Going Places With People: Pragya Kapoor On Why She Turned An Eco-Warrior For Her Children

Film producer Pragya Kapoor has constantly spread awareness about the repercussions of reckless consumerism, regularly conducts beach clean-up drives, and offers sustainable products on her Brown Living platform. In conversation with Travel + Leisure India, Kapoor talks about her childhood days in Sweden, eco-friendly travel practices, experiences on her bucket list, and why she believes in sustainable living. By Srushti Kulkarni

T+L India: When did you embark on this journey towards a sustainable lifestyle?

Pragya Kapoor: I spent most of my childhood in Sweden in a historic, sweet town with greenery abound where people lived in harmony with nature, recycling was a way of life, and respecting all life forms was the law. Later in life, I moved to Mumbai for work and overtime getting accustomed to the city’s unsustainable practices. I drifted through life without any guilt as I believed I were still more eco-conscious than most but it all changed after I had my children. I wanted them to foster a connection with nature, the way I did when I was their age but they were too comfortable living inside a bubble. They would readily agree to go in the stamp-size indoor play areas but any attempt to go to parks or beaches would meet with an outright refusal. I would often cajole, coerce, and bribe them to come with me, until one day my elder born, Isana irritably highlighted the poor state of the nearby park where I was taking him and that’s when the grim reality stared at me in the face. The parks were trash-strewn and the beaches were covered in litter – they weren’t pleasant spaces; nobody would want to spend their time in that filth. That episode served as a eureka moment for me and I once again, embarked on my eco-conscious journey because I aspire to become a better custodian of the Earth for my children’s sake.

T+L India: You are the founding member of Ek Saath-The Earth Foundation, tell us about the objective and working of this organisation.

Pragya Kapoor: I ardently believe there is a need for aggressive action on the environmental front as nature is fragile and the only way to protect is by taking conscious eco-friendly decisions daily. We plan to shed light on environmental issues through this medium as it is only by educating the masses about the looming environmental crisis, we can start to fix the problems that surmount it. As one can only participate and make informed choices when they have in-depth knowledge about it. Apart from clean-up drives, we regularly conduct awareness drives wherein we utilize a range of tools and methods to convey our message of saving the environment. We are also setting up two waste collection centres; one in Gondia, Maharashtra and the other in Haryana that would recycle and treat household waste efficiently.

T+L India: You recently produced Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, a film that has been acknowledged as a ‘Zero Waste Film’. What were the initiatives taken by you and your crew to create a zero-waste set?

Pragya Kapoor: Half a decade ago, I implemented the same principles in our office but making the workspace zero-waste was an easy transition since it was done on a smaller scale and under controlled circumstances. However, film sets operate differently, a staggering amount of waste is produced on an everyday basis which is later sent to landfills at the end of a shoot, so I inherently knew I had to give green filming a try. To accomplish our objective, we partnered with a firm called Scrap which specializes in providing zero-waste solutions for production and events. We axed single-use disposable plastics and switched to reusable cutlery and water bottles, and the surplus food was distributed among the needy by organizations such as Feeding India and RobinHood Army. Simultaneously, we also set up a green team exclusively to segregate waste which was eventually sent to an enterprise that recycled it all into bricks and lamps. It was an arduous task and didn’t happen in a snap of the clapboard, yet I am satisfied with the end result, as I feel all of our crew members walked out of the film with a new mindset towards eco-conservation which is a great feat.

T+L India: Last year, you took on the role of partner and investor at Brown Living (a plastic-free marketplace and one-stop destination for all things sustainable). Tell us more about it.

Pragya Kapoor: Long ago when I had embarked on my journey to lead a more earth-friendly lifestyle I decided to go plastic-free at home but the biggest blockade to sustainability was the lack of quality and affordable options to choose from. I took baby steps and replaced my plastic toothbrush with a bamboo one; from there it has been a process of research, trial, and error. However, finding any eco-friendly alternative had become a herculean task but I persevered as I genuinely believed that my everyday choices were contributing to a rosier tomorrow. I didn’t want other environmentalists’ paths to be full of hiccups as mine was and hence, offered the whole range of eco-friendly products under one umbrella to make their transition to a sustainable lifestyle smoother.

T+L India: What was growing up in Sweden like?

