Startup tells stories that never get told otherwise

Being You began with the moving story of an army wife who received a letter from her husband the day he was martyred

Startup city Bengaluru has no dearth of innovation. But once in a while, a concept like ‘Being You’ comes along and makes everyone sit up and take notice.

Founded in 2017 by ex-radio professional Preethi Rai, it is an online platform where inspiring stories are discovered, shared and celebrated. The Bengaluru-based company was recently selected as one of the ‘Top 100 Women Startups’ to be incubated at NSRCEL, the entrepreneurship centre at Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore.

“In 2016, during an Uber shared ride, I met Salma Shafeeq Ghori, a martyr’s widow. During the 15-minute ride, she told me her story — from getting married at 19 to adjusting to the life of an army wife. Her husband promised to write a letter to her each day he was away. She got her final letter the day she went to receive his body,” recalls Preethi.

Salma didn’t wash her husband’s regiment jacket for eight years because she didn’t want to let go of the feeling. The more Preethi heard the story, the more she realised that this was a tale that deserved more listeners.

She contacted Salma again, months after their cab journey, and asked her to share her story with others. On July 1 last year, ‘Being You’ posted her story. It went on to reach 12 million viewers and was covered by all leading media houses.

There are many more such stories. Nalini Satyanarayan was a victim of passive smoking because of her husband and lost her voice. Her story kick-started a campaign against smoking. Hearing-impaired Shaikh Shoeb spoke about how cab drivers cancel his bookings and the need for inclusive apps; this received a positive response from head of operations in Uber. The platform also managed to raise about Rs 5 lakh for a bone marrow transplant for nine-year-old Neha, a cancer victim.

Acid attack victims, amputees, specially abled persons, the LGBT community, war veterans — many sections of society have found their voice here.

“These stories have the potential to entertain, educate and inspire us. People from across the globe have written to us. This is proof that there is a need for real-life heroes and a celebration of the human spirit,” says Preethi.

While it was initially supposed to be a coffee table book series, financial constraints and the need for a wider audience changed the model to digital.

Photos play an important part as Preethi believes a powerful image adds value to every story.

Glamour and disability

Being You has also come out with India’s first amputee calendar, and calls it ‘Rising Above.’ The idea was not to evoke pity but to bring the words ‘glamour’ and ‘physically challenged’ in the same sentence.

“Glamour photography involving differently abled athletes is popular abroad but not in India,” says Preethi. Photographer G Kumaran, art director Kanick, stylist Sitharan, copywriter Jacob and make up artists Tejal, Tittoni and Zarine came on board, pro-bono. The project took seven months to complete but the result was 13 athletes, swimmers, dancers and artists who display their amputated limbs with confidence.

People wanting to share their stories can write to them on [e-mail]