Ambika Agarwal, the real-life Shruti Kakkar (Anushka Sharma in the film Band Baaja Baraat) is out on a mission to revolutionize events in Chennai by adding her own unique blend of quirk and creativity by starting her own event management and design company called the A-Cube Project.

A biotech engineer, and then a journalist, Ambika says, “Engineering was a call after school but even then I had a flair to create something on my own. Post that, I followed my dream and made it to Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. There, during my post-graduate course in journalism and mass communication, a small elective module called event management struck a chord and there hasn’t been any looking back.”.

Today she is listed among the leading ladies of the Indian wedding industry and has been invited as a speaker at many Indian and international wedding conferences. The company first garnered attention when its arty truck installation for an engagement event caught attention. Soon, Agarwal was featured on NDTV Prime’s show Wedding Trends. Not only has her work been covered extensively in the media, she is also a TEDx speaker.

Losing her father at a tender age of 10, Ambika watched her mom do everything to bring up her kids. “After going through a rough childhood, I decided that no matter what, I should be independent and walk past with my head held high if something untoward had to happen. I soon discovered that there was a lacking of bespoke events infused with the right degree of a quirk in Chennai. I was fortunate enough to tap that niche market at the correct time,” she shares.

The A-Cube project has, over the last seven years, amassed an impressive lineup of clients. If you had to describe her work in one word, it has to be ‘fairytale’. From embellished autos to selfie spots, bubblegum pink festoons, dream catchers, and chandeliers made of Kanjeevaram silk, her events are brimming with bright and beautiful elements. She designs pastel, dreamy hues with English accent or foliage with equal panache.

Speaking about how she wants to take things ahead Ambika says, “Today we have a team of in-house interior designers, architects, graphic designers, and client servicing heads. We live and breathe design and detail things extensively. All things are shown in 3D and walkthrough videos as a part of the A-Cube experience. We are now doing many Pan-India destination weddings and also dabbling with the international wedding scene. We recently opened a sister company called ‘House Of A-Cube’ which deals with luxury furniture event rentals. The lack of good furniture made me bring this idea to life, mainly to bridge the gap of supply and demand in South India.”