Chai and Chat is a series of discussion sessions where women come together to discuss a range of topics with artists.
In this free Chat & Chat & Cinema Special in partnership with Birmingham Indian Film Festival, Satnam Rana-Grindley interviews Srishti Bakshi an activist and lead protagonist in the film WOMB, which captures Srishti’s heroic effort to create awareness on women’s safety and empowerment through financial and digital literacy.
This free online event can be viewed LIVE on Sampad’s Facebook page facebook.com/sampad.arts/ on Sunday 20th June, 3pm. Questions can be put in the comments feed.
In September 2017, Srishti Bakshi embarked upon a journey walking almost 4000km over 240 days, from Kanyakumari in the south, to Kashmir, in the North, along the way meeting and learning first hand about the experiences of many women from all corners of India. WOMB is a poignant and heart warming documentary exploring the social and political issues faced by women of today’s India. It is a unique testament to seemingly insurmountable challenges in these unprecedented times and the everyday sheroes who are battling to overcome.
See the trailer below.
Satnam Rana-Grindley was born and brought up in Wolverhampton. She graduated in 1999 and started her career at BBC Radio 5Live as a researcher before joining the Midlands Today team as a trainee journalist in 2002. She presented weekly radio show BBC WM ‘Midlands Masala’ and has also presented BBC Asian Network. Satnam has worked in several roles; as a producer, director and presenter on regional news and the current affairs programme ‘Inside Out’ in the West Midlands.
Satnam is on a career break from the BBC and is now the Head of Communications at Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership where their mission is to drive inclusive economic growth. Satnam says she is getting used to a career change that brings personal growth with a sprinkling of familiarity.
Away from work, Satnam does what she can to raise awareness of breast cancer following a diagnosis 3 years ago. She is vocal on social media about ‘self-checking’ and has done numerous talks about her experience. Crucially, she uses her recorded video diaries to campaign at a grass-roots level in south asian communities where the subject of breast cancer still remains ‘hushed’.
WOMB (Women of My Billion) is the opening film at Birmingham Indian Film Festival 2021. Screening is at MAC Birmingham on 25 June, 7pm