Ask a creative professional how they landed their first big opportunity, and the answer is rarely straightforward. There is usually a friend who makes an introduction. A manager who takes a chance. Or an encouraging senior who points them in the right direction.
The creative industry has always run on information that isn&rsquo;t written down. Which gallery should you approach? How do you pitch a label? What should your first exhibition look like? Who is actually worth emailing?
These conversations often happen behind closed doors, and usually only if you know someone who is already on the inside.
That is the gap anArtizen hopes to bridge with Unfair Advantage, a platform that lets emerging creatives book 30-minute, one-on-one sessions with working professionals across music, comedy, film, publishing, dance, and visual art.&nbsp;
The roster of experts includes names such as Raghav Meattle, Kumar Varun, Santanu Hazarika, Aoneha Tagore, Radhika Agarwal, Saksham Mendiratta, Taaruk Raina, among others. Each session is designed around a creator&rsquo;s specific challenge rather than a generic masterclass.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jul/Meher-Sachdeva_e.jpg" alt="Meher Sachdeva, Radhika Nihalani and Santanu Hazarika" /> Meher Sachdeva, Radhika Nihalani and Santanu Hazarika
For the founder of anArtizen, Meher Sachdeva, the idea began long before she worked in artist management. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been a dancer my whole life. But I was injured very early on, and not a lot of teachers knew how to handle that. I felt very isolated. I was Googling furiously and finding a lot of resources in the West, but nothing that was contextually accurate to the resources that were available to me.&rdquo;
The same questions resurfaced years later while managing artists. &ldquo;I would see people wait and wait for conferences where everybody would descend with 10,000 people and a limited amount of time and too many questions. One of the largest problems we were struggling with was just access and contextual information.&rdquo;
Instead of another panel discussion or workshop, Sachdeva imagined something more personal. &ldquo;The reality is: This is my situation, my life. How do I jam with someone? How do I actually see what is contextually right for me?&rdquo;
The name of the platform &mdash; Unfair Advantage &mdash; itself is a deliberate provocation. &ldquo;We have always looked at unfair advantages in a negative context,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;The idea here is really that we want to democratise the advantages we are getting. Here&rsquo;s access to some of the biggest people literally telling you how to adapt and use your story and your context.&rdquo;
The premise taps into a larger shift in India&rsquo;s creative economy. Independent musicians, filmmakers, designers and comedians today have more ways than ever to publish their work, but getting noticed remains a challenge in its own right. That is where a mentor could step in and help.
But Sachdeva is careful not to describe it as mentorship. &ldquo;Mentorship feels more long-drawn-out. This is a great way to start, which is just being available for people to give time with, because time is a huge constraint in this industry.&rdquo;
Radhika Nihalani, founder and CEO of Think Ink Communications and Think Talkies, is one of the platform&rsquo;s advisors. She says, &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think mentorship makes it a level playing field, and I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s its role. There will always be people who have better access, stronger networks or a head start. But what good mentorship can do is open your mind to possibilities you may not have seen for yourself.&rdquo;
The sessions aren&rsquo;t meant to become fan interactions either. Applicants must first explain why they have chosen a particular expert and what they want help with via a form.&nbsp;
The questions, Sachdeva says, are incredibly varied. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen everything from &lsquo;I don&rsquo;t know how to market my next song&rsquo; and &lsquo;I don&rsquo;t know how to make dance a viable career&rsquo; to &lsquo;I don&rsquo;t know how to get into galleries&rsquo; or &lsquo;I just need a creative partner to jam with&rsquo;.&rdquo;
For visual artist Santanu Hazarika, one of the platform&rsquo;s advisors, the sessions are less about handing out a formula for success and more about helping creatives trust their instincts.
&ldquo;When someone books time with me, the first thing they would walk away with is inspiration,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not helping them build a career or solve a specific problem. I&rsquo;m not going to dictate dos and don&rsquo;ts, but basically make you stronger with what you have.&rdquo;
&ldquo;The one piece of advice I wish I had had would be to be clear with communication and contracts. They should always mention the scope of work, number of changes, duration of the project and remuneration.&rdquo;
Nihalani hopes that each session allows creatives to leave with clarity. &ldquo;I have realised that people don&rsquo;t always need someone to have all the answers. Sometimes they just need someone to ask the right questions.&rdquo;&nbsp;

This new platform lets young creatives book one-on-one talks with the country’s leading industry insiders. Can half-an-hour open doors that usually take years t

Now you’ve got the ‘Unfair Advantage’ too!

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This new platform lets young creatives book one-on-one talks with the country’s leading industry insiders. Can half-an-hour open doors that usually take years to find?

Now you’ve got the ‘Unfair Advantage’ too!

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Home / Sunday-mid-day / Article / Now you’ve got the ‘Unfair Advantage’ too!

Now you’ve got the ‘Unfair Advantage’ too!

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