Ep#37: Padma Shri Achyut Palav on Calligraphy, Indian Scripts & Art as a Way of Life

In this deeply inspiring episode of The Smiling Souls Seniors Podcast – Expert Series, host Tejsa sits down with Padma Shri awardee Achyut Palav (2025), one of India’s most celebrated master calligraphers and a global ambassador of Indian scripts.

From growing up in a modest chawl to bringing Indian calligraphy to international stages, Achyut Palav shares his remarkable life journey, shaped by discipline, curiosity, and relentless practice. He reflects on his early days of writing on school blackboards, his training at JJ School of Art, his pioneering research on the Modi script, and the creation of “Mukt Lipi”—a script designed to preserve history while remaining easy for modern audiences to read.

Achyut ji also explains why calligraphy is much more than good handwriting—it is a powerful practice of focus, balance and emotional expression. He speaks about calligraphy as therapy for seniors, a confidence-building tool for children, and a meaningful path for underprivileged communities to learn, earn and express themselves. The episode beautifully weaves stories of resilience, creativity, social impact, global recognition, and the philosophy of turning art into a way of life.

This conversation is a gentle reminder that learning has no age, art has no boundaries, and every letter carries emotion, purpose and possibility.

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