Impact Stories

Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon has succeeded in bringing about impactful changes at the grassroots level through its content. In its third season, the show calls for ‘Swachhta Elaan’ – a cleanliness pledge – with the story of its protagonist Dr. Sneha Mathur leading her village in tackling issues of sanitation and hygiene. #SwachhtaElaan , in this qawwali calls audiences to not only understand how hygienic practices such as use of toilets are essential for healthy, disease-free living, but also inspires them to pledge towards such a life. The action of the pledge or elaan is important here.”

The qawwali appeals to audiences through humour and earthy messages to take steps in order to achieve better health through good sanitation and hygienic practices. You can watch the qawwali here.

The initiative has reached millions of viewers and listeners through television and radio. The show has also changed the lives of people; as seen in the Reel to Real series. Inspired by the show, and the protagonist Dr Sneha, people have been able to turn around their lives by combatting regressive gender norms as the Men of Chhattarpur are doing, or by exercising agency and willpower like Ladkunwar Khushwaha did. Reel to Real is a series of short films documenting this change in the lives of viewers who have successfully flipped the story.

The Fiesty Ladkunwar Khushwaha

A girl going after her goal of higher education

In Nayagaon, Madhya Pradesh, 21-year-old Ladkunwar Khushwaha became the first girl from her village to graduate from a college. But the journey of going from a small government school in Nayagaon to a college 40 km away hasn’t been easy. She has had to battle the wrath of upper caste men in the village who didn’t want her to study in the fear that their suppressed women would want the same. From constant taunts against her parents to a near life-threatening accident orchestrated by her opponents, Ladkunwar has walked fearlessly in the face of all opposition to educate herself.

Inspired by the show Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon or I, A Woman, Can Achieve Anything, she even convinced her parents to abandon their plans for her marriage. “Invest in my education what you want to give for my dowry” she has told her parents.  Armed with a supportive family and a drive to take charge of her own life, Ladkunwar has inspired many more girls in the village to take up higher studies.

Men of Chhatarpur

Singing of Equality and Shared Responsibility

After watching Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon (MKBKSH), a group of men in Chattarpur, Madhya Pradesh got together and decided they would shoulder responsibility for women’s position in their homes and in society. Habitual wife-beaters turned into empathetic partners and those who only wanted sons underwent sterilisation after one daughter. This 360-degree transformation occurred because local NGOs used the medium of MKBKSH to educate and start a dialogue with these men on their behaviour.

These men now sing songs to spread the message of women’s empowerment and gender justice across villages. They have made small changes in their lives, which include helping their wives with daily chores. One of the men quips, “I may even cook better than her!”