Humans of Bangalore. Celebrating everyday heroes

During a casual conversation with a friend, Sreya Vittaldev, then just 22, casually observed that ‘Humans of New York’ was an inspiring project. The friend suggested that Sreya start a similar page for the city she lives in, Bangalore. That’s how the ‘Humans of Bangalore,’ project began in February last year. Today, the project’s Facebook page has over 24,000 fans.

What makes this page so popular? The simple unedited stories of real people – the small-time vendor from whom you buy your weekly groceries, the child cycling in the basement of your apartment, a college student you see while you wait for the bus in the morning. There are 165 such stories of everyday heroes. Their stories reveal emotions of all kinds – sadness, loneliness, surprise, joy.

Initially, Sreya used her phone to capture material for her story. But soon she moved to a Nikon D5200. She says, “I’m mostly tied uo during weekdays because of work. Weekends are the only time I have to go out and get stories for the page.” While she had two school kids who helped her in the early days, today she manages things single-handedly.

Asked how the project has impacted her, she says, “One important learning factor for me has been that we’re really in no position to judge anybody. Our society is very fragile, and people desperately strive to be accepted by the community. Because of this pressure, people tend to lose their essence, they think twice about following their dreams, or saying what they want to say.” She adds, “Every person I chance upon for a story has always left a mark on me in small ways. I’m always learning new things when I meet people.”

As someone who moved from Chennai to Bangalore in 2009, she is all praise for Bangalore, “It’s been about six years in Bangalore; I’m quite grateful for the experiences that the city has to offer.”

Before we look at some of the ‘Humans of Bangalore’ stories, perhaps we could take a moment to reflect on something Sreya said, “I don’t think we should do something because people around us are all doing them or telling us to do them. We’re never going to be happy that way. And, never ever judge anybody. We don’t know what they’re going through.”

Here are some stories that will definitely move you, make you think, make you smile.

Follow your dreams

“I won several accolades as a lead guitarist during my college days, so after my management studies, I gave a shot at music as a profession. However, at that time the scope was very limited, which steered me towards a career in the corporate sector.

After spending close to two and half decades in the corporate sector, I had a brief break in early 2011. That’s when I contemplated my future. I was exploring an entrepreneurial project as an extension of my corporate career, but that didn’t take off. Looking back, I think that was a blessing in disguise, as it helped me to follow my dream – to be a full time musician. Here I am, happily tutoring and performing passionately!”

The joys of sisterhood

“At first I did not like her but then Amma told me that I didn’t have to play alone any more, and we have been best sisters ever since.”

Marriage – a miracle in disguise

“Last year was one of the most difficult times of my life; I was dealing with health complications, and family and monetary issues as well. I got through them all and I owe it all to one person –my husband. He supported me endlessly. He made me feel loved, when I was down. He made me feel beautiful when I felt horrible. This is one of the best things about being married, you’re never truly alone. Burdens are shared and joys quadrupled.”

Being beautiful

“My message to all the women out there would be – you are beautiful. It’s not what others think about you. It’s what you think about yourself and the way you carry yourself out there to the world. You’re the best. Never stop believing in that.”

Life blossoms

Q: So where do you come from?

A: We both hail from UP. When we came here we were both poor, and we needed to earn some bread.

Q:Are things much better now?

A: Oh definitely. Things are far better now.

The good and bad aspects of the city

“I’m from Nagaland and I love how Bangalore has welcomed me. Mount Carmel College is encouraging me to grow as an individual and as a woman, and I like what I do and study. However, recently, my community (people from North-East India) has been facing a lot of racial bias here in Bangalore. It makes me unhappy that when we come with hope and look forward to a new life, this is what we go through – we get picked on for looking like ‘Chinese people’, we get picked on because our accents are different, we get picked on for the colour of our skin and our hair…. Even though the Government has said that using the word ‘chinky’ can lead to serious repercussions, it doesn’t mean that people will stop. Will they? I ignore it. I have a good circle here that supports me.”

No worldly pleasure is better than  just chilling

“We work in the used car business. Only imported cars! BMWs and Mercedes! It’s so much fun driving them around from place to place. But nothing beats what we’re doing right now.”

“And what is that?”

“Chilling, after a long day’s work.”

