Nat Geo, Indian Navy salute all women crew of INSV Tarini

Around 1000 female students of the capital city got an unforgettable experience as National Geographic and Indian Navy organized an exclusive screening of ‘Tarini’, National Geographic’s documentary based on the historic journey of the Indian Navy’s sailing vessel. The students not only watched the inspiring documentary, but also got a chance to interact with the six women Indian Navy officers who are the pride of the country for creating history by circumnavigating the globe in a grueling 254-day voyage. The excitement was palpable at one of the most prestigious colleges of the city, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, as the officers engaged students with conversations on women breaking the odds to emerge victorious, as part of the National Geographic’s ongoing #GirlsWhoSailed initiative. The event was commemorated by Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba who was present, along with Vice Chief Naval Staff, Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar from The Indian Navy.

National Geographic’s ‘Tarini’ - which will premiere on the channel on International Women’s Day at 9 pm - chronicles the challenges and hardships the six brave officers overcame during their expedition. With the help of the documentary, National Geographic is encouraging women to break gender stereotypes. Hence as part of the #GirlsWhoSailed initiative, National Geographic earlier took the Tarini crew to interact with 1000 students amidst much fanfare at MICA College in Ahmedabad and Mount Carmel College in Bangalore.

Additionally, #GirlsWhoSailed is encouraging people across the country to share such inspiring stories of themselves or women they know. With this background, Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi (skipper), crew members including Lt. Commander Pratibha Jamwal, Lt. Commander Aishwarya Boddapati, Lt. Commander P Swathi, Lt. Commander S Vijaya Devi, Lieutenant Payal Gupta, shared their stories with students about the historic voyage. Students were filled with inspiration after a 20-minute discussion, which was aimed at helping them unlock their true potential.

At the exclusive screening, Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba said, “It is indeed a pleasure for me to be here today on the occasion of this special screening of the National Geographic channel’s documentary ‘Tarini’ based on the Navika Sagar Parikrama, the first circumnavigation of the globe by an all women crew of India. The Indian Navy believes in fostering the spirit of adventure as a means of nurturing leadership qualities and developing a sense of purpose, determination, and courage in our personnel. The ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’ was envisaged in consonance of this philosophy of challenge and spirit of adventure.”

Vartika Joshi, Lieutenant Commander and lead, Tarini Crew commented, “There are bound to be hurdles that one has to face while achieving a dream. Many a times these hurdles would back you down and may make you believe that it’s unachievable. Courage, however, lies in sailing beyond these hurdles, holding on to yourself and rising up even when you do not have the energy, even when your surroundings look murky. Despite all odds, the challenges, the stereotypes, there are a few who choose to look beyond the societal mind sets about gender, etc. and make them a non-factor in the way to achieving their dreams. Hence, we are grateful to National Geographic for extending support with the #Girlswhosailed campaign and giving us a platform to encourage women, while showcasing a story of our own”

Commenting on the launch of the documentary Tarini, Gayatri Yadav, President -Consumer Strategy and Innovation, Star India, said, “It is rightly said that fortune favours the brave. The courageous Tarini Crew has not only made the nation proud by successfully circumnavigating the globe on their historic mission, but has also inspired millions of women and men across the nation. National Geographic’s initiative, #GirlsWhoSailed, salutes the crew’s mission, and we feel privileged to be able to tell the powerful story of their courage, grit and determination. With our documentary and initiative, we want to celebrate each and every woman who has conquered barriers and stereotypes to achieve her dreams.”

From harsh seas, stormy conditions to extreme cold temperatures, National Geographic’s ‘Tarini’ chronicles the journey of every difficulty the vessel faced during the incredibly inspiring expedition known as ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’. On September 10, 2017, the all women crew of INSV took off from Goa to set a milestone of circumnavigating the globe. The grueling 254-day voyage, which included touching five countries, crossing the equator twice, sailing across four continents and three oceans, completing more than 21,600 nautical miles, ended with the crew returning home on May 21, 2018.

Tarini will premiere on National Geographic at 9 pm, on March 8, 2019. It will also be available on Hotstar.