Instagram - @naina.pachnanda
I was born in Delhi and was raised in Chandigarh, Delhi and Kolkata. I was a month old when my father was posted in the CBI in Chandigarh. I started my schooling at Carmel Convent Chandigarh till the age of 7, then moved on to Loreto House Kolkata till I was 12, and then Convent of Jesus & Mary, Delhi for one year, as it was my mother’s school and she was very keen that I study there for a bit ( class 7).
However, in those days, I used to live in Som Vihar, which was opposite Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram, and the sports complex really attracted me to join DPS R K Puram instead. I was a state-level basketball player, state-level swimmer, state-level squash player and tennis player, while in school, and these skills were really honed when I joined Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram in class 8 ( 2003), amongst various other skill sets. I finally graduated from Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram in 2008.
My father is from the West Bengal cadre. He was posted in Kolkata in 2008 when I graduated from school and my parents didn’t want to leave me alone in Delhi. So for a year, I studied Economics Hons at St.Xaviers College in Kolkata.
My father is from the West Bengal cadre. He was posted in Kolkata in 2008 when I graduated from school and my parents didn’t want to leave me alone in Delhi. So for a year, I studied Economics Hons at St.Xaviers College in Kolkata.
I am a firm believer in promptness and since I had always planned to study law after Economics Hons as well, one year into the course, I realised that I shouldn’t waste time and should immediately give the Common Law Admission Test and study the 5 years BA LLB(Hons) course.
I remember when I told my parents that I wanted to drop Economics and give the CLAT exam, my mother flipped because there was literally one month left for the exam and three days left to submit the form. With God’s grace, we managed to fill and submit the form in time, and the paper got leaked one day before the designated date for the exam, and the exam got postponed by 2 weeks giving me some more time to prepare.
I remember 15 days before my result came out, I didn’t step out of the house, I used to pray for 10 hours a day – I used to say my Hanuman Chalisa 100 times every day for 15 days, till the date of the result.
All my hard work of literally 1.5 months and collectively 150 hours of Hanuman Chalisa resulted in me securing a good rank and getting admission into the National University of Juridical Sciences, NUJS Kolkata. So my mantra ever since has been to Work Hard and back your hard work up with a lot of prayers.
After graduating from the National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata, in 2014, I practised in the Supreme Court of India, High Court of Delhi, various district courts and also worked on domestic arbitrations. I worked with a reputed law firm - L& L Partners (formerly known as Luthra & Luthra Law Offices) and practised as a litigation lawyer for 5 years.
After graduating from the National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata, in 2014, I practised in the Supreme Court of India, High Court of Delhi, various district courts and also worked on domestic arbitrations. I worked with a reputed law firm - L& L Partners (formerly known as Luthra & Luthra Law Offices) and practised as a litigation lawyer for 5 years.
Just when I had started to find my feet, as a Litigation lawyer started taking off, my urge to contribute to the country in my own small way, made me switch career paths and I joined Invest India- the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of India, where I work as a Senior Innovation Specialist. Since it was a shift in my career and have never worked with startups in the past, I had to start from scratch, at the age of 29.
I also decided to simultaneously rekindle my childhood passion of writing poetry, which led me to start my Instagram handle @naina.pachannda, in December 2019, where I started reciting my poetry. Then covid took over the world and the lockdown was announced. It was a year filled with challenges.
I decided to write about those very challenges through my poetry and post them on my Instagram handle for the world to benefit and for everyone to know that no one is alone. We’re all going through the same emotions, the same challenges; different circumstances maybe - but challenges nonetheless and we will all make it through this together.
Through the entire lockdown and even when it eased, I worked very hard. I was fully committed to my office work at Invest India - where I look after the legal regulatory and policy-related issues of innovation and technology commercialization; during the day and often the nights, and would thereafter stay up even longer and work on my poetry.
Through the entire lockdown and even when it eased, I worked very hard. I was fully committed to my office work at Invest India - where I look after the legal regulatory and policy-related issues of innovation and technology commercialization; during the day and often the nights, and would thereafter stay up even longer and work on my poetry.
Today one year hence - my following on my Instagram handle has grown from 0 to more than 20,000 in a span of one year and my poetry especially the visual recitation has been greatly appreciated.
