BY FOUNDER RAJ GIRN

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How do you encapsulate 10 years of dening an era in 10 pages of a

magazine? the many moments that took us on an unprecedented journey that burgeoned uphill climbs, down-valley slides, glorious sun-laden skies and oceans deep with undiscovered treasures, found. I dont think anyone has captured the crux of the story of ANOKHI MEDIA quite like the words of French actress Marion Cotillard who once said: Im very happy with whats happening now and how the awareness is spreading because 10 years ago, my mind-set wasnt really normal for most people. Touch and Amen to that!

As is the case with most entrepreneurs and their enterprises (and Ive shared insights with enough entrepreneurs over the years to come to this conclusion), theres a very ne line between the professional endeavour and the personal experience of it all. Rampant with action and adventure no less squash buckling than Raiders of the Lost Ark, as heartfelt as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, as intense as Inception, or as liberating as Monsoon Wedding and the Titanic, nothing can take you on a more multidimensional journey of discovery than having the balls to take the road less travelled. Except that is, for cementing the foundation to create your OWN road from scratch, paving it, and having people walk on it as THE road to their destination. THATs the story of ANOKHI MEDIA, and the reason why I can unequivocally say that ANOKHI MEDIA truly has dened an era since its inception 10 years ago.

Heres a compilation of some of ANOKHI MEDIAs dening moments . . .

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THE MAGAZINE:
Founded in 2002, ANOKHI MEDIA launched a quarterly high-gloss fashion, lifestyle and entertainment publication called ANOKHI magazine, which is now North Americas longest running and only mainstream magazine about the savvy international South Asian community. With print distribution spanning nationwide in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, and a digital edition delivered electronically worldwide, the magazine has become known for its unparalleled and extensive editorial coverage in fashion, style and beauty; nutrition, tness and cuisine; sex and relationship advice; home and garden; travel; business; arts and entertainment and celebrity interviews. ANOKHI is the only high-gloss magazine of its kind in North America to have garnered an impressive roster of A-list cover personalities on both sides of the Atlantic. Ethnic: Mainstream: Crossover: Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan, Katrina Kaif, Mallika Sherawat and Kajol. Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Nelly Furtado and Nicole Scherzinger.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDY LEE; HAIR & MAKEUP BY BREE POWELL; RAJ GIRNS GOWN BY DINESH RAMSAY

Freida Pinto, Jay Sean, Melinda Shankar and Lisa Ray.

ANOKHI is the only such media to have secured an impressive roster of multinational advertisers such as: Air Canada, Aveeno, Etihad Airways, Hallmark, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Johnnie Walker, Lancme, Loblaws, L Oral, Rogers Communications, Rowenta Beauty, Sears, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts and Vichy, to name a few.

(L-R) THE ANOKHI TEAM: SORIYYA BAWA, AJAY LAD, FARAH KHAN, SARAH KIRMANI, JACQUELINE PARRISH, FEMIDA SIDI, HARJINDER GIRN, HINA P. ANSARI, RAJ GIRN, MONIKA BHONDY, SANA TAHIR, GERALD LAING, KIMBERLEY MARQUIS, ADIL HIRJI, GEETA WAHAB.

Additionally, the magazines exemplary editorial team have become the go-to experts regarding all things South Asian for the mainstream media, having garnered years of unparalleled coverage on CBC, Citytv, CTV, Rogers Television, Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto Star and more.
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ANOKHIS 8TH ANNIVERSARY AWARDS AND DINNER SHOW, 2011

Talking About Success

Ali Asaria:
Founder/CEO of Well.ca

Rohit Bhargava:
Senior Vice President, Strategy & Marketing, Ogilvy, and Published Author

Having a balance between extreme frugality and at the same time, dreaming really big, is the key to our success. Dr. Raywat Deonandan:
Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, and Published Author

Self-censorship is the biggest obstacle to creativity and innovation. That is the biggest killer of every great idea you have had in the last 10 years. Satish Jha:
President/CEO, One Laptop per Child

EVENTS:
Themed around celebrity and well-known personality appearances, dynamic live musical performances, and illustrious fashion runway showcases, ANOKHI events create the optimal environment to bring together the worlds of celebrity, multinational corporations, media and the public. The calendar highlight is the much anticipated Anniversary Awards Show which takes place during international awards season (Winter), in Toronto, every year. This event marks ANOKHI magazines anniversary milestone each year which is celebrated with participants from across Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and India, who attend with much anticipation. Branding is an integral component of ANOKHIs marketing and promotional push. Much thought and strategic planning goes into sending the correct message through nite detailing and visually appealing dcor. A strong portfolio of celebrity and high-prole attendance from around the world has included: Actors: Freida Pinto, Faran Tahir, Pooja Kumar, Melinda Shankar and Karen David.

