New Delhi: From the portrayal of iconic green-eyed Afghan girl to the riveting stories of Women of Impact such as Jane Goodall, Oprah Winfrey, Roxane Gay, Melinda Gates, to name a few, National Geographic mines 132 years of storytelling to showcase these boundary-breaking and history-making women. This Women’s Day, National Geographic is all set to shine a light on one such powerful iconic female force Kalpana Chawla.
Kalpana, just like her name, lived her imagination and visualised infinite possibilities. A role model for many young women in India and around the world, Kalpana will always be remembered for her incredible journey from Karnal, where she was born, to NASA, where she fulfilled her dream of reaching the stars. With the film, National Geographic commemorates her journey, and every woman who dares to dream big in life. Celebrating the theme of International Women’s Day 2020 “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights”, the initiative believes that “an equal world is an enabled world.”
As an attempt to accelerate gender equality, Nat Geo today released a video of Kalpana Chawla’s family members, talking about her journey of a childhood dream that made her enter NASA and then the outer space. As a part of the initiative, the brand will also premiere a documentary on her life journey on Women’s Day 2020, Sunday, March 8 at 9:00 pm IST.
Commenting on Kalpana’s journey, her father Mr Banarasi Lal Chawla stated, “Kalpana has been special for all of us. Not just I, but the entire nation shares pride in her. She left behind a legacy of being the first female Indian astronaut to fly into space, overcoming the male dominance with her grit and valor. I’m extremely thankful to National Geographic India for honoring her and encouraging women to discover the Kalpana in them. Taking inspiration from her story, I wish more strength and power to millions of women on their journey to achieve their dreams. I urge people to witness her journey on National Geographic at 9:00 pm IST on 8th March 2020, also celebrated as International Women’s Day.”
Commenting on the initiative, Vice President and Head, Content & Marketing at National Geographic India, Mr. Pawan Soni said, “Combining unprecedented access to people and places with its unparalleled storytelling, National Geographic in the past has spotlighted remarkable stories of women such as Malala Yousafzai, Robin Roberts, Asha De Vos, who are pushing the boundaries and defying stereotypes. Kalpana Chawla is one of the most revered icons who has achieved the unthinkable by venturing into a daring dream. It is important to showcase her stimulating story to our viewers, especially the younger generation who are more aware and concerned about social issues.”
