WITH over 3.2 million followers across all social media platforms, Abhiraj Rajadhyaksha and Niyati Mavinkurve have become huge stars online and connected with a rapidly growing audience consuming content via the internet.
The married couple, known as Abhi and Niyu, has created popular videos, including the viral 100 Reasons To Love India, which have been viewed many millions of time. The YouTubers and digital content creators produce well-researched videos that are positive, inspiring, informative, idea-generating and provoke debate. Their videos spanning genres such as history, environment, sustainability, social commentary, and economics have enabled them to connect with diverse audiences.
Eastern Eye caught up with Abhi and Niyu to discuss their remarkable success, working together as a husband and wife, future plans and advise for aspiring digital content creators.
What made you both want to start off as digital content creators?
Abhi: While working in the advertising field, I made countless ad films, videos and documentaries putting forward the client’s point of view. After some time, I wanted to put out my own point of view forward but was hesitant about starting something on my own. In October 2017, (content creator) Nas Daily came to India. I travelled with him in Mumbai and Delhi. I kept thinking I wanted to show off India. Meeting Nas helped me realise I should just jump into creating content. So, I started in December 2017 with weekly videos. When Niyu and I got married, I started bringing her into the videos as well.
Did you both imagine being so successful?
Niyu: Getting the numbers we did in the short span seemed surreal. But ‘successful’ is an incomplete word and for me, personally, I think the allure with numbers keeps reducing as we go up one milestone after another. Because both of us have tied down success with how much offline impact we can create in our journey. I think we find more happiness when we see some positive change coming from our work.
Would you give some examples?
Niyu: Whether it is someone who started freelancing after watching our video, or switched to a menstrual cup, or made bio enzyme and ditched phenyl, these small victories feel personal because that person found something valuable in what we were doing and decided to change.
You have had memorable moments like meeting humanitarian Padma Shri Chewang Norphel, travelling across India and making a viral video on an eco-friendly Ganpati, which inspired others to get eco-friendly and paint-free idols. How do you decide what topics to cover?
Abhi: The topic selection is a mix of things. We pick out things we are curious about and use a calendar to pick out birthdays of eminent personalities from our history. We also cover current events. There are always more topics to cover than we can.
What is it like working together as a team?
Abhi: We know we can count on each other. I have always enjoyed working with Niyu. Now we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, so that goes a long way when it comes to working together. Ultimately, I am working with my best friend. Niyu: We’ve identified things the other person is good at. I think the best partnerships are those where you work with your best friend and I am very fortunate to do that.
Do you both ever argue when putting together videos?
Niyu: Oh yes, we do have arguments. But we have this principle that we never sleep on an argument and will always resolve it. That means we don’t leave any conflicts unresolved to the next day. Creatively, we try out different variations and see what looks best, sometimes even getting our friends to give us their opinions.
What do you think has been the secret of your success?
Abhi: To be honest, I still don’t think we’re successful. We’ve achieved a lot of growth in the past year, but the best is always yet to come. I think consistency, good scripting and editing has played a big part. Having excellent mentors and friends also helped. Our supportive families make the whole journey so much easier.
How much do the millions of subscribers and followers mean to you both?
Abhi: You know, sometimes it feels unbelievable that we have a huge audience. But we’ve not linked our success to the number of followers and subscribers. So, we value each and every one of them who choose to engage with us. The feeling that we’re reaching out to people beyond our content is surreal and heartening.
Does having so many followers put pressure on you?
Niyu: There’s always pressure to make sure we’re providing value to our followers. With a higher number, it makes us even more responsible to make sure we don’t encourage irresponsible behaviour or spread the wrong message. We take our audience very seriously.
What advice would you give those wanting to start a content creation journey?
Niyu: The journey of content creation is not easy. It takes time and effort, so get into it if you want to do this for the long haul. Don’t get enticed by the number of followers, or the glamour. Creating content is difficult, so be ready to put in the hard work without seeing the results instantly. And stop looking for tips or tricks from other creators. You will learn so much from doing things yourself and become better. Invest time in learning the craft and get your hands dirty. Remember, each platform works differently. There’s a lot of information available online waiting for you to discover it.
What do you enjoy watching as an audience?