Its not about delivering coffee to the boardroom; its about sharing the boardroom. Dr. Gopal Bhatnagar:
Chief of Cardiac Surgery, Mississaugas Trillium Health Centre

There are one billion children in the world who go to school and dont have a computer. Amar Varma:
President of Xtreme Labs Inc.

One of the greatest failings of the medical establishment has been, being unable to ensure patient safety and quality. Syerah Virani:
CEO/Editor-In-Chief, MyBindi.com

SMS is the number one data application in the world . . . 90 per cent of texts are read, and 50 per cent of users are 30 years of age or older. Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria:
Founding Director, Micorp

Quit your day job. If you are not focusing on your business, you dont have time to be a visionary for your business. Take a leap of faith. Rashi Khilnani:
Producer/Journalist

Fashion Designers: Vikram Phadnis, Ashley Rebello, Payal Singhal, Prriya & Chintan and Alia Khan. Musical Artists: Swami, Raghav, Anjulie, Imran Khan and JoSH.

Do something that you love. Dont do what youre good at; just what you enjoy what youre passionate about. Just go after your dreams. Sanjay Singhal:
Co-Founder/CEO of Simply Audiobooks

Business Experts: Rohan Oza and Gurbaksh Chahal. Athlete: Emanuel Sandhu

For those of you who are not sure of yourselves, go out, do it, ask people questions, take a chance.
First published in the Winter 2010 issue of ANOKHI magazine, therefore, the position of each personality may have changed since. For authenticity of republishing, all information has been kept the same as when it was rst published.

Media Support has been extensive over the years. Our 2009 anniversary event, for example, documented over ve million impressions for print alone. Coverage has included: CBC, CP24, CTV, Fashion Television, Global Television, Globe and Mail, OMNI Television, Rogers Television, Toronto Star and South Asian media across all platforms (print, TV , radio, online). ANOKHIs charity support has included raising money and awareness for: Human Rights Watch (2007-08), Red Cross (2009), Heart & Stroke Foundation (2010) and Canfar (2011). Consumer engagement each year ranges from 1,200 to over 2,000 attendees from across North America.

If 10 thousand dollars is all it cost to learn humility, thats not bad.

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PROJECTED LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

The Good, The Bad & The In-Between ...

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY PROJECTED LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY; JAG PHOTOGRAPHY (FREIDA PINTO; RAJ GIRN)

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1. ACTOR, FREIDA PINTO AT ANOKHIS 6TH ANNIVERSARY AWARDS SHOW, 2009 2. THEMED ANNIVERSARY CAKE BY FINE CAKES BY ZEHRA, DURING ANOKHIS 8TH ANNIVERSARY AWARDS SHOWS MEDIA RECEPTION, 2011 3. ANOKHIS COMMUNITY OF SUPPORTERS ENJOYING THE VIP AFTER PARTY EXPERIENCE, 2010 4. BOLLYWOOD FASHION DESIGNER, VIKRAM PHADNIS SHOWCASES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CANADA AT ANOKHIS 8TH ANNIVERSARY AWARDS SHOW. PICTURED HERE WITH CELEBRATED CANADIAN MODEL, AZURA, 2011 5. THE HISTORICAL LIBERTY GRAND, THREE-TIME HOST VENUE FOR ANOKHIS ANNIVERSARY AWARDS SHOWS, 2009 2011 6. SINGER, RAGHAV PERFORMING DURING ANOKHIS 8TH ANNIVERSARY AWARDS SHOW, 2011 7. OLYMPIC ATHLETE, EMANUEL SANDHU RECEIVING HIS AWARD AT ANOKHIS 7TH ANNIVERSARY AWARDS SHOW, 2010 8. ACTOR, POOJA KUMAR DURING HER AWARD ACCEPTANCE SPEECH AT ANOKHIS 7TH ANNIVERSARY AWARDS SHOW, 2010 9. SINGER, IMRAN KHAN PERFORMING DURING ANOKHIS 7TH ANNIVERSARY AWARDS SHOW, 2010 10. BOLLYWOOD FASHION DESIGNER, ASHLEY REBELLO AT ANOKHIS 7TH ANNIVERSARY AWARDS SHOW, SHOWCASING HIS RUNWAY SHOW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CANADA, 2010 11. ACTOR, FARHAN TAHIR ACCEPTS HIS AWARD AT ANOKHIS 7TH ANNIVERSARY AWARDS SHOW, 2010 12. ANOKHIS FOUNDER & CEO, RAJ GIRN AT ANOKHIS 9TH ANNIVERSARY VEGAS IN BOLLYWOOD THEMED EVENT, 2012

