Author: Vilina

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This 21-Year-Old Illustrator and Storyteller Draws Inspiration from Jane Austen and K-Pop, and Creates Art You Will Want to Live In | Meet Anna Abola From Latvia 

Published by Vilina

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work”- Colin Powell. For Anna Abola, 21-year-old digital illustrator and artist from Latvia – a small country in Northern Europe, her passion for art started at the tender age of 3 and she practiced hard to get every detail right. This love for art blossomed as she got older and at just 8 years old, she joined her first art school. Born with a disability, but with her ever so cheerful outlook on life, she uses art as a healing mechanism to voice out her ideas, thoughts and emotions. Anna and her art is a true inspiration for us, the world over. We chat with Anna to know more about her and her artistic journey. We had an intimate talk with artist Anna Abola from Latvia about her life as an illustrator, her passion for art, her main source of inspiration for her beautiful illustrations and more. Hello Anna. Tell us a bit about yourself. Hi! My name is Anna Abola and I am …

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A Fun Chat With Stand-Up Comedian and Viral YouTube Star, Merenla Imsong On How She Uses Her Roots To Make Us LOL

Published by Vilina

Making someone laugh is no easy task. For anyone inclined to comedy, getting any kind of reaction to their jokes can be immensely satisfying. Our featured guest today is the young and super talented viral comedienne from Nagaland – Merenla Imsong – who has effortlessly tickled our funny bones with her honest and engaging content. She attained her social media star status in March last year when her home video titled ‘Presumptuous chinky assumes the North Indian way‘ went viral on YouTube – It’s currently sitting at over 200,000 views! Many of us who are working and living outside of our hometowns, regardless of where we come from, have undoubtedly faced similar presumptions as her famous alter-ego Pinky Singh. So, it’s no surprise that her many characters and “Vegg ya Non-Vegg” videos hit us at our funniest and most relatable spots. We sat down with the rising comedy star – Merenla Imsong – to find out what exactly tickles her funny bones, her comedy inspirations and how she conceptualized her first viral video and more. …

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“My Grandfather’s and My Own Feelings of Nostalgia and Longing for Our Homeland in Nepal Inspires My Work” – Meet Graphic Artist Mayur Gurung from Himachal Pradesh

Published by Vilina

They say, ‘Home is where the heart is’ and today we speak to 25-year-old graphic designer, Mayur Gurung who is rooted to that motto. He feels that living away from his home in Himachal Pradesh has left a void in him identifying his language and culture. He hopes his art can bridge the gap between his longing memories for his community, and his memories of his home country of Nepal that rests in his heart and mind. We sat down with young, talented and inspiring graphic designer, Mayur Gurung from Himachal Pradesh. He talks to R&L about why he is so passionate about his roots, his inspiration for his gorgeous artwork and much more. Mayur, so nice to speak with you! Tell us a little bit about yourself. I am Mayur Gurung. I’m 25 years old from Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. At present, I work in New Delhi as a graphic designer, both full-time as well as a freelancer. I also have other side projects where I feature elements from my Nepali culture. I am also very passionate …

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#FACES | “Sangestar Tso Lake in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh is a Piece of Heaven on Earth” – Gom Chozom

Published by Vilina

  “This photo was taken in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. It was my first visit, and the experience was surreal. Literally felt like I was experiencing  Heaven on Earth; everything was so serene and the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful!  This particular location (in the photo) is called Sangestar Tso Lake and is also famously known as Maduri Lake. It is next to the India-China border and the Bumla pass. Walking amidst the stretch of flowers and lakes was the highlight of the visit. Being a nature lover, the sight of the clouds, flowers, and mountains brought so much peace, happiness, and calm. The valley here is full of wildflowers during this time of the year (Aug-Sept) So you will see plenty of small wildflowers blooming along the walkway and all over the trees. The fresh breath of air and the chirping of seasonal birds makes the place even more enjoyable.” ~ Gom Chozom 

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Vloggers “Twins and The Other Girl” from Sikkim Gives Us a Glimpse into Their Lives in Gangtok

Published by Vilina

Youtube stars behind the channel ‘Twins and the other girl’ – Pinky, Tinku, and Prakrithi, take us on a tour of the beautiful state of Sikkim, known for its shimmering waterfalls, lush green forests, the mighty Kanchenjunga mountain range – and their leisurely cafe culture.  22-year-old twins Pinky and Tinku, and their friend Prakrithi use their YouTube channel and social media to share fun yet simple snippets of their life in Gangtok, Sikkim. They make sure to stay super stylish and on-trend while doing all of that! The trio takes us around their favorite cafes in Gangtok and also gives us a glimpse of their everyday lives – interview and video below. YouTube stars of “Twins&theothergirl” – twins Shreya Rai (Pinky) and Shraddha Rai (Tinku) and their friend Prakrithi from Gangtok give us a peek into their everyday life in Sikkim and also take us around their favorite cafes. Read on to know more about them, their passions, inspirations, and much more.     Hi girls! Tell us a little bit about yourselves. We are Shreya (Pinkey) and Shraddha (Tinku) …

