THE COMPULSIVE STORYTELLER

Storyteller, Creative Producer and Chief Creative Officer—Special Projects at Zee Entertainment, Shailja Kejriwal’s journey has been diverse and interesting. The visionary and compassionate dreamer gives insights into how she transformed words on paper into powerful stories across different mediums.

- Neha Kirpal

Growing up as a Marwari girl in Kolkata in the late 1970s and early 1980s was like being a part of a Jane Austen novel. “All girls’ schools imparted exemplary education along with poise and etiquette, where home science was a compulsory subject,” recalls Shailja Kejriwal, the brain behind Zee Zindagi and Zee Theatres, both being pathbreaking innovative disruptors in the Indian television industry. There were also sports, ice skating and the dramatics society among other activities. Quite early in life, she took to drama.

Throwing light on her Marwari influences as a young girl, she says, “Apart from being astute business folks, Marwaris in Kolkata love their matchmaking, weddings, food, flower shows, races, soirées and cultural societies which hosted the best of plays from the IPTA/NSD repertory company, classical music and dance, qawwali nights and a smattering of Bollywood singers. For a person keen on storytelling or any art form, there can be no better place to grow up than Kolkata, provided you get to fully experience and be a part of two diametrically opposite cultures—Marwari and Bengali!” she smiles. The added advantage was that Kejriwal grew up in an oldworld Bengali neighbourhood where Pujo was a big deal along with film societies. Her exposure to Bengali theatre, Nandan, The Dover Lane Music Conference and football made her learn about different cultures from an early age.

Passion for storytelling