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ONLINE:
*ANNOUNCEMENT: In 2013, the ANOKHI magazine and ANOKHI Pulse TV websites will be amalgamated and launched as one major online community to optimize consumer engagement, at www.AnokhiMedia.com

Extensive collection of photo galleries: www.AnokhiMagazine.com/Gallery

ANOKHI PULSE TV WEBSITE: Our video content resides here, bringing behind-the-velvet-rope access to the glitz and glam associated with the worlds of celebrity, fashion, music and lm, in a highly engaging and ANOKHI MAGAZINE WEBSITE: visually appealing manner: A 24/7 dynamic global community www.AnokhiPulse.tv experience which comprises: Select, full articles from our 10 years of magazine content: www.AnokhiMagazine.com Daily active blog posts of up-to-date news and buzz: www.AnokhiMagazine.com/ TheAnokhiBlog CELEBRITY BLOG SITE: Our 10 years of celebrity one-on-one magazine and video interviews can be viewed on an afliate site: www.OpenChest.com Print Webisodes Blogs

Celebrities Open Chest About OPEN CHEST . . .

Kim Kardashian:
Reality TV Star
I was very excited to do my rst cover and interview with a South Asian magazine. I loved my interview with Raj and ANOKHI magazine. Thank you for the opportunity to reach out to my global South Asian fan base!

Freida Pinto:
Hollywood Actor, Slumdog Millionaire, Immortals, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Trishna
Most of us would agree when I say that in this highly competitive world of entertainment, its hard or practically impossible to nd believers or takers for what you produce, especially when you emerge from absolute obscurity. That however, I cannot claim to be entirely true to my story as I was blessed with a few people who believed in me even before I was really discovered. Raj is part of that inner circle and I treasure our friendship because of how genuine and sincere it is. She is a no-nonsense, straightforward, extremely hard-working and positive individual, and above all, she is rare! She is the kind of person you can respect and nd admiration for quite effortlessly. I will always remember your simple but powerful words to me, Nothing is impossible. Raj, thank you for being you!

Mallika Sherawat:
Bollywood Actor, Murder, Hiss, Love Barack
Raj made me feel very comfortable and warm. I knew I could trust her and that my answers would not be twisted or manipulated. It was a great experience; shes a real pro!

Melinda Shankar:
TV Actor, Degrassi: The Next Generation, How to Be Indie
Interviews and press isnt unusual for my line of work. However, what is unusual is nding an interviewer that you connect with and who you trust opening up to. From the day I met Raj, I felt as if I had known her for some time. She was energetic, friendly, genuine and of course very dedicated to her work, making her easy to relate
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NEWSLETTER:
Weekly roundup of articles, news blogs, featured photos, videos and events, delivered directly to subscribers inboxes in the form of a free newsletter. http://bit.ly/anokhi-newsletter

SOCIAL MEDIA:
For the most up-to-date happenings in real time, we stay connected with our global community via various, popular social media communities: Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest To nd us, search ANOKHI MEDIA.

to and have a bond with her. Her passion for her craft is refreshing and inspiring she has a vision and wont settle for anything less.

Karen David:
Actor, Batman Begins, Flight of Fury, The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior
The world needs more inspiring women like Raj Girn. She is the kind of woman who simply brings out the best in you. Raj, thank you for our heartwarming and endearing, up close and personal interview. I had so much fun what a laugh, NEVER a dull moment when Im in the chair with you! Congrats on this new milestone (as youve taught me) love what OPEN CHEST is all about and represents for women of all ages!

Nicole Scherzinger:
Singer & Songwriter
Im so grateful to have a real interview.

