Charlott von Schedvin and PK Mahanandia are a Swedish couple. They have been married for more than forty years: late 1970s to 2010s. In these four decades, Sweden and India has changed in many ways and in different ways but not the marriage of Charlotte von Schedvin (Lotta) and PK Mahanandia (PK). While the institution of marriage has nucleated into a brief institution in one’s life in the Swedish society, Lotta and PK continue to live together. Their love story and their married lives attracts many to pause to ponder not only about their love story and not only about their married lives but also about their message to the world: tolerance to one another and positive outlook within oneself and others. Their enduring and lasting love story and marriage is about to be made into a movie.
INNER CLIMATE, OUTER CLIMATE:
“The world is in a perfect balance now but the thoughts in our minds are not in a perfect balance,” says PK Mahanandia. His allusion is towards individuals’ lives and towards the society in the backdrop of the debate over climate change, and the need to take responsibility for our actions, inwardly and outwardly. ‘Feel good with yourself’ insists PK and it will reflect in your outside world. He reflects, “When the inner climate is not in balance with outer climate that will manifest in outer climate which is happening now.” In an interview to Monsoon2047, the couple talk about their marriage and what binds them together since 1970s to this day: …when your heart is warm…as a human… Listen to the podcast:
“To criticise others I don’t see it as a merit. People think it is a positive merit but no. … Constructive criticism is good.” –PK Mahanandia
Lotta and PK were the chief guests at the Durga Puja organised by the Bengali Association of Gothenburg in October 2019. The couple spoke at the start of the Dasara festival to a packed audience and took part in the festivities. The move about the lives of the couple is in the initial stages, and the couple are optimistic that the movie will have a message to the world. At the Durga Puja, they interacted with Swedes and Indians from different backgrounds though it was a Durga Puja organised by Bengali-speaking Indians. He praised the association for organising the event creatively: individuals coming together as a group and with positive thoughts.