Meet Ajanta Chakraborty—a woman who grew up amidst the vibrant chaos of India and now calls the United States home. Like many who straddle two cultures, Ajanta spent her early years navigating the delicate dance between tradition and modernity, between Bollywood beats and Broadway dreams. But along the way, she stopped choosing one over the other and started blending them instead.
Today, through her art and entrepreneurship, Ajanta is not only embracing both worlds but weaving them together to create something uniquely hers. It's a beautiful story of identity, creativity, and building a life that reflects all that she is.
Her Beginnings in The USA
Born and raised in Bhopal, India, Ajanta has now spent more time in North America than in India, and both places have shaped her experiences and identity. “NRIs, as we are called, face a unique identity crisis. After the passing of a sufficient number of years, we no longer fully belong to either space. It is something I grapple with every day,” she chips in.
While her formative years were spent in India, her higher academics and professional years were spent in the US. Both have strongly influenced her voice and perspective.
Her Career
A Silicon Valley computer scientist, North America Head of Marketing in Education Technology, small business entrepreneur, and bestselling author all define Ajanta and her prolific background. However, as a cultural educator and entrepreneur, she caters to an audience that shares the same struggle of balancing identities, regardless of their place of birth.
“My work is firmly grounded in promoting awareness of Indian culture through books, classes, and events,” she shares. “While my upbringing helps me portray an authentic picture of the topics I share about (the ‘what’), my time spent in the US influences the way I describe it (the ‘how’).”
Mythology is a perfect example of this. Back in India, mythological stories allowed for a decent amount of gore, even when the audience was children. “In my narration, I tailor it for a global audience. I assume no prior knowledge, so the barrier to learning is low. I also describe the stories in a way that removes the violence while preserving the morals of the story,” she explains.
“Also, we learn best when we can relate to the content in some way. I draw on my knowledge of life in the US to demonstrate parallels with the characters in the story, and suddenly, the content doesn't feel so foreign anymore.”
Her Views on Success and Achievement
“I grew up in a middle-class society that viewed financial stability as a mark of success. Get a good education, find a stable job, do good work so you can climb the corporate ladder, the end,” she says. “A disclaimer here that not everyone in India has this upbringing. There were plenty of entrepreneurs even back then. It was just something I had not personally experienced.”
Having to unlearn this entire mindset when, in 2010, Ajanta decided to quit her high-paying tech career in Chicago to begin as an artist with a small business. She placed a higher value on her passion and mission and began measuring success by the number of people she could reach and inspire through her work, instead.
“I must be honest, it is something I still occasionally struggle with when the efforts and outcomes don't yield the financial success one would hope for. However, my passion for creating a more joyful and kind world inevitably wins out in this tug of war!”
Challenges in Building This Cultural Bridge
“When I first started my company, everyone made three assumptions: I would run late to every class or event, my content would be inherently religious, and that every product or service I offered was up for price negotiation,” she tells us.
I don't blame people. We often start from a point of assumption when we meet someone new, but breaking these stereotypes through my work fills me with great satisfaction!
Navigating Between Languages
“My spouse and I speak in Hindi or ‘Hinglish’. I speak Bengali with my family in India. I also teach Hindi as part of my classes,” she says. Clearly, language is a fundamental part of Ajanta’s life and work. What has played the biggest role, though, is her English accent.
“I exhibit some degree of ‘linguistic convergence,’ meaning I subconsciously pick up others' accents,” she says, laughing. “This created the most hilarious scenarios in the early years of moving to North America when my fellow classmates from India continued to sound the same, while mine kept on rapidly changing based on the people around me. This was often perceived as ‘trying too hard to fit in’ from my fellow desis, and ‘oh, how nice, she is sounding more like one of us’ from the rest.”
Her Advice to Those Navigating Their Dual Identity
“Yes, there might be struggles, but you have the most wonderful opportunity to create the best of both worlds.” After spending years in India and then moving to a melting pot like the USA, Ajanta embraces both sides of the coin. “My liberal mindset can be at odds with some of the more conservative views of my community. Being in the US allows me to embrace both lives fully. I can celebrate every festival, enjoy every cuisine, and share every story of my culture while embracing ideologies that allow me to live as my true self. What a privilege it is to be able to do so!”
About Bollywood & Culture Groove
Ajanta’s brand is called Bollywood & Culture Groove. Their mission is to spread the joy of Indian culture and help parents and educators Raise Multicultural Kids. The work began as a simple joy for Indian dance, but it quickly magnified itself to inspire kids and adults of all ages to be curious about the world cultures.
Through their joyful cultural experiences and talks by Ajanta on multicultural education, the brand strives to demonstrate that this curiosity is essential. “I very strongly believe that cultural curiosity can be a wonderful means of getting to know our fellow beings and that understanding ultimately leads to kindness. The brand has evolved as my drive and mission have evolved over time, and it is a pretty authentic reflection of me today.”
