In around 1965, Swaroop, a young impressionable girl, she came across what according to her is a genuine form of women empowerment. On her visits to her uncle’s place in Kalbadevi, she noticed how women from middle-class Bhatia families took upon themselves to support their family livelihood in their spare time. “When the men left for work and children went to study, these not-so-educated housewives completed their chores and did embroidery on sarees, like Kutchi Bharat. They would do that the whole afternoon and then evenings were spent with a visit at the haveli and buying vegetables on the way back home. It was their way of supporting the family income and yet managing household responsibilities – without wasting any time.” she says with a gush of nostalgia and pride. She recalls how she has seen so many friends and acquaintances do this and how their small one room kitchen houses became mini workshops that went on to define entrepreneurship for her.

It was much later, when she quit modelling and movies after marriage, that she found time at home to make ‘batwas’ from spare cloth materials like saree borders. “I used to make them and gift to guests and friends. People liked them, I got requests and it was a nice feeling to make something and share.” she says with glee. “Since leather is not allowed inside havelis (temples) cloth purses were just right!” she points out the need gap. While her objective was far from contributing to livelihood, it was her creativity and enterprise that made her pick up skills which she now passes on to her students.

Probably the most famous Bhatia name – Swaroop Sampat – talks to us about what makes her a Bhatiyani and the values that have now made her Dr Swaroop Sampat-Rawal. From being crowned Miss India to marrying an upcoming theatre artist, from playing lead in movies to a doctorate in education, Dr Swaroop talks to The Global Bhatia about education, Bhatia roots and what makes her proud.

 

Not many people know about it your foray in education. Please tell us more about it…how did it begin?

I haven’t been talking about it, but I got my PhD from The University of Worcester way back in 2006 and last year I received an Honorary Doctorate so now I have a Double Doctorate.

I started teaching because I had spare time, kids were in school and I didn’t have much else to do. So I started studying again and became a teacher. I wanted to change the system and offered my help to everybody in the world, but the one person who took it up was the then CM of Gujarat Shri Narendra Modi. I started so I started teaching government primary school teachers and students in Gujarat and then in Maharashtra and Rajasthan. I have trained a few teachers at Azim Premji Foundation in Chattisgarh, Uttaranchal, Karnataka and Puducherry. I am a Teacher Researcher and do Teacher Training. I teach Life-Skill Education – it involves understanding and managing emotions, empathy, creative thinking, critical thinking, etc. These are psycho-social skills that are very, very important to live a happy life and overcome problems in life. These are considered ‘softer’ aspects but I feel they are actually very hard core skills without which, you cannot be a scientist or do maths or be a good writer or historian or anything without these skills.

 

That’s interesting. So what is your approach towards it?

I use it in a special way. Drama in Education is Experiential Learning and I use that to teach. My personal experience and background in theatre and performing arts help me.

I believe when you learn how to learn, you become a better learner better at anything that you’re doing. You apply science properly, use language well. It amplifies results that go into teaching.

 

That’s wonderful! Please tell us about your Bhatia connections? Do you speak Kutchi?

Recently I came across my family tree. It is a round diagram with the entire family listed out in branches! It’s mind-blowing!

I don’t speak Kutchi and am losing touch with it! You see, I was brought up by my grandmother who was not a Bhatiyani, so Gujarati became my first language.  I used to speak in Kutchi with my Kaki and only with a few people because I am not so confident, though I do understand Kutchi and even Sindhi very well. My sons try their best to learn from their Nani.

 

Typical things in every traditional Bhatia household are Thakorji, seva, fasting, attire, etc. Do you follow any such traditions?

I know…I love these things! I don’t do seva because I travel too much and have an all-boy family, but I do go to the beautiful Haveli (Juhu) close to our house.  I have been doing Agiaras (fasting) for over 31 years now!

People who may not be Bhatia, but only know Bhatias, have up come to me and asked “Are you a Bhatiyani? The way you stand, the way you dress and how you look is so Bhatia!” I take that as a total compliment! I think I have Bhatia written all over me!

