I believe that there are no shortcuts to success. Working hard is honestly the only way to succeed in life. Be persistent, understand what is happening around you, and act accordingly.
1. Tell us about your background and journey.
I am Abhilasha Chatterjee and I am from Kolkata. I have completed my Postgrads from St Xaviers College, Kolkata. I came to Bangalore in 2017 and have been working as an HR recruiter for startups in Bangalore. I also manage my Instagram page called “BhashaWithAbhilasha” where I try to help folks learn languages in fun and interesting ways.
2. What led you to start your page on Instagram and what is it about?
When I moved to Bangalore, I made a lot of friends who were hailing from different South Indian states. In the beginning, I would not understand the discussions they would be having although I wanted to be a part of those conversations. I slowly started learning Telugu and Tamil so that I could understand what people around me are speaking.
Later, it struck me, that a lot of folks might also be going through the same struggle of learning and understanding a new South Indian language. That’s when I decided to start my page “BhashaWithAbhilasha” during the lockdown 2021 where I help people learn the basics of South Indian languages.
3. What is your Idea of Success or your Mantra in life?
I believe that there are no shortcuts to success. Working hard is honestly the only way to succeed in life. Be persistent, understand what is happening around you, and act accordingly. Clarity of thought is very important for anyone who wishes to do something in their life. And yes, courage to take the unconventional path helps you go a long way.
4. Which is your favourite book and why?
Honestly, I don’t have one favourite book. Favourites would be more like Agatha Christie novels. So more of thriller, murder for me, please! I like suspense from the first page itself!
5. What inspired you to learn multiple languages?
Since childhood, I have always been fond of learning languages. I started learning Spanish during college just to understand and watch movies.
When I moved to a South Indian state I had a lot of scope to learn different languages. Being able to speak to a person in his/her native language, is what I wish to do. As they say - you speak to a person in his second language you’re speaking to his mind but if you speak to a person in his native language, you’re speaking to his heart!
I keep switching languages while speaking to friends that is fun to watch!
6. Do you have any tips for people who want to learn multiple languages?
I would urge everyone to take it slow and steady. Learning a new language takes a lot of time patience and dedication. I’d also like to add that it’s okay to make mistakes and be conscious in the beginning. So practice speaking to a mirror, know where you fumble and work on those parts. It’s not a competition so take your time and don’t be too hard on yourself.
7. When did you first decide that you want to create content and how did you start?
I never had plans of being a content creator, to be honest. But during the lockdown, I decided to document my learnings and help people like me to also learn the basics. It’s started as a general Instagram page but now it’s grown. This proves that I’m not the only one who wants to learn these languages. There are lots of people coming to the South Indian states and wanting to learn the basics of South Indian languages - either for their jobs, their partners or friends.
- Interviewed By Lakshme Priyaa
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