Manish KR, Founder, Tanza Talks

In a world obsessed with viral moments, fleeting fame and the next big digital sensation, Manish KR, Founder of Tanza Talks, is playing a rather different game. He is interested in the stories that endure long after the cameras stop rolling… the struggles behind success, the risks behind remarkable achievements and the people whose journeys deserve to be remembered. What began as an entrepreneurial venture during his engineering days at Lovely Professional University has evolved into a storytelling platform that has featured over 200 personalities spanning celebrities, entrepreneurs, educators, artists and athletes. For Manish, the real magic lies not in merely documenting success, but in uncovering the human experiences that make it meaningful.

His journey reflects an instinctive understanding that audiences want more than polished success stories. They want the failures, the turning points, the difficult decisions and the moments of doubt that rarely make it into public narratives. That belief has shaped Tanza Talks from its early days of community-building, events and conversations into a platform with a larger ambition: to make authentic storytelling accessible, relatable and impactful. In an increasingly crowded content landscape, where algorithms reward speed and attention spans are constantly tested, Manish believes that stories with emotional truth can still cut through the noise.

Now, with Journey of Legacy, Tanza Talks is stepping into a more ambitious arena: long-form documentary storytelling for OTT audiences. The six-part series explores the journeys of educational institutions, including DIT University, Bennett University and SAGE University, looking beyond rankings and achievements to examine the vision, sacrifices, leadership and defining decisions behind their creation. Hosted by actor Pooja A. Gor, the series brings together leadership conversations, archival material, student perspectives and cinematic visuals to create narratives that are as much about people and purpose as they are about institutions. For Manish, this is not a departure from Tanza Talks’ original vision; it is an opportunity to take that vision deeper.

His larger ambition is to build Tanza Talks into a global storytelling and documentary production brand, bringing untold Indian stories to wider audiences. From entrepreneurs and family businesses to cultural icons and changemakers, he wants to spotlight journeys that inspire the next generation while preserving legacies that might otherwise remain unheard. And in an era when content is often measured by clicks, views and fleeting engagement, his belief in stories that stay with people feels particularly relevant.

Here, in an exclusive interview with Sumita Chakraborty, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, TheGlitz, Manish KR, Founder of Tanza Talks, opens up about his entrepreneurial beginnings, how Tanza talks started, the art of authentic storytelling, Journey of Legacy and the leap from conversations to OTT documentaries and his ambition to build a platform that does more than tell stories… it preserves legacies, sparks ideas and inspires generations to come.

Over To Manish KR, Founder, Tanza Talks

The Entrepreneurial Spark – You began your entrepreneurial journey at 22 while pursuing engineering at Lovely Professional University. What sparked the ambition to build something of your own so early, and what were the biggest lessons those formative years taught you about entrepreneurship?

During my years at Lovely Professional University, I found that I liked bringing people together, organizing events and shaping experiences. I was also curious about the people around me: how they got where they were, what they struggled with and what they took from it.That curiosity turned into a pull toward storytelling. Every successful person has a story worth sharing, yet most of those stories never get the attention they deserve.

Tanza Talks grew out of that thought. I wanted a platform where people from different fields could share their experiences, ideas and learnings with a wider audience. It began with building communities and organizing events. Over time it became something bigger: creating meaningful content that connects with people and inspires them.

Building Tanza Talks – Tanza Talks has featured more than 200 personalities, from celebrities and entrepreneurs to educators, artists and athletes. How did you carve out a distinctive identity in an increasingly crowded content landscape, and what has been the secret to getting people to share stories that go beyond their public personas?

Speaking with people from many different fields has shown me that audiences want more than success stories. They want to hear about the struggles, failures and decisions that sit behind the success.

Stories that feel real and relatable connect more deeply. People come to learn something, to see a different perspective or to find inspiration in someone else’s journey.

That experience has taught me that good content is not only about asking questions or presenting information. It depends on understanding the person, asking questions that matter and drawing out something of value for the audience.

From Sound Bites to Stories – Tanza Talks is now venturing into long-form documentary storytelling with Journey of Legacy. What prompted this transition from celebrity conversations, podcasts and live events to a six-part OTT series, and how does this new chapter redefine your original vision for the platform?
Tanza Talks began with conversations, and those conversations showed us that audiences want the struggles, failures and decisions behind success, not only the success itself. A documentary gives those stories room to be told in full. Journey of Legacy grew from that, and from our belief that every institution has a story its rankings and achievements do not tell.

