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Prabhat Desai
Beena Shah's story is a testament to resilience, determination, and an unwavering passion for creativity. Beena Shah, currently residing in Mulund West, Mumbai, is a 50-year-old entrepreneur. She was born and raised amidst the rich cultural heritage of Bhujpur, Kutch. Beena discovered her passion for art at a tender age of 12. Despite the challenges of balancing her studies, Beena dedicated her afternoons to mastering the intricacies of drawing, painting, mehendi, and fabric art. Beena's entrepreneurial spirit emerged early as she began selling her artwork, including drawings and paintings on sarees.
After completing her 10th standard in A.J.S High School in Bhujpur, she pursued further education at RD High School in Mundra for her 11th and 12th grades, and subsequently pursued her BCom degree at S.V. Arts and Commerce College with aspirations of studying law, which unfortunately remained unfulfilled.
In her village, Beena gained recognition for her expertise in makeup, parlour, and mehendi, showcasing her remarkable speed and skill in bridal mehendi application, often managing to completing more than two brides in a single day.
In the early days of her journey, Beena Shah arrived Mumbai to support her brothers facing food shortages. Embracing the city's opportunities, she continued learning and adapting to Mumbai's trends. After her marriage, Beena's supportive in-laws encouraged her passion for learning and teaching. Despite living in a small, windowless room, she was determined to build a better future. Through disciplined saving and strategic investments in Kisan Vikas Patra and Indira Vikas Patra and hard work, she managed to accumulate funds for a down payment on her first house, supplementing it with a loan. In her new home, she launched her classes, determined to empower others.
In Mumbai, facing financial constraints for learning, Beena Shah and her two cousins ingeniously collaborated. They attended diverse courses in art, interior design, and parlour, sharing knowledge to each other upon returning home. They would teach other students and then use the fees received to further their own learning, creating a self-sustaining cycle of education and empowerment.
Conducting classes from morning to evening, Beena's diverse teachings covered a range of art forms, including canvas painting, nib painting, oil painting, fabric painting, sand painting, nail painting, shell painting, emboss painting, tie and dye, figure sketching, embroidery, hand embroidery, glass painting, ceramic painting, mud work, night lamps, diya, scented candle making, paper quilling, paper box, origami, paper bags, gift packing, hampers, chocolate and money bouquets, as well as crafting 50+ types of paper flowers. In addition, she crafted jarokha and home temples, showcasing her versatility in artistic instruction.
She cultivated a fascination for clay work, seizing the chance to learn from the esteemed artist Shri Hari Bhosle. Renowned for sculpting the iconic 25-ft equestrian structure, "Spirit of Kala Ghoda," at the heart of Mumbai's famous Kala Ghoda Art Festival, he became her mentor for 2-3 years. Under his guidance, she mastered the art of sculptures, clay, and ceramic work, honing her skills in crafting lifelike human faces, bodies, and more. Additionally, Beena sought further learning by undertaking a journey to Dombivli to master the intricate art of crafting Ganpati murtis under guidance of sculptor Gunesh Gajanan Adval. During her learning journey in Dombivli, Beena honed her skills by crafting various art pieces. This included the creation of Ganesh idols from shadu clay, a ceramic sculpture frame depicting Trishla Mata and the 14 Swapna, as well as a 3D interior frame featuring Radhe Krishna.
Though Beena engaged in drawing, she lacked technical expertise. To bridge this gap, a tutor visited her home to teach her geometry and other technical aspects necessary for exams. Despite the one-year duration of the elementary and intermediate course, Beena grasped the concepts and prepared for exam within 8-10 days. Subsequently, she excelled in the exam, achieving an A grade.
From 2008 to 2013, Beena actively participated in aarti and rangoli competitions during Navratri, held at venues like Kalidas Mulund and other locations. Her exceptional talent consistently earned her the first prize for the best aarti and rangoli decor every year. Recognizing her talent, Beena received awards from prominent figures such as MLA Manoj Kotak and MLA Kirit Somaiya. Her reputation as a skilled artist led to her being invited as a special guest and judge at talent functions organized by her community.
