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Are you Team Navya yet?
At 25, Navya Naveli Nanda is turning privilege and power into a force for women’s rights. Comic books are just part of the mission
In a year of nepo babies (can’t wait for the Archies movie BTW), 25-year-old Navya Naveli Nanda seems almost like an anti-hero. She’d prefer anti-heroine, though. Much of her work in the public eye, since she was 21, has been in gender inequality and getting India to treat women better. Her initiative, Project Naveli, works towards women’s education and economic independence, battling domestic violence, and issues in mental and physical health. She also co-founded Aara Health, a women-centric health tech company. She’s edging close to a million followers on Instagram. Her podcast, What the Hell Navya, has fan, awards, haters... the usual.
It’s an unlikely path for anyone in their 20s, but one that’s been smoother for her than for most young women. Nanda is the eldest granddaughter of Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan. Her father is Nikhil Nanda, grandson of actor Raj Kapoor and chairman and managing director of the storied Escorts Group. So, it’s no surprise that she starts with a disclaimer. “For me to be able to do what I wanted to do at 21 only happened because I come from a lot of privilege and I had a lot of support from my family, whether that was financial or whatever,” Nanda says. “I’m grateful for the opportunities that I have been given and the ones I continue to get.”
Comic timing
Some of those opportunities are the stuff of nostalgic dreams. “I’m a 90s baby. I grew up reading Tinkle comics,” Nanda says. “I took a long shot, reached out to them and said, ‘You know, I have this idea of wanting to work on stories that cover themes that are important to women today.’ They were fully on board.”
Turns out, the 42-year-old comic is in the midst of a makeover too. Its roster of favourites – Suppandi, Tantri the Mantri and Shikari Shambu – has been overwhelmingly male. But new characters have taken over the pages in the last decade. Nanda’s favourite is WingStar, aka Mapui Kawli, a 13-year-old girl from Mizoram who was handed a super suit by her inventor father, Tashi. WingStar has a jetpack, robotic arms that can lift 5,000 kg, and iron fists. The reluctant superhero even finds time to do her homework, have sleepovers and keep up with her favourite TV shows.
Light seeker
Nanda’s Tinkle comic is a special edition titled Wonder Naari. Its four stories cover legal awareness, entrepreneurship, mental health and education for women, and star Tinkle’s most popular characters. It’s heavy reading for young adults, surely? “The whole point of doing this was so we could have these conversations in a slightly unconventional medium,” Nanda says. “Comics are for entertainment. Kids between ages nine and 14-15 read them. I think it’s important for them to start thinking about these subjects at that age. What we have tried to do is not be preachy. The characters are the ones actually having the discussions.”
In the first tale, Nimaya, characters Aamir and Aisha discuss the job market, essential skills and why education is important. In the second, Udaan, a young boy talks about having anxiety attacks. His friend teaches him the 54321 method of calming down. None of these conversations feels forced or unnatural.
Run the world
It helps that Nanda has inherited a world different from her famous family. Indian women are more visible in the workplace, have more financial control and agency over their bodies than before. “Girls aged 14-15 to women in their 60s are starting businesses out of their homes. The entrepreneur stereotype has changed from a man in a suit to a woman who set up a business and made it successful. It’s a great sign. It shows that women are feeling more confident and supported,” Nanda says.
There’s much to be done. But Nanda says she’s glad to be on the right side of history, being supported by the women in her family (her mother, Shweta Nanda, and grandmother) and helping other women rise. “It’s challenging, being a young person trying to kind of change the world,” she admits. “A lot of people are sceptical about that and question your age and experience. It’s not easy to prove that young people are capable of having serious conversations.”
And yet, it’s what she’d rather do, than endlessly pose for cameras at the airport, the gym and hip restaurants, as so many of her actor friends do. Her path is smooth but steep. And there’s growing up to do along the way. “I am actually not very disciplined, but I’m very organised,” Nanda says. I like colour-coding my Google Calendar!”
NAVYA PICKS: Two young entrepreneurs to look up to
Aarti Naik, 27. “Not many people would have heard of her. She works out of a chawl in Mulund, Mumbai . She started Sakhi, a school for over 500 to 600 young girls in the neighbourhood. I really hope people look it up and support it.”
Malhar Kalambe. “He’s only in his 20s, but on weekend mornings, while we’re probably sleeping, he’s out on coastal clean-ups with his initiative Beach Please. That’s super inspiring; I’m drawn to how committed he is to making the world a cleaner and more sustainable place to live in.”