Taking pride in ourselves and our culture

“I’m an engineer, but I pursued a career in PR for a good number of years. I wanted to do something different, so I joined Max Mueller Bhavan, Goethe Institute, Center for German Studies, as a receptionist.

What I experienced there just changed my life. You know how people treat receptionists so badly? They don’t get the respect that other working professionals get; everyone’s always rude to them and just taking them for granted. But that’s not what happened to me at Goethe. I did my job, I was proactive, I was helpful, and because of my previous work background, I was able to get things done. And I really enjoyed doing that. One thing I learnt was, you cannot discriminate against someone for their profession. Everybody’s job is important, we should respect that.

People were friendly to me, especially the Germans who keep visiting. They’re so passionate about their culture, their language, that I began learning German until I realised that our culture has so much to offer. When Germans can be so passionate about their language and culture, why can’t I? So now I’m learning to read and write Kannada and I love it.”

Words of wisdom

”The key to success is hard work. But there’s a catch to that. Hard work on its own gives success, but even with that success there is no peace of mind if your intentions aren’t honest. Dishonest hard work might give you success, but trouble usually follows”

Build bridges, not walls

“The problem with urban neighbourhoods today is the lack of unity among  residents. In my day, people would make friends with their neighbours over a cup of coffee or a humble request for some salt or sugar. Today, they don’t even know the names of the folks living next door! If you want to progress as a country, living in communal harmony is essential and fostering unity is a necessity.”

Family does not mean “ just us”

“There have been many cases of people abandoning pets because they were unable to care for them. When you bring home a pet, you bring a new member to your family. It’s not a glamorous affair. You care for them just as you would care for another human. It doesn’t have to be a pedigreed animal; adopt a stray, adopt an abandoned animal, see the love that culminates in. It’s worth much more than you’d ever know.”

Puppy love

“Her eyes are so big, and the way she runs to me when she sees me back from school! She’s the best puppy in the galaxy!”

Sunday is not a holiday for everyone

“Since its Sunday, this road isn’t bustling. That’s a relief…I can’t even catch my breath otherwise. It’s one of those days when I am able to eat lunch on time. Today, I can even sit here under the tree for a few minutes, if I do get tired. I feel for the traffic police boys who take care of the main road. It’s always chaotic. There’s nothing I think we as policemen wouldn’t enjoy doing, at least some of us still do what we can.”

Reality of life

“My dad was an artist back in his day, he used to create artwork for sets on films and advertisements. They used to sell really well, but when he tried to sell his artwork independently, he struggled. I see the same thing even today, and it’s quite disheartening. It’s one of the reasons why I haven’t chosen to become an independent artist, there’s no money in it. Let’s be honest, we all need money to survive. Don’t we? I’ll probably do art as a hobby, but never as a career. Not in a place that doesn’t appreciate its value.”

Being responsible, myself.

“These shoes that I’m wearing today? Yeah they’re pretty expensive, but I saved up for it. Mum and dad didn’t buy them for me.”

Q: “You mean you get pocket money at home?”

“No, I mean the prize money I get for winning street-dancing competitions that I participate in. I saved that up and bought myself these.”

Breaking stereotypes

“Till this day, I can’t cook. I don’t want to learn as well. There used to be a lot of fights at home because of my inability to cook. But marriage changed it all. Not that my in-laws were very pleased either, but my husband was supportive. He was a cook at a hotel in the city back then. That’s how we bonded, he would cook and I would clean. Soon my in-laws got used to it, the complaints stopped, because I used to contribute to the household in other ways. Comments from outsiders would be thwarted by my family.

You know, he still makes the best ‘bisi bele bath.’  Seven years ago, when my son got married, my daughter-in-law did not know how to cook. She learnt it from my husband and calls him up frequently to for masala powder and pickle recipes. I don’t feel bad that I can’t cook, it wasn’t easy for a very long time in my life, but people grew to love me.”

This girl rocks

“The reactions people have when I tell them I’m a drummer in a hard rock band, are quite amusing. Luckily for me, my family has been extremely supportive. The only issue is the curfew. I still have to be home by 6 PM!”

Everybody has to story to tell, if we only had the time to stop for a moment and listen. And every city is beautiful, just like each one of us. A city is as much about its history as about its people and their emotions, and Humans of Bangalore is a testimony to this truth.