Beena met Meena Thakkar who expertise in graphology, she suggested adding school and college projects to Beena's portfolio. Even without much knowledge, Beena took on the challenge, and to her surprise, her projects always won prizes, making her famous. She only charged students if they won prizes. An international school noticed her success and asked her to help in a national competition. Beena created a working model of rainwater harvesting and hydroelectric powerplant and it won them first prize. She also made a 3D model showing the problems of obesity, which also won first prize. Beena's work even extended to healthcare as it reached Fortis Hospital in Mulund, where her 3D model about lung cancer is displayed.
Around 2012, Beena ventured into car decoration, creating unique designs that were unparalleled in the field. Her creativity led to innovative car decor concepts that amazed everyone who saw them. Beena's first opportunity to decorate a car came from none other than the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Prithviraj Chavan.
Beena's journey into decoration took an unexpected turn when a student asked her to do Ganpati decoration for her home. Despite her lack of knowledge, the student's faith in Beena's creativity led her to accept the challenge. The first Ganpati decoration Beena did was a hit, and word spread, bringing in 8-10 more orders for the next year. This marked a turning point, shifting Beena's focus from sculptures and drawings to flower decoration, thanks to the overwhelming response. Although her schedule is now packed with various orders, Beena still makes time for Ganpati decoration. It holds sentimental value as it marks the beginning of her successful journey, and her Ganpati setups continue to stand out with their uniqueness.
Beena's journey in the realm of home decor began with a vision to create spaces that are not just beautiful but uniquely crafted to reflect individuality. Her initial foray into home decor was marked by innovative ideas and a penchant for crafting distinctive props that set her work apart. In a field where uniqueness was scarce, Beena introduced a refreshing perspective, offering clients a diverse range of options tailored to their tastes. Over the years, her dedication to delivering unparalleled home decor experiences has not only garnered fame but has established her as a go-to name in Mumbai for distinctive and trend-setting home decorations.
Because of the increasing number of orders, Beena decided to pursue a professional degree course in floral design. She completed an advanced certificate course at the Institute of Floral Design by 'Instituto Mexicano Technico Floral - Mexico' from June 2013 to April 2014. Despite the course being conducted in English, a language she didn't understand, Beena negotiated with the teachers and requested a brief summary in Hindi or Gujarati after each class, to which they kindly agreed. She sat in the front row, got permission to record the lectures. Back home, she played the recordings for her husband and son, who translated and explained the lectures in Gujarati. This unique learning method allowed Beena to excel in practical work, earning her a perfect score of 100 in every judging parameter and full marks in the examination. Her dedication and success became an inspiration for others in the course.
Starting with just one employee, Sagar Nangare, who served as her personal assistant, manager, and main designer, Beena gradually expanded her business. Today, she leads a team of 25 skilled individuals, including fabricators, tailor, laborers, designers, inventory managers, electrician, carpenter. All aspects of her designs, props, and setups are crafted in-house to ensure uniqueness. They cater to their clients' needs, offering a wide range of color combinations and personalized decorations. Beena's team is highly trained, capable of executing decorations independently, even identifying suitable color combinations and decor styles for each venue. Renowned for their reliability and skill, Beena's team is adored by clients, who appreciate their attention to detail. Beena proudly emphasizes that she has never spent a single rupee on advertisements. Instead, her thriving business relies solely on word of mouth, a testament to the quality of her work and the satisfaction of her clients.
Beena has reached significant heights in her career, boasting celebrity clients like comedian Kapil Sharma, whose home decorations are exclusively handled by her. She has curated Christmas decor for comedian Bharti. Mayank Parikh, the manager of BCCI, is another notable client. She has done home decor of cricketer Shardul Thakur's fiancé. Beena has also curated themed decorations for various events, including a Moroccan Arabian night theme decor for a Qawali night program featuring Indian Idol Season 10 singer Nitin Kumar.
During Diwali, Beena beautifies showrooms all over Mumbai, including the famous fashion street of Lokhandwala, Thane, and Chembur, with her stunning decorations. Beena has also showcased her talent by decorating an entire train and platform at Bandra Terminus for a yatra pravas. Beena has provided decor services for renowned individuals such as Amit Aryan, a prominent serial and movie writer. She has even decorated the residence of the Mayor of Mumbai and many other politicians with her exquisite decorations.