Niyu: We like watching content that is completely different from what we make because it gives us a break mentally. We watch movies, gaming videos, space and nature related documentaries. We also watch content from our fellow content creators.
What is the biggest thing you have learned about yourself with your content creation journey?
Niyu: That I am capable of handling things. I’ve always grown up with a low self-esteem, so finding that I can contribute to this venture and manage platforms feels very empowering. I’ve learned to trust myself, which is a very big deal in itself.
What are your future plans?
Abhi: We have lots of different plans to work on newer videos, newer series, possibly expand on more platforms. We are going to launch a course soon and are thinking about a podcast as well. We’re also working on a business idea, so there’s a lot of things to watch out for.
What inspires you?
Abhi: Positive changemakers and their stories inspire me. I have grown up close to nature, so that inspires me.
Niyu: Travel and nature inspire me. People who work hard to make a difference inspire me. I can see the impact a good deed does, so every good deed inspires me somewhere.
Why do you think we should all tune into your social media platforms?
Niyu: You should tune in to get a perspective. We work very hard at research and joining the dots, so you get a broad understanding of the topic in a short span of time through our videos. If you’re someone who believes in doing good, then join us along with our #yesteam because our social media channels are a group of people who want to bring about a positive change in the world.
Visit Instagram & Twitter: @abhiandniyu and YouTube: Abhi and Niyu
Finding romance today feels like trying to align stars in a night sky that refuses to stay still
When was the last time you stumbled into a conversation that made your heart skip? Or exchanged a sweet beginning to a love story - organically, without the buffer of screens, swipes, or curated profiles? In 2025, those moments feel rarer, swallowed up by the quickening pace of life.
We are living faster than ever before. Cities hum with noise and neon, people race between commitments, and ambition seems to be the rhythm we all march to. In the process, the simple art of connection - eye contact, lingering conversations, the gentle patience of getting to know someone - feels like it is slipping through our fingers.
Whether you’re single, searching, or settled, the landscape is shifting. Some turn to apps for convenience; others look for love in cafés, gyms, workplaces or community spaces. But the challenge remains the same: how do we connect deeply in a world designed to move at lightning speed?
We’ve become fluent in productivity, in chasing careers, in cultivating polished identities. Yet are we forgetting how to be fluent in intimacy? When was the last time you sat across from someone and truly listened - without checking your phone, without planning the next step, without treating time like a currency to be spent?
It’s a strange paradox: we have more access to people than ever before, yet many feel more isolated. Fun is always available - dinners, drinks, nights out, fleeting encounters - but fulfilment is harder to grasp. Are we mistaking access for intimacy? Are we human, or are we slowly adapting into versions of ourselves stripped of those raw, humanistic qualities - vulnerability, patience, tenderness - that once defined love?
Perhaps we’ve grown comfortable with the fast exit. It’s easier to ghost than to explain. Easier to keep moving than to pause. But what does that cost us? What do we lose when romance becomes a checkbox on an already overstuffed to-do list?
The truth is - the heart doesn’t move at the pace of technology or ambition. It moves slowly, awkwardly, with a rhythm that resists acceleration. Maybe that’s the point. Love has always lived in the messy spaces - hesitant pauses, nervous laughter, words spoken without rehearsal.
So the real question for 2025 is not “Have we gone too far?” but “Can we afford to slow down?” Can we still allow ourselves the sweetness of beginnings - the chance encounters, the unplanned moments, the quiet courage to be open?
Because in the end, connection is not about speed or access—it’s about presence. In a world that won’t stop moving, choosing to be present might be the bravest act of love we have left.
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Researchers from the UK and US analysed data from American households between 2004 and 2019
Hotter days linked to greater intake of sugary drinks and frozen desserts
Lower-income households most affected, research finds
Climate change could worsen health risks linked to sugar consumption
Study based on 15 years of US household food purchasing data
Sugary consumption rising with heat
People are more likely to consume sugary drinks and ice cream on warmer days, particularly in lower-income households, according to new research. The study warns that climate change could intensify this trend, adding to health risks as global temperatures continue to rise.
Sugar consumption is a major contributor to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and has surged worldwide in recent decades. The findings, published in Nature Climate Change, suggest that rising heat could be nudging more people towards high-sugar products such as soda, juice and ice cream.
