked was that of women’s rights. “I worked on abortion rights for women,” she says.

She also travelled a lot and visited places in South America. “I like exploring cultures and love experiencing different places, and enjoying their food and culture.” On her return from America, Kuckreja again began working at the grassroots in India. She joined the Mahila Samakhya and took up the challenge of working in Banda. “No one wanted to go there as the place had a lot of problems. I took up the challenge and worked there for over 14 years.”

After working at the Mahila Samakhya for two years, Kuckreja started her own women’s group, Vanangana, in the area.

“Banda was a violent place. There were around 100 deaths a year. Cases of domestic violence and dowry deaths were common. Every time, a woman died, we staged a street play near her house, raising questions on her death. We would even stage street plays near her parents’ house to awaken their conscious,” she says.

In 2004, Kuckreja moved to Lucknow and decided to make the city her home. “I had been coming to Lucknow regularly as I loved the city a lot. So, I decided to settle here and start a business. That’s how we came up with Sanatkada — a home for crafts,” she says.

It was also her love for Lucknow that led to the start of the ‘Sanatkada Lucknow Festival’, which has now become an essential part of the city’s culture calendar.

“I feel that even as the beauty of Lucknow monuments is admired, its intangible beauty and heritage value remains hidden. This is what I wish to bring out before people,” she says.

DHEERAJ DHAWAN/HT