Finalist Detail 2017

Samraggi Mukherjee

  • Kolkata
  • A Brief about yourself and how you describe your own Personality and Persona.
  • My parents named me Samraggi or the empress and right from my childhood, through my teenage, till now; it is a constant growth for me as a woman who is cheerful and bright - a person of action and communication. That is why I always feel the need to discover and learn together with others, making friends with new people. Curious by nature there is an insatiable thirst for knowledge in me, and I often push the limits and reach out for unknown horizons. I design my daily life with a little fantasy, while my creative and intuitive self makes me an optimist who sees the positive side of things and accepts life as it comes - adapting to new situations quickly while paying attention towards not slipping into superficiality because of a need to please, to be watched and listened.

  • Your Achievements that makes you feel high.
  • I have had the privilege of studying in Carmel High School in Kolkata which enriched me not only in academics but also helped me to develop as a global citizen. The broad spectrum education included much more than just academics - culture, art and extra-curricular activities including concerts, debates, quizzes, sports and more has defined my growing up days. Creative by nature, I won the “All India Camel Colour Contest” with no formal training in art in my 6th standard and stood 1st in “All India Anchor Thread Competition” in 7th standard. Always with keen interest in visual arts, I have acted in advertising campaigns during my college days and also did Short Films in Tamil & Bengali, along with Stage Theatres. Donning the hat of being a Director of an Advertising Agency I have led the company from front and have been an active participant in growing the firm for over 15 years with offices in 2 locations in India.

  • Define the true beauty.
  • Often we hear people say to another, wow you are so beautiful. Most times they are simply appreciating the superficial that has been inherited. I know this too that when asked, most will say that true beauty is reflected in the soul. To me beauty becomes true when it marries physical attractiveness with the real flame of confidence instilled in all of us. True beauty radiates across boundaries, age, cast or culture and shines through moments. It’s the moments we feel alive and real. It’s the little moments, like when someone looks at you with respect and admiration. It’s the true ecstasy of falling in love with people and places in a magically easy way. It’s the way it feels to achieve a goal. It’s the wrinkles from every effortless smile and furrowed brow of strength that make a face perfect. True beauty is a classic composition of all these moments.

  • What makes a complete, healthy and happy family for you?
  • I see so many people spending hours to earn more money and in the bargain miss out on a very important aspect that completes and paves the way for a healthy and happy family, and that is quality time. Quality time to me is definitely a very important ingredient that contributes towards a healthy and happy family. The quality time I spend with my family helps to develop a deeper bond and creates memories which act as pillars to face life’s challenges. Open communication too is another important attribute. I make it a point to ensure that even my 12 year old son’s day in school is heard as he enthusiastically explains how he scored the goal or had to write a hundred times that “I will not talk in class”. Well, that’s what it’s all about isn’t it, and everything else like honesty, trust and things commonly told grow from the bond created through spending quality time and having free flowing conversations.

  • What is your favourite Idea of Holidaying?
  • I love travelling and my travels have taken me across terrains, countries and continents. I wish to travel more and visit some of the beautiful places on earth which is there in my bucket list before I die. I look at a holiday as a complete break from the normal routine life where I explore new places, meet new and different kinds of people and know about their culture, lifestyle and food habits. The curious and adventurous self in me pushes me to explore local cuisine without any boundaries and make life time friends across the globe – be it a local guide in Bali or the desert safari leader in Dubai. Carpe' Diem is my motto when I travel and being a tourist is the last thing on my mind.

  • Why you are participating in Mrs India Queen of Substance?
  • What prompted me to participate was the name in itself – Mrs. India Queen of Substance. Growing up as a teen and then college, followed by marriage and child birth has been an enduring journey. It had its share of rewards and scars too. It challenged my resolve and resilience and helped develop my persona along the way and today standing at this juncture in life I can proudly proclaim that this journey has made me a complete woman, a “Queen of Substance”. Yet we reach a stage in life when we need to further grow our abilities for self-actualization. I am participating to broaden my knowledge and to rediscover myself along with all the friends I will be competing with and later on join hands to share our stories with women across society who may benefit from it and draw inspiration from it in their own lives.

  • What bothers you most about what is happening in the country today?
  • India is a vast country and there are many issues beamed through the media but one thing that pains me immensely is the rapid regression of society and its outlook towards women across strata. Even though we everyday see people talk about gender equality it seems we are slowly slipping into the same old ways where women exist only as object of desires. Across the country the atrocities on women has become more violent and I shudder to think of the world we are introducing our children to. It has become a more networked world and yet the progress is so painfully slow. I, for one, in my own small way try to connect with women across economic and social strata to spread the awareness of rights and to empower but let me just say, disrespecting women does not always result in violence against women. But all violence against women begins with disrespecting women.

  • The Quote or saying that encourages you?
  • The one quote that inspires me is by the American author Frederick Buechner which helps me understand the true meaning of being a woman and having a family – “You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you”.

  • What is true “Sportsmanship” for you?
  • I believe sportsmanship means not only taking part in sports and playing the game abiding with the rules prescribed but also playing the game of life in accordance with the spirit imbibed in the playing field. As a true sportsman, I observe all those rules in life and continuously strive to improve, just as in sports. Like a true sportsman, I respect others, handle failure with grace, and manage success with humility. I asked my 12 year old what it meant to him and he replied, “shaking hands with the opponent team at the end of the game” and although it might sound very simple the profound depth of these words brought out the true meaning too – respect towards your competitors and the learning to play fair and honest.

  • If you were selected as a Charity Ambassador what Value addition would you like to make for our Society and how?
  • There’s a very popular saying that ‘Charity begins at home’ and in my own small way I have been involved in spreading happiness among those women who are victims of oppression and violence and are less privileged. If I am chosen as the Charity Ambassador, it would give me a bigger platform which I can define as a bigger home. I would reach out to more women in society who can help to contribute to the cause not only economically but also through personal interactions. Sometimes it needs a listener and a little bit of inspiration and confidence which is far more useful than money to make a woman feel loved again, become the woman she was before it was snatched away from her. I would inspire others like me who can help in this cause and make it a better home to live in.

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