Climate link to diet
Researchers from the UK and US analysed data from American households between 2004 and 2019 and compared purchases with local weather conditions. They found that for every additional degree Celsius within the range of 12–30°C, people consumed an extra 0.7 grams of sugar per day on average.
Those with lower incomes or less education were the most affected, according to the study. Under worst-case climate scenarios, disadvantaged groups could be consuming up to five additional grams of sugar daily by the end of the century, lead author Pan He of Cardiff University told AFP.
Beyond recommended limits
The American Heart Association recommends a maximum daily intake of 36 grams of added sugar for men and 24 grams for women. However, most Americans already consume two to three times these amounts. A single can of soda contains about 40 grams of sugar.
The study showed that the increase in sugar consumption levelled off once temperatures rose above 30°C. Co-author Duo Chan of the University of Southampton suggested this may be because people had already altered their diets by that point. He warned this could be “even worse news”, as it showed dietary changes were occurring even at lower, not extreme, temperatures.
Substituting frozen treats
The research also indicated a drop in purchases of baked goods on hotter days, likely because consumers were substituting them with ice cream or other frozen desserts.
Health concerns
Unhealthy diets are among the four main risk factors for diseases that account for more than 70 per cent of deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. The authors concluded that climate change, by shaping dietary choices, could further worsen public health outcomes.
RESTAURATEUR and writer Camellia Panjabi puts the spotlight on vegetables in her new book, as she said they were never given the status of a “hero” in the way fish, chicken or prawns are.
Panjabi’s Vegetables: The Indian Way features more than 120 recipes, with notes on nutrition, Ayurvedic insights and cooking methods that support digestion.
She told Eastern Eye, “Most families and chefs regularly cook only 15 to 20 types of dishes. Many vegetables in shops are ignored, because people don’t know how to cook them.
“This book gives readers confidence by providing recipes, explanations, and photographs for 30 vegetables. It also shows how they can be prepared in different ways and with different cuisines — not just Indian.”
Panjabi is part of the family that runs Amaya, Chutney Mary’s, Veerswamy and Masala Zone restaurants. She is also the best-selling author of 50 Great Curries, which sold more than two million copies.
She previously worked for Taj Hotels in India, where she was involved in creating menus for various restaurants among other projects. These menus featured Indian, Chinese, Thai, Italian and French cuisines.
When she eventually moved on after three decades, Panjabi realised that vegetables were almost always relegated to the end of a menu as side dishes.
In every cuisine the pattern was the same: starters and mains were prioritised ahead of sides — potatoes, cauliflower, or something similar.
“Yet, on the plate, two-thirds of the food is usually vegetables, while on the menu they only make up about five per cent,” Panjabi said.
Vegetarian meals often relied on mixing several items together — such as in a thali, stir-fries, or paneer combined with three or four vegetables.
A single vegetable was rarely celebrated on its own.
Panjabi listed around 30 varieties used in Indian food, including raw fruits such as banana and jackfruit.This sparked the idea for a book in which each vegetable would have its own section. “If someone has a cabbage, they should be able to look up different ways to cook it so that it becomes the main dish rather than just a side,” she said.
The recipes could be colourful, classical, traditional or inspired by street food.
With Indian dishes, people across the country are now, for the first time, experiencing cuisines from other regions, she said. Her book has 30 chapters on 30 vegetables, each with its own story, origin, and details of fibre content, calories, vitamins and whether it is acidic or alkaline.
Mumbai-born Panjabi, a Cambridge educated economist, is widely credited with shaping Indian fine dining on the global stage. She played a key role in launching Bombay Brasserie in London and later oversaw renowned restaurants including Veeraswamy and Chutney Mary. She was the first female board director of a public company in India, while serving as marketing director of the Taj Group. Now in her eighties, Panjabi said, “In most Indian restaurants in the UK, the vegetarian options are limited to dishes like gobi aloo, saag paneer, chole, and baingan bharta. There is so much more to discover.
“Western readers will see for the first time that they can cook vegetables the Indian way without necessarily making an Indian meal. They could have grilled fish or roast chicken alongside Indianstyle vegetables. That is the breakthrough — it is not limited to cuisine.
