Neelesh Misra “I am the non-intrusive librarian, the postman, who wants to document for this generation and the next, the views of people important for our era”
Neelesh Misra is one of India’s leading changemakers who has constantly introduced new and socially impactful ideas that have positively impacted millions of people. He has broken new ground with new and innovative ideas. Mr. Misra occupies a unique space among communications professionals and his work has had a diverse impact in India. His work straddles many worlds.
Crusader of Conscious Entrepreneurship
Mr. Misra has led the creation of The Slow Movement brand and brought many spectrums of content, consumption and connectivity together to audiences through a series of innovations that combine ground reach as well as digital reach.
The Slow Movement is a sincere effort to go #BackToBasics — to a slower, more meaningful and rooted life. As the founder of The Slow Movement, Mr. Misra is trying to help people reconnect with the beautiful small joys and experiences that we left behind in our fast-paced lives. These experiences could range from consuming relaxed video / audio / text content; sensory experiences and products and things that reflect the thinking, which are pure and uncorrupted. The Slow Movement is the umbrella concept which encompasses the following –
Slow Content: Video and audio content that reconnects viewers and listeners with their craving for a simpler life and takes them back to their roots with Audio Storytelling, The Slow Interview (Celebrity interviews), ItsYourMic (a platform for budding talent) and much more.
Slow Products: A unique enterprise that seeks to stand alongside the creator as well as the consumer. The creator could be a farmer working in the fields of a remote rural Indian farm field, or an artisan creating beautiful works of art carrying forward a tradition of generations, or an artiste painting tribal art and keeping alive a centuries-old heritage. From honeys and cookies to toys and handicrafts, our effort is to bring a level of honesty, sincerity and earnestness that is reflected across everything we do. Slow products will be available on the platform of Slow Bazaar.
Slow Journalism through GAON CONNECTION: In an era of clickbait, paid news and titillating news content, going back to old-fashioned journalism of footwork and depth and still riding the digital wave for massive reach. Gaon Connection is a rural media platform unique in India, where 67 per cent of the country’s 1.3 billion people live in villages but have no voice in the mainstream media, whether print, digital or TV. Gaon Connection (www.gaonconnection.com) works across several well-synchronised verticals: video content (long form sensibility in long and short formats), audio content (audio storytelling for the rural-minded), text-digital content, print, India’s biggest media survey team, and smartphone-armed community journalists at the district and village levels.
SLOW EXPERIENCES Pvt. Ltd.: Travelers are increasingly seeking hospitality experiences that support sustainability and environment friendly measures. Slow Experiences is an effort to give memorable experiences and small joys through Slow homestays & Slow Café.
Mr. Misra did his schooling from St. Joseph’s College, Nainital (1988) and Mahanagar Boys’ Inter College, Lucknow (1990). He did his graduation from Kumaun University, Nainital (1993) and later studied at Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi, India. As a journalist, he has covered conflict and insurgency over the past two decades in South Asia, traveling deep into the hinterland. After living in Delhi and Mumbai for many years, Mr. Misra decided to move back to his hometown Lucknow and his dream of creating a world of positivity through sustainable content and products led him to conceptualize The Slow Movement.
Radio Storyteller
Neelesh Misra is India’s most loved audio storyteller who revived storytelling and is one of the main contributors to the revival of radio listening in India over the past decade. He conservatively reaches more than 100 million listeners every month across platforms. His award-winning primetime show, Yaadon Ka Idiot Box with Neelesh Misra on 92.7 BIG FM is currently in its 5th season, airing across 53 cities, 1200 towns and 50,000+ villages. Apart from this, his work is airing or has aired on several radio broadcasters including Radio Mirchi, Red FM, Radio City and All India Radio. Mr. Misra also commands huge popularity in the digital universe, with his shows on Saavn and Jio, the two biggest apps in the entertainment space in India. His latest show on Audible – Bhootkaal is also immensely popular.
Mr. Misra narrates stories written by him and a group of writers he mentors (collectively called the Mandali) every day.
Lyricist
Mr. Misra has written lyrics for more than 30 films. He has worked with some of the leading composers such as Pritam, Sajid-Wajid, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Vishal-Shekhar, Anu Malik and Sandesh Shandilya.
Author
Mr. Misra has authored five books (four non-fiction and a novel) and edited three books. All of them have been on Indian bestseller lists.
Awards
Two-time winner of India’s highest journalism honour, the Ram Nath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism (for a nine-part series for Hindustan Times on insurgency, titled India Besieged) and for a series on Uncovering India Invisible (Gaon Connection)
A three-time winner of the K.C. Kulish Memorial Award.