The original vision has not changed: giving people a platform to share their experiences with a wider audience. What changes is the depth. Our long-term goal is to take the franchise across sectors and build a global storytelling platform that celebrates legacy, purpose and impact.

The Making of a Legacy – The first season of Journey of Legacy explores the journeys of educational institutions, including DIT University, Bennett University and SAGE University. How did you decide which stories deserved to be told, and what did you discover about the people, risks and defining decisions behind building these institutions that audiences might not ordinarily see?

We wanted to tell stories that go beyond achievements and explore the vision, sacrifices and decisions of the chairmen who built these legacies. Every legacy begins with a dream, but what makes it meaningful is the journey behind it.

While developing Journey of Legacy, we discovered stories of resilience, uncertainty, leadership and determination. These are experiences audiences can connect with, regardless of their background. Our goal was to show not just what was built, but why it was built and the people whose lives it continues to impact.
Beyond the Campus and the Camera – Hosted by Pooja A Gor, the series combines leadership conversations, archival material, student perspectives and cinematic visuals. How did you approach the creative challenge of making institutional histories emotionally engaging rather than producing what could have been conventional university profiles?

Our approach was to make Journey of Legacy feel like a documentary about people, dreams and leadership rather than a conventional profile. We wanted viewers to connect emotionally with the journey.

Pooja A. Gor brought warmth and depth to the conversations, while archival material, student perspectives and cinematic visuals helped bring the stories to life. We focused on capturing genuine moments and personal experiences instead of relying only on achievements or promotional narratives.

For us, the most powerful stories are those that make audiences feel something and leave them with a meaningful takeaway.

Authenticity in the Age of Algorithms – You have spoken about audiences valuing authenticity over conventional advertising. At a time when short-form content and instant gratification dominate digital platforms, do you believe audiences are ready to invest time in deeper storytelling? And how do you balance editorial credibility with the commercial realities of producing premium content?

I believe a story becomes memorable when people see a part of their own lives in it. In today’s fast-paced world, short-form content may capture attention, but deeper storytelling creates a lasting connection. It allows us to understand the struggles, choices and emotions behind a person’s journey.

Through Journey of Legacy, we wanted to show that success is not just about what someone achieves, but also about the challenges they overcome and the values they carry forward. These stories can inspire the next generation to dream bigger, believe in themselves and create their own legacy.

The Legacy Manish KR Wants to Leave – With Journey of Legacy marking Tanza Talks’ first OTT documentary venture, what does success look like beyond streaming numbers and visibility? Looking ahead, do you see Tanza Talks evolving into a larger documentary production house, and what kinds of untold Indian stories would you most like to bring to the screen next?

For me, success goes beyond streaming numbers. It is about creating stories that inspire people, preserve meaningful journeys and remain relevant long after their release.

Journey of Legacy is an important milestone for Tanza Talks as we enter the OTT documentary space. My vision is to build Tanza Talks into a global storytelling and documentary production brand that brings inspiring Indian stories to wider audiences.

In the future, I would love to explore the journeys of entrepreneurs, family businesses, cultural icons and changemakers whose stories deserve to be heard. Ultimately, I want Tanza Talks to build a legacy of its own by telling stories that inspire the next generation.

TheGlitz Take

In a world obsessed with overnight fame, viral moments and carefully curated success stories, Manish KR is betting on something far more enduring: the power of stories that deserve to be told. With Tanza Talks and Journey of Legacy, he is moving beyond the predictable playbook of celebrity conversations to explore the grit, sacrifices, vision and values that shape institutions and the people behind them.

His ambition is not merely to document success, but to preserve the human stories that numbers, rankings and headlines often overlook. And that is where his real differentiator lies. That’s because legacies aren’t built on applause alone; they are built on courage, conviction and the ability to inspire those who follow.

TheGlitz believes Manish KR’s biggest opportunity lies in turning storytelling into a lasting cultural archive… one that doesn’t just capture the moment but gives future generations a reason to remember it.