You Can Do It
The honor is really mine for me to be standing here amongst all of you on this very special day of yours. Not many years ago, I was there among all of you. And I wish that all of you become more famous, more richer, more powerful than me.
I sincerely wish that for every one of you. Because it is possible. When I was studying, my mom and dad told me, "Study."
"You'll make it. You'll make it big. Study." I know I shouldn't be advising you but I studied really hard. I topped 10 standard, I topped 12 standard, I topped college.
But then when I wanted to study further, my parents could not afford it. I could not afford to study further. And I had no dream, no future, nothing.
So what I'm trying to say is, I know that you believe that you are supposed to take the path that your parents, that everyone expects of you. But I am here to tell you to dream. Dream whatever you want and you will achieve it.
You will fail. It is hard, but you should persist. And that's what I did. I ate one meal a day for at least two months.
I worked odd jobs. I did and I'm here today. So I'm saying, if I was able to do it, you can.
You are the future of this country, the only future of this country, and I salute you. And I wish you the very best. And thank you for having me.
Good evening, representatives of the government of Telangana, weavers, designers, and my dear ladies and gentlemen. It is indeed an honor for me to stand here to speak about reviving handloom. I must confess this is, this has become my mission, and that has given me a lot of purpose.
As an actor over the many years, I have been blessed to have a lot of love and affection. But of late I have realized that it has not been just because of the movies alone. What we do both on screen and off screen has a great impact on people.
I have been associated with Pratyusha, an organization that helps underprivileged children with healthcare and education. Through this organization, we have, touched the lives of many children. And I stand here today promising the same, that I will do everything in my power to make an to effect, to change the lives of the handloom sector of this state.
When you're famous, for whatever reason that might be, particularly an actor, most people don't realize that you're haunted by this question, "Yes, you're famous, but what exactly did you do to get that love in people's hearts?" Yes, I act. I pretend to be somebody else for a living. So you can see why that question haunts me extra.
This question as to why people love you has been my the inspiring force in my life, has pushed me to do more, to be better, to give back. And this question has made me arrive at the doorsteps of this handloom industry. So like others, I set out to be a fashionista.
And I love dressing up. I met a lot of designers. I collaborated with them.
And then I one day I wore this piece, that was truly stunning. And I saw the price tag, and even for someone who can afford quite a bit, this would burn a deep hole in my pocket. So I was told that it was handloom, and so I started.
I dug deeper. I wanted to know more about the stories of the weavers. Because here I was hearing that the industry is struggling, and then these products are priced very high. So it was confusing.
Earlier this year, I visited many villages in Telangana, and I met many wonderful men and women, who have dedicated their lives to handlooms. And they earn one-tenth of the prices at which their products are sold. This was disheartening. And it is, it was sad that in the towns and cities where this art once thrived is now fading away.
The young generation do not want to take up the profession because of the low income. The existing weavers migrate to cities. So this is when I took this up seriously.
Do we really want to be a generation that caused the death of tradition and culture? So this, I do understand that, there is a gap between the dated techniques and designs that are prevalent in the handloom sector and the, and New Age fashion that is changing so quickly. And with this idea in mind, I am very proud to present TWEVE, Telangana Weaves with a Twist.
It is a signature store in partnership with the government of Telangana, to provide handlooms of superior quality with the most modern of designs, but not at the prices that are prevalent in the market today. Our whole intention is to, is to make handlooms more affordable and to source it directly from the weavers so that they are the ones who benefit the most. Thank you for joining me to take TWEVE forward.
The head designer, Preetham Jukalkar, whose designs you will see, shortly on the ramp, will is young and very hardworking. In fact, all his pieces are sourced directly from government-run TESCO outlets. This piece included is not no hi-fi designer.
It's straight out of the racks of the government-run TESCO outlet. And none of this would be possible without the greatest support of the government of Telangana. I had I was brave enough to do this only because of their support, only because of Minister KTR Garu.
He is. I am extremely inspired, and I respect his ideas and determination in making this young state the most prosperous state in the country. I am truly thankful to the Principal Secretary, Jayash Ranjan, sir, and Mrs. Shailaja Ramayyer, the Director of Handlooms and Textiles, Telangana, who have always been a phone call away, supporting me in this initiative, their primary focus being the benefits of the weavers.
Thank you to all of you who are, who are, who are part of this initiative, and I hope you enjoy the show. Thank you very much.