Panjabi said writing the book took two decades. “I thought it would take three or four years, but the process of discovery was so enjoyable that it kept extending,” she said. Only when Covid forced her to stay at home did she put it all together.
The result is a 350-page hardback with more than 120 colour photographs. Half the book is devoted to cooking fats, while the rest covers vegetables, lentils and millets. She described it as “almost like a food encyclopaedia,” weaving Ayurvedic wisdom with modern nutritional science.
“Much more research still needs to be done on the nutrition of vegetables,” she said, pointing out that the subject remains under-researched.
Everyday ingredients also find space in the book. She tackles myths aro-und protein deficiency in vegetarian diets, noting that Indians solved this long ago. Rice and dal, when eaten together, provide all nine essential amino acids needed for complete protein. “Dal-chawal has sustained Indian health for centuries,” she said.
Her experience in restaurants influenced her writing. Panjabi travelled across India, visiting research institutions including the National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad, and consulted scientists studying oils and vegetables.
She said, “When I was young, I felt that Indian food had not received its due recognition globally. My mother always explained the health reasons behind what she cooked, and I realised there must be a huge body of knowledge worth documenting.
“I feel I have only touched the tip of the iceberg (with this book). My hope is that this book will inspire other practitioners and people with influence in Indian food to join this journey.”
Vegetables: The Indian Way was published by Penguin Books
How noticing the changes in my father taught me the importance of early action, patience, and love
I don’t understand people who don’t talk or see their parents often. Unless they have done something to ruin your lives or you had a traumatic childhood, there is no reason you shouldn’t be checking in with them at least every few days if you don’t live with them.
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of looking after my parents – they lived with me while their old house was being sold, and their new house was being renovated.
Within this time, I noticed things happening to my dad (Chamanlal Mulji), an 81-year-old retired joiner. Dad was known as Simba when he lived in Zanzibar, East Africa because he was like a lion. A man in fairly good health, despite being an ex-smoker, he’d only had heart surgery back in 2017. In the last few years, he was having some health issues, but certain things, like his walking and driving becoming slow, and his memory failing, we just put down to old age. Now, my dad was older than my friend’s dad. Many of whom in their 70’s, dad, at 81 was an older dad, not common back in the seventies when he married my mum.
It was only when I spent extended time around my parents that I started noticing that certain things weren’t just due to old age. Some physical symptoms were more serious, but certain things like forgetting that the front door wasn’t the bathroom door, and talking about old memories thinking that they had recently happened rang alarm bells for me and I suspected that he might have dementia.
Dementia generally happens in old age when the brain starts to shrink. Someone described it to me as a person’s brain being like a bookshelf. The books at the top of the shelf are the new memories and the books at the bottom are the new memories. The books at the top have fallen off, leaving only the old memories being remembered. People with dementia are also highly likely to suffer from strokes.
Sadly, my dad was one of the few that suffered a stroke and passed away on 28th June 2025. If you have a parent, family member or anyone you know and you suspect that they might have dementia, please talk to your GP straight away. Waiting lists within the NHS are extremely LONG so the quicker people with dementia are treated, the better. Sadly, the illness cannot be reversed but medication can help it from getting worse.
One thing I would also advise is to have patience. Those suffering with dementia can be agitated and often become aggressive, but that’s only because they’re frustrated that they cannot do things the way they used to.
The disease might hide the person underneath, but there’s still a person in there who needs your love and attention.” - Jamie Calandriello
The holy town of Ambaji witnessed a spiritually significant day on Sunday as His Holiness Siri Rajrajeshwar Guruji, head of the International Siddhashram Shakti Centre, London, performed the Dhwaja ritual at the historic Ambaji Temple in Gujarat, one of the most revered Shakti Peeths of India.
Guruji, who travelled especially from London to be part of the festivities, offered prayers to Goddess Amba and hoisted the sacred flag, a symbol of divine strength, victory, and eternal devotion. Speaking about the ritual, he reminded devotees that the dhwaja inspires courage, faith, and a constant remembrance of the divine in everyday life.
Adding to the spiritual significance of the day, Guruji also personally served Bhandara (community meal) to devotees gathered at the temple premises.