My first book ‘A New India’, based on the government’s schemes, in poetic form, was launched by Hon’ble Minister Ms Smriti Irani, in April 2021. What I learnt during this period of 1.5 years is that -life is a learning process and age is never a bar. You just have to take that first step with a leap of faith!
3. As a poet, where does your inspiration lie?
My inspiration lies in my environment – my challenges and my victories, my joy and my suffering, my experiences and learnings in different spheres of my life – all equally inspire me to write!
4. What led you to start your page on Instagram and what is it about?
I started writing poetry when I was 10. I was ( and still am ) obsessed with Harry Potter. I wrote my first poem on Harry Potter and it got published in the Tele Kids- a popular supplementary newspaper with the Telegraph, for kids, in Kolkata. This naturally gave a ten-year-old a lot of confidence and henceforth began my journey of writing poetry.
However, my 5 year period at law school was very hectic and competitive. So poetry took a backseat for a few years. Then when I became a lawyer, my bandwidth for extracurricular activities was even more limited. In 2018, it was my father’s 60th birthday and my mother insisted that I write a poem for my dad. I used to work at a reputed law firm and I literally had a 20-minute window where I had sent an email to the client and was waiting for a response.
3. As a poet, where does your inspiration lie?
My inspiration lies in my environment – my challenges and my victories, my joy and my suffering, my experiences and learnings in different spheres of my life – all equally inspire me to write!
4. What led you to start your page on Instagram and what is it about?
I started writing poetry when I was 10. I was ( and still am ) obsessed with Harry Potter. I wrote my first poem on Harry Potter and it got published in the Tele Kids- a popular supplementary newspaper with the Telegraph, for kids, in Kolkata. This naturally gave a ten-year-old a lot of confidence and henceforth began my journey of writing poetry.
However, my 5 year period at law school was very hectic and competitive. So poetry took a backseat for a few years. Then when I became a lawyer, my bandwidth for extracurricular activities was even more limited. In 2018, it was my father’s 60th birthday and my mother insisted that I write a poem for my dad. I used to work at a reputed law firm and I literally had a 20-minute window where I had sent an email to the client and was waiting for a response.
So I quickly wrote a poem for my dad and then later presented it to him at home. This poem is my dedication poem to him, in my second book that is soon to come out this year. A couple of days later, I was just sitting and wondering about how no one is really happy. How do we really define the term ‘Happiness’?
That’s when I decided to write a poem on Happiness. I am also a tarot card reader, and when in doubt, which is most of the time, people reach out to astrologers, tarot readers etc. and though I am a tarot card reader, I am a firm believer that nothing is cast in stone and that you create your own destiny.
These modalities should be sought as a form of guidance, to help seek answers and create the life that we desire. So I wrote a poem on how to Create Your Own Destiny. So on and so forth. And eventually, all of it culminated into a small book of about 15 poems, which I designed like a coffee table book and wanted to get published.
Much to my dismay, every reputed publisher rejected my book on the ground that there is no market for poetry in India. I was very disheartened and I approached a reputed publisher and journalist who chants with me, to seek guidance on how to proceed. She told me to start an Instagram page and to recite my poetry visually.
Initially, I was sceptical to put myself out there in the public eye, but she gave me confidence and told me to be fearless. And that’s when I created my Instagram handle @naina.pachnanda in December 2019 and I started to write and post my poetry and even recite it and post my recitation videos.
Then in March 2020, covid suddenly hit hard and the lockdown was announced. It was a year full of challenges. So I decided to write about these very challenges and post them on my Instagram handle for any and everyone to benefit. I worked very hard. I was fully committed to my office work during the day and would burn the midnight oil writing my poems.
Then in March 2020, covid suddenly hit hard and the lockdown was announced. It was a year full of challenges. So I decided to write about these very challenges and post them on my Instagram handle for any and everyone to benefit. I worked very hard. I was fully committed to my office work during the day and would burn the midnight oil writing my poems.
I would then wake up and shoot my videos at 7 am, well in time to be on my work desk by 9 am. By December 2020, I had written over 120 poems. And my first book titled ‘ A New India’ – based on Hon’ble PM Modi’s schemes such as Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, Make in India, Startup India, Smart Cities Mission, Digital India Mission etc, in my own art form of poetry, was launched by Ms Smriti Irani, Hon’ble Minister, in April 2021.
