The gender gap has been a particularly one-sided ache for what should be half the population. But some brave souls ford through deep waters against the flow to not only grow stronger, but also make a mark and inspire several others. In this special series with Hyundai Motor India, we speak to women who have made a difference and who have been an inspiration to others to follow their dreams, starting here with Dr Irisha Poonawalla, a world-class Latin dancer, eco-preneur and lifestyle journalist.
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Being a woman today in this day and age is still tough. Why? You may ask. It’s primarily because while more people are talking about women’s’ rights in society and gender bias, there are very few folk who are actually doing something about. Be it from providing equal opportunities, or closing the pay-gap, equality in terms of gender still is some way away and we hope to highlight how, by just being themselves and following their passion, how some women can make a difference. After all, getting the ball rolling is all that matters. Staying true to the cause will build momentum.
Irisha holds a PhD in Communication Sciences which she obtained from the topic ‘Dance as a Means of Communication’, and is a Pune-based world-class Latin dancer and an active eco-preneur pursuing the dream of making beautiful things the sustainable way. Little efforts do make for big rewards sometimes. And it is mirrored in the choice of car. The Hyundai Exter is a winner. And we don’t say that lightly. The Exter won the coveted Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) award for 2024 and that speaks volumes of its capability—be it efficiency, comfort, safety and value. It has all the bases covered and in a compact footprint.
The world today is demanding and even a compact little being needs to do a whole lot of work to make it through the day, not just stand out. Although, standing out is something that comes naturally for some, especially those imbued with crucial values which keeps them true to their roots, while fully embracing the present and being prepared for the future; however uncertain it may be. Being equipped to deal with whatever the world throws at you is a positive and that’s where both the Hyundai Exter and Irisha seem to have their cards in order.
As someone who moves to the beat of her own drum, Irisha has set out to make a change, one small step at a time. Her small business, Irisha Originals, uses reclaimed or recycled materials—wood, geodes and various metals—to create eye-catching and unique jewellery and accessories. Everything produced is heavily localised and even provides employment to a number of karigars who use intricate techniques and great diligence to create some stylish wearables. What’s more, Irisha insists on using recycled materials for sustainable packaging. The parallels to the Exter are uncanny as it too is about making the most of what is available.
And it’s the same with versatility. Substance is one thing, but flamboyance makes the world sit up and take notice. Irisha has carved a name for herself in the Latin dance arena, being one of the earlier artistes of Salsa, Bachata and Kizomba, among other styles, before they became the mainstream dance forms they are today. Having travelled the world and performed on a global stage, including in New York and Kuala Lumpur, Irisha loves exploring the depths of an art form. Not just the steps and flow, but also the origin and evolution. After all, it’s not just about scraping the surface or the tip of the iceberg. There is a lot to every art form and a myriad reasons why it exists in the form it is today, and diving into its history and the stories of those who brought it forward help enhancing the connection with the art form. And it shows in the execution. Be it dance or song. With feeling, everyone! Right?
Q&A
Tell us more about your degree. It’s not something we hear of every day. What motivated you to choose the specialization you did?
So I did it actually in my master’s degree as well, and then because I finished top three in the university, they encouraged me to do it as a PhD. So it’s a topic that I had to specially apply for because it’s not a very common thing, like you said. It’s “dance as a means of communication” and, even for a media and journalism degree, it’s not a very common thing but because I have a dance background I wanted to amalgamate my two strengths, dance and communication, and it worked really well, because I teach dance, I compete for India as well, so while doing this doctorate, I think that while I was searching for things that I needed to prove, it made me not only a better student of dance, but also a better teacher of dance.
Now Latin dancing is definitely one of your passions. You’ve performed on the world stage and also are very active with the social dance scene. Please tell us more.
I started 22 years ago and a lot of the current instructors in town as well as around India have been my students. It’s been quite a journey from just taking a class and then doing so well that the instructor asked if I would like to be an instructor and, at that point of time, I was in college and it was extra pocket-money and then it grew into something so incredible. I didn’t imagine that it would make me one of the few Indians to perform at the LA Salsa Congress and I had an audience with Beyoncé, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Marc Anthony, because it was a celebration of all things Latin. It was incredible!
The socials that we do are for the entire Pune Latin Dance community, and we do it once a month. And it’s right here [at Chaurahe Ke Paar in Koregaon Park] we call it Danzon Tuesdays, and I think the entire Pune Latin Dance community descends upon the space. It’s a beautiful, large space, and we do Salsa, Bachata and Kizomba because they are like the top three Latin dances now. It’s quite the vibe.
“Irisha Originals” as a brand lets you express your thoughts through materials of the earth, so many different geodes and artistic work, it’s fascinating even to the untrained eye. What gave you the idea?
That is so kind. A lot of my assignments used to take me to places like Kutch and Nagar because I am a journalist for lifestyle architecture, food, and fashion, and because I am generally inclined to jewellery and clothing, and not necessarily the high-end kind—I would be more than happy to buy off the street, as much as I would have it custom-made. So I meet these incredible artisans and karigars who are an untapped talent across the country and it’s an employment opportunity. They get a stable income for their family. It’s fun working with that sort of history and that kind of technique and know-how that is passed down for generations. We’re a small brand, in a niche, and we make limited editions. It’s like you can own a one-of-a-kind piece of exclusive jewellery, a piece of someone’s legacy which you can make your own. I love that.
Society is obviously very male-dominated and, while that may be changing to some extent, what challenges do you face as a woman trying to make it in this world? What could be better?
I’m the only child. My dad is an industrialist and when I was born, he was a little bit like, ‘Oh, it’s a girl, but it’s all right as long as she is healthy.’ I started to work with him when I was 19 years old, and I have about three-and-a-half years’ experience working in the weighing industry, from weighing babies to trucks. We used to do weigh-bridges and personal scales, that kind of thing and, as a 19-year-old girl, to be taken seriously at that age was not the easiest thing. But when you start working with the international market which, I think, we are seeing effects of now, folks are being a little more open to what someone can do rather than what they look like, which I am really happy about. Because that’s what the focus should be. You may be a girl or a boy, or even a puppy, as long as you can get the job done and bring something creative, something positive into the world, that should be the crux.
You’ve spent time with the Hyundai Exter. You are a bunch of things and it, too, is a little bit of everything in a compact package. Does it echo your lifestyle?
I could not agree with you more! I am an SUV girl all the way. The Exter fits right in. It’s not bulky. It zips around town. I can drive comfortably, be it from home to where I need to go, park, and, at the same time, I feel okay about heading out into the countryside knowing it’s going to be a safe drive, because you do not have roads that fit the bill every time, so you have to be careful. It’s really a smooth ride. And I can put all the stuff I need inside and not feel cramped. I really enjoy the fact that it’s parallel to everything that I am and that I believe in. It checks off all the boxes of being an all-rounder. I have had a Hyundai i10 for a long time and the Exter is basically a rugged and modern version of that, so that connect is there. And, it’s the SX(O) Connect and it gives me the opportunity to connect more with the car and with the world.
I would like to thank Hyundai India and Car India for giving me a platform to speak my mind and highlight a few pieces of the little bit of the world that we live in. I am excited to be a part of this and hope to see more enterprising and empowered women being given a similar stage.
