Shahanaz Policherla
Founder, Sweet Duet
Hyderabad, Telangana
Shahanaz Policherla did not grow up in Atreyapuram. She did not learn to make putharekulu from her grandmother. She is not from a family with generations of sweet-making heritage.
She is something rarer an outsider who fell in love with an authentic thing and dedicated years to understanding it deeply enough to bring it to the world properly.
The Research That Became a Brand
Her connection to putharekulu began with her father. He would bring home authentic Atreyapuram putharekulu regularly not from a shop, but from people who actually made it in the village.
As a child, Shahanaz grew up knowing what real putharekulu tasted like. That early familiarity became a reference point that stayed with her for years.
When she began noticing how many versions of putharekulu were appearing in sweet shops and online platforms — versions that looked similar but tasted nothing like what she remembered she started asking why.
That question led her to Atreyapuram, where she researched the sweet's history, traced its geographic origin, studied what made the authentic version different, and connected directly with hereditary artisan families.
Sweet Duet was her answer to preserving authenticity properly.
What Sweet Duet Was Built to Do
First: Source only from GI-certified artisan families
Sweet Duet works directly with hereditary artisan families from Atreyapuram the people whose knowledge and hands make every Sweet Duet box possible.
Second: Use only natural ingredients
No preservatives. No artificial colours. No artificial sweeteners. For the diabetic variant, Sweet Duet uses natural stevia extract not sucralose blends or sweetener tablets.
Third: Position putharekulu in the luxury segment
Authentic GI-tagged Atreyapuram putharekulu is not a commodity sweet. Shahanaz built Sweet Duet to reflect its real cultural and craft value — through packaging, presentation, and product quality.
Her Expertise
Her Writing
Shahanaz writes about putharekulu, Indian food heritage, and authentic gifting on the Sweet Duet blog.
Connect With Shahanaz
About Sweet Duet
Sweet Duet is India's only GI-tagged luxury Atreyapuram putharekulu brand. Based in Hyderabad, Telangana, Sweet Duet delivers authentic handcrafted putharekulu across India — sourced directly from hereditary artisan families, made fresh per order, with zero preservatives and zero artificial ingredients.
