CRAFTING DREAMS IN CASHMERE JYOTIKA & KARISHMA JHALANI

HELLO! TRACES THE VIBRANT PATH OF THIS MOTHER-DAUGHTER DUO AS THEY BREATHE LIFE INTO THEIR VISION OF BUILDING A GLOBAL LIFESTYLE BRAND AND CRAFTING A STUNNING HOME

- NOOR ANAND CHAWLA

During a childhood summer vacation spent in Srinagar, Jyotika Jhalani remembers unintentionally knocking over an inkwell and a glass of milk on to her mother's priceless pashmina shawl.

"Swirling streams of blue and white everywhere! I had to do something, I had to save the heirloom... But I was frozen. The enzymes of the milk were magically absorbing the ink into the warps and wefts of the shawl till there was no blue left. Where did it all go? A subtle chemistry took place that day in my private theatre of magic... mysterious cashmere in blue. That was my starting point for a world of discovery," narrates Karishma, Jyotika's daughter, describing the latter's journey on screen.

She is relaying this story in a film that shows the beautiful cashmere shawls made by her designer mother while simultaneously capturing her creative and curious spirit.

A VISION SET IN MOTION

Jyotika is the founder and creative director of the global lifestyle brand Janavi India, and Karishma is its art director along with being a writer and filmmaker. After 25 years in the business and with multiple verticals under its coterie home décor, baby products, and ready-to-wear collections for women and men being a few the brand is growing from strength to strength.

This is evident in the quiet assuredness that emanates from the talented mother-daughter duo. Comfortably ensconced on a blush pink sofa in their cosy and colourful apartment at The Lodhi in New Delhi, they cut a pretty picture in matching printed co-ord sets.

Poignant paintings depicting the ghats in Varanasi adorn the wall behind them and a bright red baby elephant set amid a slew of lush Persian carpets pulls the lively image together.