Payal Chawla embarked on a legal journey by enrolling at the Campus Law Centre at Delhi University. She distinguished herself by achieving the top position in an all-India competition, earning the prestigious Rotary Scholarship.
Additionally, securing the Russel Baker Fellowship and The International House of Chicago Grant transformed her dream into a tangible reality, paving the way to the esteemed Law School at the University of Chicago. After completing her law degree, Payal returned to India, joining a prestigious multinational company as their in-house legal counsel.
On the personal front, the marriage was far from happy. In 1999, she experienced the joy of pregnancy. But, in the backdrop of her life’s highs and some lows, dark shadows of doom had begun to loom. Her pregnancy seemed to trigger the worst from both professional and personal quarters – a reality most women face – who often either fail to recognize the discrimination/harassment or lack the means to confront it.
At her workplace, she faced systematic discrimination – a classic case of pregnancy and young motherhood discrimination. On the personal front, her marriage deteriorated further. As a young pregnant woman, she encountered marital challenges, lacking the support she needed… Fortunately, her parents and brother provided unwavering support.
Little did she realize that this juncture marked the prologue to a tumultuous two-decade saga in her life—a poignant chapter that unfolded in the gripping battle of the sexes. Payal made the difficult, but courageous choice not to remain silent; instead, she chose to fight using the only means she knew—the legal path. She confronted the ordeal head-on, staring the beast in the face, she took the battle straight to the doors of the apex court.
In May 2013, she established the country’s sole all-women firm, JusContractus. The firm is profoundly dedicated to the empowerment, training, and advancement of women lawyers in the field of commercial law, which has historically been male-dominated. As a first-generation woman lawyer with limited resources, her choice to start an all-women lawyer was a difficult choice, to put it mildly. She attributes the firm’s success to her unwavering faith and an indomitable spirit. JusContractus quickly gained recognition and received numerous accolades. Payal also seamlessly balanced her work in commercial law and her commitment to women’s rights, showing equal dedication to both areas.
In 2015, Forbes India recognized Payal among the Minds That (Should) Matter. In 2019, the firm was photographed by Ms Lynn Johnson, a Pulitzer nominee photographer of National Geographic, as part of their celebration of the 100th anniversary of the US Suffrage Movement.
The story of Payal Chawla..Is a fight of every working woman. Payal, instead of being a silent spectator decided to fight for her rights & has been an inspiration to many Women.
The Mind that Matters, captures the very essence of Payal’s journey & kudos to Ajay Chitnis for handling this subject deftly.
Payal’s epic battle against a corporate giant has been an inspiration to many. Payal regularly writes on legal matters for newspapers and other publications and also speaks on legal issues. In a light-hearted manner, she humorously refers to herself as the „writing counsel”.
She leaves a lasting legacy that echoes the profound words of President Barack Obama – „Our destiny is not written for us, but by us”
Passion drove Ajay Chitnis to capture the vignette, hues & shades of Payal not in paint but on celluloid!
His modest & industrious nature has brought him to the forefront of Producing & Directing more than 100 Biopics.
Ajay has been venturesome with human sensibilities. Be it paradoxes, oddities, or a sensitive subject on gender bias which he handled deftly.
Ajay has not only done justice to Payal’s heart-rending story but has also given purpose to Women in Life. Breaking the century-old taboo of gender stereotypes he has emerged as an unwavering filmmaker for whom, fame takes a backseat to his beliefs. He is truly a ground-breaking filmmaker of today’s time!
The film has won more than 25 Awards in India & abroad & has been screened in Embassies in India & on Women-Related platforms.
Recently, the creative of the film featuring Payal & Ajay was featured on the billboard of Times Square, New York on the 8th of March, an International Women’s Day!
AJAY CHITNIS
Ajay Chitnis is quintessentially a Chronicler, Storyteller, and Documentary Film Maker. He has been producing Documentaries since 2000. He has Produced and Directed over 100 documentaries that showcase the awe-inspiring stories of individuals who succeeded in life despite facing severe hardships.
These are the stories of people who broke the norms of society and made a name for themselves. Ajay constantly strives to push the boundaries of filmmaking beyond the contemporary edges. His goals for successful direction and manifesting the different personalities of the people he documents in his films are what sets him apart as a Producer and Director.
He gave up his flourishing corporate career and pursued his passion for cinema. His first breakthrough was in 2000 when he produced a Music Video for Times Music named Duma Dum Mast Kalandar.
Fascinated by the lives of entrepreneurs and businessmen in India, Ajay started a vernacular program on Marathi entrepreneurs titled “Bharari” which was featured on Star TV Marathi Channel Tara TV and later on Zee 24 Taas. Subsequently, he also produced Education Express, another vernacular show on the best B-schools in Maharashtra which was aired on SAAM Marathi channel.
Ajay has been conferred national and international awards overtime for his work.
”Documentary filmmaking is a tad difficult if compared to filmmaking since there is no masala in it and it is non-fiction. I always felt that if you want to be a good Documentary filmmaker you need to be a good storyteller.”
– Ajay Chitnis
TRAILBLAZERS
Trailblazers is Ajay’s humble attempt to chronicle the extraordinary stories of some outstanding personalities in a printed coffee table book. These people are away from the glare of glamour and silently bring a change in the world in their own way. His ultimate aim is to bring out the unheard stories of the unsung heroes, one story at a time.
The very word TrailBlazers means that you make a trail, blaze a trail, and set it on fire. And how you set it on fire is what makes it very special. Sh. Ajay Chitnis and his team, supported by Ms. Aditi Govitrikar, has made this amazing series and I am fascinated by it.
Tom Alter
I must congratulate you for not relying exclusively on my views about myself but subjecting my friends and family members to clever and meaningful interrogation. Your attachment to truth is remarkable.
Ram Jethmalani
12.05.2024 Stockholm