Then there are some things that I am really proud about. Like girls not being allowed to touch feet. Pagey lagva ma koi vandho nathi, but it is beautiful how girls of the house are not required to pagey-lagofy. The status of the girl is such that even her elder brother touches her feet. I think that is fantastic!

Then, unlike in the South where there is a lot of dowry and the bride takes things like AC, cars, utensils, even bob pins, etc. with her to the groom’s house, traditionally, when a Bhatia girl gets married, she does not go with anything from her parents’ house. That is something that really makes me feel good. The boys may inherit the family business, but the girl was given something like gold or investments which become her security. A lot of these things are there to uplift the girl’s status and makes her feel proud of herself. I am the only daughter in my family after 120 years so it means a lot to me.

When I was young and stayed at our family home near Kalbadevi, I used to go to Dwarkadhish Mandir every evening. My Kaki had taken me to the places like Mahajan Wadi and being to so many functions there.

I don’t know whether these things are still practised because sadly I don’t have many Bhatia friends. My family was very small, so am not in touch with a lot of Bhatias.

 

What about Bhatia food?

Our family is from Jamnagar. Every time we made kadi (curry) at our place it had to go to Jam Saheb’s house. If he came to know that ‘kadi thayi che Sampat na family ma, ne mane moklavi nathi’, then he would get very upset. So we took in this kadi that we make. And I make the world’s best kadi! Even my friends rave about it! I guess my family must have been doing a good job of it and I think I inherited the genes! It’s just the typical way we make kadi and once in a while we put mura and potatoes. I guess it’s just the right amount of sugar and salt and mirchi. My mother-in-law says that my vaghar is the best.

Our food is so simple, but yet so classy. The little twist, the little mura in the kadi just changes it completely!

What else makes you Bhatia?

I am a typical Bhatiyani! I would be wearing a lariya with a satin blouse. And would be holding my batwa, wearing chappals and a gajra! Nobody does that, you know…but I would do it! There is no way I cannot look like one!

People know that I am Gujarati but I have a typical Bhatiyani face with sharp features. In fact I resemble my dadi a lot! She passed away when my dad was very young and left behind jewellery that didn’t fit anybody. Such ancestral jewellery is rarely used and only kept. So once my Kaki asked me to try them on and all her jewellery fit me!

Her sisters also told me that I look so much like her! Strangely, we didn’t know how she looked and there wasn’t even a decent picture of her – and I always complained to my Kaka about that. My Dadi was 18-19 when she passed away. When I was 19, my Kaka called me and said, “You want to know how your dadi looked? Here it is…” and showed me a picture of mine from my just released film Naram Garam! It had me dressed traditionally in a saree and it was so heart-warming!

This heritage is so beautiful and something you should be so proud of. What you’ve inherited is the culture, the class, the knowledge, the sophistication. For instance, I just can’t have bhaat (rice) with chamchi. But even when I have food with my hands, they are so clean!

Our culture and heritage is timeless – it can never go out of fashion. You only need to carry it with confidence.

 

What advice would you give to the next generation?

I have studied in the West. It’s never about not wearing jeans or anything like that. The West cannot understand that we have still happy in this diversity.

My Kaki’s family is from Coimbatore. She speaks fluent Tamil and makes the best idlis in the world but was a typical Bhatiyani. Our family is spread in South India and Africa but are still connected to our roots.

I think it was our generation who is to blame. We started feeling in awe of the West and copied them blindly. When you forget your roots, you become rootless. You can never become American, but will always be India. And I will always be a Bhatiyan.

I have not worked in England and made it clear that I will only work in India. I go with my nose in the air that I am Indian. I even quoted the Bhagwad Gita in my thesis, mentioned Ganpati in my work.

It is not about not learning new things, but not forgetting our roots. Don’t forget your culture.

 

Won Miss India contest – 1979

First film – Nakhuda (1981)

Her popular show TV comedy ‘Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi’ in mid 1980’s

Married to actor Paresh Rawal and has two sons: Aniruddh and Aditya.