S3E134: Using Creativity for Social Change: Swati Bhattacharya on Ghotul, Consent & Purpose-Driven Storytelling
In this episode of The AboutHer Show, host Sangeeta Relan speaks with Swati Bhattacharya, a multi-award-winning creative director whose work embodies The Road Less Travelled, using creativity, voice, and visibility to challenge silence and stigma.
Swati reflects on her journey into advertising, the evolution of her purpose-led philosophy, and the thinking behind Ghotul, her latest short film for UNAIDS that draws from Gond traditions to address adolescent sexuality, consent, and shame. The conversation explores how storytelling can function as leadership, making invisible voices visible through media and representation.
The episode also touches on backlash, resilience, and what it takes to stand by uncomfortable truths, before closing with insights for the next generation of creators and a rapid-fire round.
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🎙️ A powerful conversation rooted in Voice & Visibility, courage, and choosing the unconventional path.
Chapters:
(0:00) 🌟 Setting the Context
Introducing Swati Bhattacharya and the powerful intersection of creativity, culture, and social change.
(2:29) 🎬 Entering Advertising: The Early Years
Swati reflects on how she entered advertising and what first drew her to storytelling.
(5:09) 🧠 How Her Creative Philosophy Evolved
Tracing the shift from conventional advertising to purpose-driven, impact-led creativity.
(13:33) 🎥 Ghotul: Reclaiming Conversations on Consent
The inspiration behind Ghotul and why adolescent sexuality needs openness, not shame.
(20:34) 👧🏽 Centering Young Girls in Storytelling
Why so much of Swati’s work focuses on young girls, agency, and visibility.
(24:50) 💭 A Letter to My 16-Year-Old Self
What Swati wishes she had known about voice, power, and being a woman in the world.
(28:52) 💡 Where Disruptive Ideas Really Come From
How unexpected spaces and lived realities spark some of her boldest ideas.
(32:53) 🔍 Making the Invisible, Visible
The responsibility of telling stories of marginalised communities with dignity and care.
(37:03) ⚡ Backlash, Resistance & Standing One’s Ground
Navigating criticism, moral policing, and the cost of challenging social norms.
(39:26) 🌱 Advice for the Next Generation of Creators
What it takes to build a fearless, empathetic, and socially conscious creative voice.
(43:06) ⚡ Rapid Fire Round
Quick insights into Swati’s inspirations, beliefs, and creative instincts.#SwatiBhattacharya#AboutHerShow#PurposeDrivenCreativity
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#SocialImpactStorytelling #WomenInAdvertising #Ghotul
#CreativeLeadership #GenderAndConsent #WomenChangemakers #StorytellingForChange #AdIndustryVoices #GirlChildEmpowerment