Your Friendly Philosopher & Guide

Movies were my passion I think it is for most of the people around. I always wanted to get into making movies. I would dream about wearing a hat (similar to Subhash Ghai’s), be at the set and say lights on, camera rolling ..ACTION! And you know life doesn’t treat you the way you want it.

Few other professions I wanted to take up –

A pilot - I dropped the idea when my dad said you at least need 2400 hours of flying experience and the money for that would run into lakhs. Also as there are only few Airline companies in India and you will never get a job.

A cricketer – I dropped the idea when my dad said sports wouldn’t feed you in India. Also you have to compete for 1 place in the 11-member team for which few millions are already aspiring.

A doctor – I never liked the idea of being a doctor. Probably I would have loved to be a scientist but then I dropped the idea after watching Pankaj Kapur in Ek Doctor ki Mauth!

An Engineer – My dad was an engineer, and he knew I wasn’t strong at maths and physics. He honestly accepted that his son couldn’t be an engineer. Or should I say he had checked my horoscope, and saw some other profession awaiting me

An IAS officer – Most parents live their lives through their children. They want their children to do all those things they themselves have failed doing. My dad failed in the IAS prelims thrice, and hence he wanted me to complete his task. I don’t like power, and also those white colour ambassadors hence didn’t waste my time mugging up those huge books these Brilliant Tutorials send.

A veterinary doctor – I love animals, and wanted to work at zoos looking after animals. But then someone told me the competition for Vets are more than for BDS, hence dropped the idea. I never want to compete for anything in life. If it belonged to me it would come to me – that remained my only philosophy in life!

I joined Bsc chemistry, as I was damn interested in science. I was asked to leave the lab the very first day, as I forgot to take a pen with me. I hated the new place, new people and the arrogant professor. That was the day when I decided that I would never take PG in science, if these people continue to be my professors.

I was selected for Msc, MA masscom and MA social work. My dad was insistent on me to take M.Sc. And I was a bit confused about what to select. I walked across one of the guys in our hostel and asked him in which department do you find more girls – he said MA Mass Comm. He said the ratio is 5:1 (5 girls: 1 guy), I at once made my mind that I will join MA Mass Comm and nothing else. And that was how journalism happened to me.

My girl friend left to Muscat, and I knew the relationship was all over. Accepting facts aren’t easy sometimes. My head knew, but my heart wouldn’t listen. I still was in the hope that she will return someday to India, and we will get married. She left on May 6, 1996 and that was the last day I saw her. Today I am married to another person, have a kid, and expecting one this September.

My GF had promised me that she will come back in a month and would stay in Mumbai for a day. I told my parents that I am going to find a job in Mumbai and left my native. I went to Mumbai just in the hope that I will be able to spend that one-day with her. This was how Indian Express happened to me. I worked for the Internet version of Indian Express for 3 years, and she never returned.

Being part of another Internet company, I learnt astrology, tarot reading and vaastu shastra from K Gopalakrishnan on weekends. In the coming days I will be taking up astrology as a full time profession.

As of today my plans for the future are –

I will be making my own movie soon.
I will be setting up a meditation resort and it will be called ‘Atmosphere’.
And I will be taking up sanyas when the time is ripe.

Let me wait and see how life treats me.