Janhavi Panwar

Few children are highly talented in areas such as maths, science or geography. Then there are those with a spark for arts, singing or writing. But there are also children who fit both categories. Janhavi Panwar is one such name. Born in a small town of Samalkha, Haryana, the young girl was given the title of ‘India’s Wonder Girl’ at just the age of 11.

She has mastered 9 foreign accents and is in the final year of a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts from Satyawati Delhi University, all at the age of 15. She completed her schooling from DAV, Samalkha- Haryana at the age of 13 while most of the kids of her age were still struggling with the concept of polynomials and trigonometry.

Jahnavi showed an inclination to learn new languages at a very young age and her father, Brij Mohan Panwar, did everything he could to motivate her.

In a conversation with us, he said, “When she was just one year old, her vocabulary was equipped with around 500-550 English words. When she turned three, she was given admission to senior kindergarten directly because she had picked up most things early in childhood. As the years passed and we talked to the school management, they comprehended Janhavi’s potential as shown in her scores, and she was granted special permission to clear two classes in the same year. She was in the eighth standard at the age of seven.”

By the age of 11, she had already learned many languages including basic French and Japanese and she could speak in several accents in English, like British, Scottish, American and several others, all with the help of the internet.

Talking about the process in which the young girl was introduced to various languages, her father adds, “She would listen to it once, and then would speak in the same accent. It was at that time that I started downloading BBC news videos. She would listen to an hour-long bulletin. Within no time she started picking up the accent. I thought it could be something I should encourage."

She has anchored a show on the BBC and has emerged as a role model for many girls who wish to study and speak English without hesitation. Jahnavi has delivered motivational talks to several IAS officers and at educational institutes across numerous states in India. Brijmohan adds how the young girl has a beautiful singing voice. When she isn’t busy reading, she records song covers. She has a flair for English Rap and she tried for Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and India’s Got Talent as well.

Jahnavi is an inspiration for the children of her generation. She is a perfect example for everyone as after facing a lot of hurdles and mocks by people she still continued with her passion. Jahnavi believes that every failure makes us stronger and teaches us new things. The most important thing for everyone is to have faith in ourselves as it will lead us to success and help us achieve great heights.