Odisha

The ‘Shri Ganeet’ saree that Vidya Balan wore for promotions of Shakuntala Devi has an interesting journey.

Joseph Madiath was a mere boy of six when he organised the labourers at his father’s rubber plantation. And he hasn't stopped since!

“Today, women from all backgrounds and other villages, including those who have B.Ed degrees or more, come to us to join our work.”

As Khairi’s foster parent, Saroj Raj Choudhury would feed her with his hands, play with her and even sleep with her mighty paws on his chest.

“Spending lakhs of his own money, he used to walk around collecting palm seeds and burying them like green dams.”

With a strict zero-plastic policy, you won’t find a single person litter in this village. Here’s how the magic happened.

“Many of my colleagues wanted to give back to India but didn’t know how to do so. With this model, I showed how each one of them could be a Mohan Bhargava (played by SRK in Swades) in their own right.”

They received no support to come back, nor did they have any money. Once the lockdown ends, many may not go back. The fear of being left alone to fend for themselves in a distant land has scarred them.

“A tree branch came out of nowhere and hit our main door, leaving a huge crack in the sturdy sagwan wood. It almost felt like there is no end to the night,” grandma recollects.

Additionally, on their way, the team encountered 22 fallen trees - which they cleared despite fierce winds and heavy rains of Cyclone Amphan..