About Me — Debarati S Sen
Trying to unpack the many selves behind the byline
A few years ago, at an art event in the Nehru Center Art Gallery in Mumbai, I found myself cornered by a chirpy RJ with a microphone. He said he was conducting random interviews and requested me for a brief introduction, followed up with what I thought of the art exhibition.
I was a tad nervous, because as a journalist, I’d always been on the other side of the mic, never the interviewee. Going behind the mic, addressing a faceless audience (except for the ‘expectantly waiting for me talk’, RJ) seemed tough at that point.
I began by stating the obvious:
‘I am Debarati S Sen’
The RJ said, “But that’s just your name, not who you are.” (Wow, that was deep. I was flustered and moved to the next obvious box: career.)
“I am a journalist with The Times Of India Group. I work with Bombay Times,” with a confident smile.
He shook his head and said, “That is just your career. Tell us who you are Debarati.” And that is when the impromptu interview turned into a TED Talk I definitely hadn’t signed up for.
So, Who Am I?
Well, dear reader, I am Debarati S Sen (Yes, starting with the name again but this time there’s more)
I am a writer, reader, journalist, artist, overthinker-overfeeler, an incurable optimist, and a motivational speaker (at least in my head).
Born in the small town of Ranchi, Jharkhand, India, to the most amazing human beings on the planet (I have established that as a fact in the last four decades of knowing them as my parents. Didn’t think so when I was throwing tantrums at home as a teen)
They are both educationists; my father, a professor of Anthropology at the Ranchi University, teaching Masters and PhD students and my mother, a formidable math teacher in the CBSE School, Vivekananda Vidya Mandir. No points for guessing that I grew up in a home that was surrounded by books, where discipline was sacred, and where my parents weren’t my ‘friends’. (I definitely believe that my daughter and I are friends).
Ours was a simple life, but, my younger brother Raja (aka Abhishek) and I went to a private ICSE school, that my parents could just about afford. Fancy (read expensive) school uniforms (there were three sets — summer, winter, sports — for each of the four houses), exorbitant school bus fees, multiple co-curricular activities and events, expensive projects et al. We ranted, often, and not so softly either. However, it was these very things, the strict teachers, the sharp methods of teaching, the relentless discipline that eventually shaped us.
What Brings Me To Medium?
It’s been just two days for me on Medium (at the time of writing this ) and my goals here are simple: I am here to read voraciously and write often (at least twice a week) and in the bargain, if the stars align right, I hope to earn some bucks too! Also, Medium, I feel is this beautiful place that allows people like me, who are inherently hesitant and shy (but do not admit to it generally), to just be. Here I am, writing for the world, baring my soul, yet I am somehow still hidden from the world. No one who really ‘knows’ me is here. Yet.
What Do I Do For A Living?
I write. I have absolutely loved most parts of my around 18–19 years of working as a journalist. But this job is not all fun, it involves a lot of untimely, unhealthy snacks at odd hours, extremely questionable posture (all the constant hunching over the desktop and laptop) and the occasional identity crisis. I’ve began my career at Mid-Day, then joined Times Response, followed by Bombay Times, quit that after five years to join an entertainment portal briefly, was then called back by my boss to the Times Group once more. In the last four years, I’ve worked as a consultant journalist with various publications. And over the years, I have collected a few awards too. (Yes, that’s the humblebrag me coming right up…)
List of My Shiny Things:
- Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar 2024
- Dadasaheb Phalke Cine Artist Technician Award 2024
- Silver Plaque by NSCI for my work as an independent journalist 2023
- International Women Leadership Award as Innovator In Print Media 2021
- Women Leaders in India -Best Journalist 2014
- Women Achiever Award for Journalism 2012
Yes, it’s been quite a ride. Sometimes a bumper-to-bumper, and at other times a roller coaster.
What Makes Me, Me, and Makes Me Unique?
Oh, everything. Obvio. (Of course!). I’m a heady mix of unfaltering optimism, high emotional intelligence (I want to believe that), unnecessary kindness (sometimes irritatingly so). No. Not kidding at all.
See, I genuinely believe I am the best — at being me. Whether it is being a daughter, mother, wife, employee, or employer — I just pour all my heart right into it all (Ask my friends and they’ll vouch for this: ‘all heart, always’). However, things don’t always turn out well, sometimes it gets messy, sometimes too intense, but its always real and there’s always love. I also am a good home chef, an above-average baker, have a good ear for music (I’ve trained in Hindustani classical vocal for three years as a kid), am a self-taught artist and love making portraits, abstract paintings, and hoard books and stationary like crazy. In Delhi University when I was doing my major in Psychology, I was chosen to be ‘Miss Talented’ (there you go, I was not just bragging, I am all this and more!)
Brush With Fame (And Awe)
Growing up in Ranchi, I never imagined that one day I’d chat with global music icons or interview celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan (just once, though). I’ve interviewed International stars like Katy Perry, Dua Lipa, Kylie Minogue, Jason Derulo, Alan Walker, Rema, Lauv, Aurora, DJ Snake, Micheal Learns To Rock, Glass Animals to name a few… Indian film legends and popular celebrities including Late Ustad Zakir Hussain, Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and so many others.
Talking to some of these icons taught me so much, things you can’t google. These conversations are more than just name-drops, they have shaped how I listen, how I observe and how I ask questions, which is everything when you are a writer.
What Will I Write About on Medium?
I would love to write about life, and all the beautiful, messy, infuriating, uplifting bits of it. I look forward to writing about the books I love, the travels that changed me, films that lingered in my mind long after the screen went blank, moments that made me cry, incidents that I raged about, my real-life experiments with affirmations, self-motivation, spirituality and reflections that helped me navigate this wild ride of being human.
Places That Left Their Mark On My Psyche
Travel for me and my family has been exhilarating. The USA, UK, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, France, Italy, Switzerland, Singapore and Thailand — each of these beautiful places has left its mark on me. (Also, I collect fridge magnets and souvenirs. Don’t judge)
A Confession
Despite my talkative exterior, I’m not the extrovert that people assume I am. I play the part well, but I am actually more of an observer than a performer. And that is why I felt, Medium could be my safe space. A place where I can be unfiltered, unpolished, and unapologetically myself. I have zero followers right now. And except for my wonderful friend and mentor (the girl who introduced me to Medium), and my niece, I do not really ‘know’ anyone here. And this anonymity is somehow so liberating.
If you are here and reading this, thank you, you have already made it a little less lonely.
So, did I answer the RJ’s questions, finally?
You tell me.
PS: Leave a comment if you think I managed to give you a glimpse into my life, a glimpse of who I am.
Or if I made you smile. That works too.