5. What do you think influences consumer behaviour?
I am a motivational influencer. My content on my Instagram handle is mostly relatable poetry and positivity. I believe that the world is more connected by pain and each one of us, goes through similar challenges – of love, loss, rejection, failure, competition, etc. Our circumstances may be different, but they are challenges, nonetheless.
5. What do you think influences consumer behaviour?
I am a motivational influencer. My content on my Instagram handle is mostly relatable poetry and positivity. I believe that the world is more connected by pain and each one of us, goes through similar challenges – of love, loss, rejection, failure, competition, etc. Our circumstances may be different, but they are challenges, nonetheless.
So my purpose is to connect with my followers and many others via the platform of social media, particularly Instagram, to assure them that none of us is alone, we are together, in the same boat, going through life’s innumerable challenges, and we will all make it out of this together!
6. What is your idea of success or your mantra in life? And how do you juggle between your work as a lawyer and influencer?
My mantra is:
Don’t compare yourself or your progress to that of others. We all have our own unique mission to fulfil, and we’ve all taken birth for a specific purpose that only we can individually fulfil. So don’t waste your time and energy on others, focus on yourself, on your dreams and your goals in life.
Practising Nichiren Buddhism is my secret to everything in life. Through this practice, I am able to maintain a healthy balance in my life. Chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, attending Buddhism meetings, interacting with people in the practice, is what has kept me going through the pandemic.
6. What is your idea of success or your mantra in life? And how do you juggle between your work as a lawyer and influencer?
My mantra is:
Don’t compare yourself or your progress to that of others. We all have our own unique mission to fulfil, and we’ve all taken birth for a specific purpose that only we can individually fulfil. So don’t waste your time and energy on others, focus on yourself, on your dreams and your goals in life.
Practising Nichiren Buddhism is my secret to everything in life. Through this practice, I am able to maintain a healthy balance in my life. Chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, attending Buddhism meetings, interacting with people in the practice, is what has kept me going through the pandemic.
It is what brings me peace of mind; and helps navigate the different roles that I play in my daily life, via the means of wisdom, compassion and courage. I work very hard. And I back up my hard work with a lot of prayers. I give my full-time commitment to my office work during the day and many nights too, and utilise whatever little free time I get to write and recite my poetry and share my learning of life and spread as much joy as I can, to motivate and positively influence others, via social media.
7. What are the various career scopes after being a lawyer?
Plenty! To have a degree in law is very empowering, in itself. Once one branch out, the scope is never-ending. Irrespective of whichever profession one is in, it is very important to know the law of the land. The Indian law itself states that ‘ ignorance of fact is excusable, but ignorance of the law isn’t.’
When I was studying in law school, it was my dream to be a Senior Advocate or a Judge. And I did work for a couple of years towards attempting to achieve that goal. I practised for 5 years as a litigation lawyer, I even appeared for the Delhi Judicial Services examination in 2018.
7. What are the various career scopes after being a lawyer?
Plenty! To have a degree in law is very empowering, in itself. Once one branch out, the scope is never-ending. Irrespective of whichever profession one is in, it is very important to know the law of the land. The Indian law itself states that ‘ ignorance of fact is excusable, but ignorance of the law isn’t.’
When I was studying in law school, it was my dream to be a Senior Advocate or a Judge. And I did work for a couple of years towards attempting to achieve that goal. I practised for 5 years as a litigation lawyer, I even appeared for the Delhi Judicial Services examination in 2018.
Eventually, in 2019, my urge to contribute to the country in my own small way, made me change career paths and I joined Invest India –the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of India, where I work as a Senior Innovation Specialist and look after the legal regulatory and policymaking of technology commercialization.
So life is a learning process and it's never too late to change your career path. As of today, I am where I am meant to be and in the future too, I will be where I am meant to be, as my mission is to create value in society and positively influence as many lives as I can!
8. Which is your favourite book and why?
My favourite book is my book, ‘ A New India’, because it depicts the schemes of the government, in a very unique art form of poetry. It explains the initiatives of India in a very simple and unique manner, for all age groups!
8. Which is your favourite book and why?
My favourite book is my book, ‘ A New India’, because it depicts the schemes of the government, in a very unique art form of poetry. It explains the initiatives of India in a very simple and unique manner, for all age groups!
- Interviewed by - Sanjana Jain
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