Pragya Kapoor: I have travelled extensively in Sweden along with my family as my brother was a tennis player who would often get selected to participate in several tournaments. Most of the stadiums were situated on the outskirts of the city near forests; we usually camped in the jungles while he would practice. The whole day was spent exploring nature on foot; we would hike up the nearby hill while the evenings were spent singing and dancing around the bonfire meanwhile elders cooked food over the campfire – those were the days. Sigh.

T+L India: In another interview, you mentioned that shifting to Goa has deepened your understanding of wildlife and biodiversity. Could you shed some light on the same?

Pragya Kapoor: Our Goa home is a modern forest house that also acts as a bridge between the exterior and interior, as it utilizes the outside’s natural beauty to make the interiors feel complete. Unlike our city house, where an incessant city drone greets us in the morning; here peacocks herald the morning sun, butterflies paint the ever-evolving landscape, birdsongs grace the forest and distinct hoots of monkeys add to the extraordinary symphony – the boundaries between home and nature blur for a while. Oftentimes varied lizards, insects, and even snakes would find their way to our home, and children being inherently curious would naturally ask me a slew of questions about their guests, though I did keep an eye on the kids but never stopped them from exploring. I feel parents shouldn’t safeguard their kids more than necessary if they wish them to restore their relationship with nature. Children must explore their natural surroundings on their own to appreciate them. Throughout our stay, we had almost become one with the forest and this newfound penchant for nature has stayed with the kids as now they see the whole planet as an extension of their home.

T+L India: You regularly organise clean-up drives. What are some locations you plan to tidy up this Earth month?

Pragya Kapoor: Mumbai is supposedly home to the world’s largest beach clean-up project and I am proud to be contributing to the cause. We often enhance the cleanliness of overwhelmed places on weekly basis such as Carter Road, Mumbai and Gondia in Maharashtra as they are usually covered in ankle-deep filth and in the coming few days, plan to add clean-ups in another two locations soon.

T+L India: If a young city dweller wants to join the Ek Saath movement, what are the basic things they would need to do?

Pragya Kapoor: It is a fairly simple procedure; one just needs to fill in their details on the Google Form, the link to which has been provided on our Instagram handle and someone from our team would get in touch to guide the potential volunteer through the process.

T+L India: What is the most sustainable destination you have visited?

Pragya Kapoor: I have dedicated a big chunk of my life to travel but Denmark and Norway have my heart; I fell in love with both during my first visit and have returned several times since – they have mesmerizing green landscapes, one can cycle almost everywhere, there are forward-thinking restaurants, and avant-garde galleries which keep you coming back for more.

T+L India: What are some eco-friendly measures you take while travelling?

Pragya Kapoor: The travel industry is a large contributor to global carbon emissions but it also serves as a key driver to the socio-economic progress across the world which is a catch-22 situation; the more I toyed with the idea of travelling, the more I found myself in a fix. I wanted my children to witness the wonders of nature in their full glory but niggling waves of guilt would pass over me whenever I would consider the amount of ecological footprint I would leave behind in my place of travel. To find a solution to this, I researched deeply and came across many measures I could take on my own to be a responsible traveller; it took a lot of preparation, planning, and courage but the outcome was positive. I started out by booking economy-class seats in flight as flying in business class is relatively more carbon-intensive, with that done I had significantly reduced my footprint. Slowly and steadily, I took cumulative steps which helped me go further in this journey, and now it all comes naturally to me – I pack light, use local transport, carry reusable water bottles, cutlery, and cloth napkins at all times, stay in sustainable accommodations, eat local and seasonal offerings, and reject all one-time-use products.

T+L India: Goa is currently buzzing with conscious and vegan restaurants. Which ones happen to be on your favourites list?

Pragya Kapoor: When in Goa, I frequent Prana café, Bean me up, Zest café, and Gratitude café – all of them serve delicacies bursting with flavour. These places offer vegan food that apart from pleasing the palate also soothes my soul.

T+L India: What are the destinations on your bucket list?

Pragya Kapoor: With summer on the rise, naturally, mountains come to my mind. I want to unwind and relax in the soothing greenery of Himachal Pradesh and Assam as far as travelling local is concerned. And once the Covid restrictions are eased, I plan to visit Serengeti National Park, Tanzania to experience the great migration and would positively dive in the Australian waters as the country’s biodiverse waters are known to provide memorable diving experiences.

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