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24-Year-Old Livika Swu from Nagaland Talks About Her Travel Adventures Around the World and Gives Us Her Top Travel Tips

Published by Vilina

  How exciting is it to see the sunrise in one country and sunset in another? Breakfast in Paris… Lunch in New York… Dinner in London… That is something we all would like to experience once in our lifetime. 24-year-old Livika Swu from Nagaland lives her life out of a suitcase and travels to her dream destinations as part of her job. Livika Swu travels the world as a cabin crew for Qatar Airways. We’re delighted to have her tell us about her favorite destinations and give us her top travel tips. Read on to get a glimpse of what it feels like to meet different people, explore new cultures and work across different times zones all in one day! Hi Livika! We can’t wait to hear your travel stories… But first, tell us a little bit about yourself. I’m am Livika Swu from Dimapur, Nagaland. I am 24 years old and currently based in Doha, Qatar. I’m part of the cabin crew for Qatar Airways. I love traveling, meeting people from different parts of the …

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“I Write Roles for Women – Beautiful Women with Soul, Will and Strength” | A Chat with Filmmaker Tribeny Rai from Sikkim

Published by Vilina

“If there’s specific resistance to women making movies, I just choose to ignore that as an obstacle for two reasons: I can’t change my gender, and I refuse to stop making movies” – Katheryn Bigelow. Growing up in a family of 4 girls, Tribeny Rai faced gender bias at a young age. That experience only gave her the drive and conviction she needed to come out of her shell and do something that was new as well as challenging. That was the start of the journey that strong headed Tribeny set out to embark on for the rest of her life. At 27, she has 8 short films and 1 documentary to her name. Interestingly every one of her works has either won an award or has done the rounds at both national and international film festivals. Today, we’re happy to feature Tribeny Rai, a passionate independent filmmaker from Sikkim. She is everything you wouldn’t fathom at first glance, but behind her charming smile is a powerhouse of creativity that hits you into real-world subtlety. She chats …

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#Faces | This Portrait of an Old Man Captured By Tenzing Will Transport You Into A World Of Fantasy And Fairy Tales

Published by Vilina

“We had a day off and a friend of mine suggested we go birding in a forest a few kilometers out of Guwahati. So we grabbed our cameras, some supplies to eat and headed out. My friend is an avid bird-watcher and frequently visits these forests. It was my first visit there so I didn’t know what to expect. We reached the edge of the forest and reached a temple that we needed to pass before actually entering the forest. As we approached the temple gates we were greeted by this old man. He wasn’t a man of many words nor was he a ‘ray of sunshine’. He had one job to do… Perhaps the most important job there. It was to make sure that no one enters the temple grounds with their footwear on. My friend explained to me that even though we weren’t there to worship and were simply passing by, the rules applied to us all the same. His eyes looked our way as I took a quick shot of him. When …

“We Want to Preserve Our Folk Songs and Native Language ‘Kok Borok’ Through Our Music” – Meet Folk-Fusion Band KOLOMA from Tripura

Published by Vilina

With the growing genre of music these days, folk music may be fading into oblivion. So today, we are pleased to feature KOLOMA – a 5 member band from Tripura that has been formed with the goal to preserve their traditional folk music. They write songs in their local tribal language ‘Kokborok’ and hope to preserve and pass on their culture to future generations. As a band, Ronel, Kiyok, Shimul, Rumio, and Bhaskar write songs about love, inspiration, life and struggles, in “Kok Borok” – the native language of the indigenous people in Tripura. Read on to know everything about KOLOMA – the band, their story and what they aim to achieve through their music. Please introduce yourselves, and tell us how you guys came together to form KOLOMA. Also, what does “KOLOMA” mean? “KOLOMA” is a word derived from a former script in the tribal Kokborok language. We are a 5 member Folk-Fusion band based in Tripura. Our compositions are mostly about contemporary life and romance. Rumio Debbarma is the lead vocalist, composer, lyricist and plays the folk instruments …

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This 18-Year-Old Photographer Has a Unique Talent of Capturing People in Their Most Beautiful Element | Meet Richard Pao From Manipur

Published by Vilina

They say, ‘we take photographs as a return ticket to a moment gone otherwise’ but it is more than that for this young and talented aspiring photographer from Manipur, who hopes to click portraits of people to remind them how beautiful they are in their most natural and candid self. 18-year-old Richard Pao said this was his first time sharing his story with a stranger and that he felt privileged for the opportunity. We think that this marks the beginning of an era and a start to a successful career as a photographer. Read on to know more about him, about his passion for photography, what sparked his interest in this profession and more. We would love to know more about you – Where are you from and what are you up to? Hello, I’m Richard Pao from Imphal. I’m 18 years of age and just completed 12th grade. I love coffee and traveling. I am currently taking a year off to focus on photography and writing. I hope to take up cinematography professionally along with photography. How …