‘Thousand Shades of India’ is a platform that shines a light on unsung heroes and all the diversity that continues to make India so beautiful

At a time when attempts are being made to paint India in a single colour, a pair of Bengaluru-based journalists is out on a mission to showcase the countless shades of India.

From inspiring personal journeys and change-making initiatives to hardly appreciated efforts of our farmers and indigenous craftsmen, ‘Thousand Shades of India’ (TSOI) is a platform that shines a light on unsung heroes and all the goodness that continues to thrive in India.

Founded by Shafaat Shahbandari and Tayyab Hassan, TSOI regularly produces inspiring videos and features from different parts of India, sending out messages of hope and inspiration for all.

Following their two month long tour of southern India in December 2019 and January 2020, last month, the duo travelled to different parts of Rajasthan for three weeks, covering various stories, before rushing back home ahead of the COVID-19 lockdown.

They recently released an inspiring video on Udaipur’s freecycling centre Sukoon, which is part of a series they are planning on the city of lakes.

Travelling to different parts of India, especially to remote areas and regions that are less trodden, the duo tells heartwarming stories and anecdotes of India’s real heroes on their social media platforms.

“We also cover stories of common people, most of whom are actually not so common. We publish these stories on our Instagram and Facebook pages. Our mission is to highlight the struggles of our workers, farmers, artisans and craftsmen and we can’t do this without the support of people. Please follow us on all our social media platforms and subscribe to our YouTube channel,”  adds Shahbandari, who has worked with international media organisations in a career spanning 16 years.

This Bangalore-based media startup focuses on producing short documentaries about change-makers and people who are working against all odds to preserve India’s indigenous art and craft as well as its depleting biodiversity, natural heritage and traditional lifestyle.

“Our idea is to show the world that India is much more than what is generally shown in the media or in the mainstream narrative. India is it’s people and people are generally honest, most of whom are quietly doing great work within their own streams. We want to appreciate that. We want to set the narrative around the rich diversity of nature, cultures, craft and heritage of India,” - Shafaat Shahbandari, Founder and Managing Editor of Thousand Shades of India.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown in India, TSOI has focused its attention in producing videos of hope amidst despair. While drawing people’s attention to the plight of workers and daily wagers, the platform is also highlighting the efforts of COVID-19 warriors and garnering support for them.

The documentaries are published on their YouTube Channel as well as on Facebook and Instagram pages.

The duo intends to carry on its journey in search of untold stories post lockdown.