MAM
A tale of a storyteller…
MUMBAI: At 34, Hetal Adesara has seen it all… Rather, that’s what she would have us believe through her maiden book, ‘Matrimonial Mocktales.’
From a traditional Gujarati family in Jamshdepur, Hetal, left the small town in East India to get away from being hurled into another traditional Gujarati family through the instituition of arranged marriage. She saw many a “suitable boy” and was seen by many of them as and when her parents referred them to her even as she moved to Mumbai.
‘Matrimonial Mocktales’ is Hetal’s take on a few of these meetings. She does mention though that the instances are dramatized for a better reading experience.
After escaping from Tatanagar, Hetal cut her teeth in journalism in indiantelevision.com by starting and editing The Team Players section which profiled young executives in advertising, marketing, broadcast. She then moved on to report on media, marketing and advertising developments. Her commitment to work and sharp and clear analyses left an impression on whosoever she interviewed or wrote about in the television, advertising and marketing industries between 2003-2005.
She has explored every opportunity that has come her way over the past decade. Following her stint with indiantelevision.com, she helped co-found businessofcinema.com. From writing about films, she went onto to work as an assistant producer with Vidhu Vinod Chopra on 3 Idiots. She then tried her hand at direction, assisting director Rohan Sippy on Nautanki Saala apart from working as script supervisor on the same film. More recently, she worked on the IIFA Awards at Tampa Bay as executive producer for television and digital content.
But all along Hetal nursed in her heart a deep desire to pen her own novel. Which this diploma holder in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications finally fulfilled last year when she wrote ‘Matrimonial Mocktales’. It took her two years to get the book published. But she finally found a publisher in OM Books International.
‘Matrimonial Mocktales’ revolves around young Rhea, who always wanted a Mills & Boon romance but in the real world, that is probably too much to ask. She is raised in a conservative Sikh family in Jalandhar where it is unthinkable for a girl to remain unmarried at 25, let alone 33. But there she is, single and independent and STILL in search of her Mr Right. At just 15, her parents get her engaged to a 23-year-old boy but that story does not pan out as per plan. Having entered the arena of love on a wrong footing, it takes the better part of her young life to find the right man before a whole lot of wrong ones come and go, even as she tries to make sense of her chaotic world.
Hetal believes many a young girl who has escaped – or is struggling to escape – from the clutches of arranged marriage will identify with Rhea the character. “Rhea is educated but because of family pressure she goes through what they ask her to do. It could be any other girl from any other small town who has dreams to achieve and be happy with the man she loves, and not the man that’s chosen for her,” she says. “That should resonnate with today’s women.”
Quite a few eyebrows were raised, even among Hetal’s friends, at her move to quit working and take time off to write her novel. But, resolute young woman that she is, she did not let any of their reservations hold her back.
“As a kid, I loved scribbling poems and dreamt of becoming a writer. God has been kind to me and I am sure there is a lot more in store for me,” says she.
Indeed, Hetal is already working on the sequel to ‘Matrimonial Mocktales’. “I want to continue to write stories because I think it is an enriching experience,” she adds.
What would she advise young, budding writers out there? “There is a huge market out there which is unexplored in the publishing industry in India. Get the right inspiration and get to penning it down right,” she says.
We at indiantelevision.com wish our former employee and colleague good luck and recommend readers to and pick up a copy of her book for a good weekend read! It will be money well spent!
Building long-term wealth through compounding is a gradual process. In the early stages, it may feel like your investment corpus isn’t growing significantly. However, over time, the magic of compounding begins to show its effect. Investing requires consistency and perseverance, especially since market fluctuations can test your patience.
Mutual Funds offer a convenient feature called the Systematic Investment Plan (SIP), which allows you to invest a fixed amount at regular intervals, ensuring continuity in your investment journey. SIPs can be tailored to suit any financial goal—short-term, medium-term, or long-term.
What is a Systematic Investment Plan (SIP)?
A SIP is a method of investing in open-ended mutual funds by selecting a fixed amount and a preferred date for investment. You can start with as little as Rs 500 or Rs 250 per month (known as a Choti SIP), with no upper limit. SIPs are flexible—you can pause, modify, or stop them as needed, subject to fund house terms.
Many mutual funds also offer a Top-Up SIP option, allowing you to increase your SIP amount annually by a fixed percentage. This helps you accelerate your savings and reach your financial goals sooner.
How Does a SIP Work?
SIP investing is simple and automated. Once you set up a mandate, the chosen amount is deducted from your registered bank account and invested in the selected fund.
Key Benefits of SIP Investing
• Automated monthly investments
• Benefit from rupee cost averaging during market volatility
• Flexibility to change SIP date, amount, pause or cancel
• No need to time the market
• Participate in both market upsides and downsides
Things to Consider Before Starting Your First SIP
Before starting a SIP:
• Define your financial goals and timeline
• Assess your risk appetite
• Decide on asset allocation (equity, debt, gold, international funds, REITs, etc.)
• Choose suitable mutual funds based on your allocation
• Use SIP calculators to determine the monthly investment needed to reach your goal
Building Wealth the Simple Way
For new investors, SIPs offer a disciplined and convenient way to invest toward life goals. With a wide range of mutual fund schemes available, selecting the right fund is key to building a strong portfolio. If you’re unsure where to begin, consult a financial advisor for guidance.
FAQs
Are SIPs better than one-time investing?
Equity markets tend to be volatile. Hence, SIP offers the benefit of rupee cost averaging. This ensures that you get more units when the markets fall and less units when it rises, thereby averaging the cost per unit of your investment. In fact, SIP may reduce the risk of timing the market so that your investment can benefit from volatile markets.
How does a SIP actually work for new investors?
A SIP works by investing a fixed amount in a mutual fund at regular intervals. Once the mandate is set up, the amount is automatically debited from your bank account and invested in the chosen fund, helping you invest in a disciplined manner without tracking market movements.
Should I pause my SIP when market is falling?
Investing through SIP when markets are falling helps you accumulate more mutual fund units. Every time the market falls, your SIP buys more units. In case of negative returns, the loss you see is only notional, i.e., it will be real if you decide to sell off your holdings. Benefits of a SIP are seen over the long term when you keep investing regularly over different market cycles.
Can SIP investment be stopped and restarted later?
You can pause or stop your SIP at any time, subject to the terms of the fund house. The units you have already invested remain unaffected, and you can restart the SIP later based on your requirements.
How much amount should I invest through SIP?
The SIP amount should reflect your goals. Minimum investment amount to start a SIP may vary across Fund Houses.
What should be the ideal SIP date every month?
You can start a SIP on any day of the month, depending on the available options that vary across fund houses.
How long should I continue my SIP Investment?
Start an SIP with a financial goal in mind like buying a car or higher education of your child. The time to fulfil your financial goal should be the tenure of your SIP.
Can I make changes in my SIP investment later?
You can change the date of debit and frequency, modify the SIP amount, and also pause or stop your SIP, depending on the available options that vary across fund houses.
How do I begin?
Where you invest depends on your risk profile and investment horizon. You should consult a trusted financial advisor who can help you invest to plan for your life goals.
How can I achieve my goals using SIP?
Decide your financial goal and the amount of money you need to achieve it. Then, you can use a SIP calculator to find out the amount you will need to invest regularly to meet your financial goal.
Disclaimer:
1Past performance may or may not be sustained in future and is not a guarantee of any future returns.
Mutual Funds do not have a fixed rate of return and it is not possible to predict the rate of return.
Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.
This is part of an investor education and awareness initiative by PGIM India Mutual Fund.
