Natasha Bio
- I have an educational background in commerce, chartered accountancy, and an MBA in Human Resources.
- I have worked in various fields, including Human Resources in a corporate setting and an advertising agency in Indore.
- When we started our own printing company, I took up photography as a hobby. I enrolled in a photography course and assisted my teacher on a few projects
- During that time, I also experimented with cooking various vegetarian dishes and began documenting them by photographing and writing recipes for personal collection.
- In 2013, I embarked on a photography project documenting the life of my grandfather, Pannalal Patel, a recipient of the Jnanpith Award. However, I soon discovered I was pregnant and had to be on bed rest for most of the months. What seemed like a setback turned out to be a blessing, as it gave me the pause I needed.
- To keep myself busy, I started blogging recipes and their photographs, marking the beginning of my writing journey. Little did I know that people would be genuinely interested in my blog content along with the food recipes.
- Once my son became a toddler, I decided to resume the photography project on my grandfather’s life. We began shooting, but it was challenging for me to leave my son and travel. Then, I received divine guidance from someone advising me to start writing and documenting my grandfather's autobiography before proceeding with the shooting.
- I started penning my version of Pannalal Patel’s story in English, called "Finding Gattu." During this time, I discovered a newfound passion for writing, even though I was searching for my purpose, my calling, and a mentor.
- Although I believed "Finding Gattu" would be an entertaining novel, publishers were hesitant to invest in a new writer. Eventually, divine providence led me to Reshma Jain, who, despite taking on limited projects, fell in love with "Gattu" and decided to design and edit the book.
- Since "Gattu" was taking time, and with my photography and recipes ready, we released a recipe book, "Love at First Bite," on March 1, 2020. The lockdown hit India shortly after, and by grace, the book reached many households, with people cooking from it during the lockdown.
- Although work on "Finding Gattu" progressed slowly due to the uncertain times, I spent my days improving my writing by reading old magazines about Mother and Sri Aurobindo. I had also started listening to Dr. Alok Pandey's talks on Sri Aurobindo's epic poem "Savitri." During the COVID-19 months, I communicated with Dr. Pandey, who became my spiritual mentor, and my son found a spiritual friend in him.
- Over time, our communication increased, and we eagerly awaited the opportunity to visit Pondicherry and the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. However, with the next lockdown, I had finished reading all the old magazines and began exploring my parents' library, reading Sri Aurobindo’s books. Inspired by Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, and Christopher Nolan, who found their inspiration in Sri Aurobindo's works, my curiosity grew.
- Dr. Pandey suggested I read "The Mother’s Agenda," a 13-volume series. With these books and Dr. Pandey’s guidance, I found direction in my writing, discovered my purpose, and experienced the joy of creating something beautiful.
- "Finding Gattu" was finally printed and inaugurated by our CM Bhupendra Bhai, and we received a personally signed letter from our honorable PM Narendra Modi Ji. This helped spread Pannalal Patel's story to English readers.
- During this time, I also wrote short stories and completed a book, which was about to go for editing. However, after listening to a talk on Rama by Alok Da, I felt compelled to write a children’s book for my son. To my surprise, my son expressed a desire to co-write the book with me. While in Pondicherry, we shared this idea with Dr. Pandey, who also decided to be part of the process.
- This felt like divine intervention, so I set aside all other stories to focus on the children's book. Thus, "The Time-Travelling Adventures of Chotu" came into being. What began as a single book ended up as a trilogy due to its length and the message we wanted to share. These books hold a special place in my heart, and I hope to share them with the world, helping children blossom as my son did.
- This is just the beginning of my soul-searching journey. Through writing, I have embarked on a spiritual path with the Divine Mother guiding me. More books are forthcoming as creation continues to flow by her grace, and I feel it is my duty to share my learnings and realizations with the world.