Jay Sean:
Singer & Songwriter
I thoroughly enjoyed Rajs interview because it was clear to me that she did her research and put a lot of thought and preparation into it, and got more out of me than just the generic questions, that are so often asked. As a result, it felt more like a wonderful in-depth and free-owing conversation with a very smart friend! We covered so many aspects of my life both personal and career that I feel Raj almost effortlessly got the real me in this interview, which was one of my favourite yet!

Saira Mohan:
International Model
Raj Girn is a woman of maternal substance and undeniable determination. She gives incredible attention to detail. She has worked very hard to become the epitome of success not to mention, shes one of the most thoughtful, caring human beings Ive ever met. Cheers to you Raj! Thank you for creating a platform which empowers women to speak their minds and not be afraid of their own inner power.
Testimonials provided by OPEN CHEST/Cover Story personalities who have been interviewed over the years.

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The South Asian

Karan Johar:
Producer & Director Personally, I drew strength from my cultures strong family values, its conservative approach to lifestyle as a teen, and its emphasis on being educated and being an achiever. There also are things that I think we need to change in our culture, and I have never been afraid to take them on. I think we all have to be part of a healthy evolution in regard to womens issues and social parity.

Identity . . .
Ritu Beri:
Indian Fashion Designer I am very lucky to be South Asian and a designer because I get the best of both worlds. I come from a country where there is a lot of heritage and culture, which helps me get inspired so much easier, and I think our depth and spirituality works.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta:

Senior Medical Correspondent, CNN To be South Asian for me has become an immense source of pride. It means having a culture. That is something I can always rely upon, not only socially and economically, but also now, increasingly, politically. People are very supportive of everything Ive done.

Neeta Lulla:
Indian Fashion Designer I take great pride in the fact that I am South Asian, especially an Indian. The fact that my country is so rich in its heritage and culture, and is always on the giving end to everybody around the world, be it for any of the technologies, machinery, intelligence, creative sources, fashion, whatever; Im extremely proud.

Suhana Meharchand:
TV Anchor, CBC As a journalist, I believe that caring can happen through mentoring. I spend a lot of time answering a lot of questions about journalism, about what it means to affect change through media and thats a reection of my South Asian upbringing and values.

Akshay Kumar:
Bollywood Actor I am proud to be South Asian. It is a very old culture that is rich in art, philosophy and fashion. Fashion begins with South Asians, and that is why it is copied and globalized by other cultures.

Saif Ali Khan:

Bollywood Actor When I was a child, my mother (Bollywood legend Sharmila Tagore) used to say, that the difference between the East and the West is that the West is about the survival of the ttest, whereas the East is about the protection of the weak.

Bally Sagoo:
Music Producer, Ishq Records For me, being South Asian is everything. I am proud of my culture and heritage. You can go east and you can go west, but India is the best!

Jesse Randhawa:
Indian Supermodel Being South Asian today, at this time, I feel really proud because the whole world is copying us. All the designers you see abroad, they are trying to copy Indian designs, or something in the outts that is typically Indian.

First published in the Summer 2003 issue of ANOKHI magazine.

Purva Bedi:
Independent Film Actor, American Desi, Green Card Fever It means so many things, but one thing that immediately jumps to mind is family. For me, being Indian means being connected to family . . . being rooted. It also means being adaptable, spiritual, hard-working and . . . crazy!

Monika Deol:
TV Host, Citytv Being South Asian is having a heritage and having a culture that has been a great source of strength to me.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDY LEE, HAIR & MAKEUP BY BREE POWELL; RAJ GIRNS GOWN BY DINESH RAMSAY

And thats just the rst 10 years of an organic company, founded from nothing more than an idea, which at the time, seemed like just a fantastical dream to elevate and uplift the richness and diversity of the dynamic South Asian diaspora worldwide. ANOKHI MEDIA has become a reliable, relevant and engaging part of so many peoples lives; reaching right from our backyard to around the world! And its all thanks to the tireless and dedicated work of my wonderful ANOKHI team, the consistent support of our valued client base, the extensive editorial coverage by our media colleagues, the incredible stories from within our global community, and the uninching support from our wonderful public from everywhere communication exists. Thank you truly and sincerely for helping us imprint our indelible mark in your daily lives over this past decade. Heres to another 10 years of dening an era together!
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