My gym workouts
My day starts at about 6 am in the morning. I live at Andheri Lokhandwala (a suburb in Mumbai) and prefer going to the Sykes gym, which is nextdoors. After a few minutes on the treadmill, I also do a bit of weights. After my gym session, I am always in a rush to reach office, but, of course, after a wholesome breakfast. Sometimes, it's an omlette (minus the eggyolk), some olives, muesli, a glass of milk with honey or just fruits.

I am not really a food freak
Though, I am not a food freak but I like to dine out sometimes. I love Punjabi and Chinese food. Some of my favourite eating out spots are Mainland China in Andheri, Chinab in Navi Mumbai, and Urban Tadka in Versova

I love driving down to Lonavala
I've yet to visit a lot of places in India. On weekends, I love driving down to Lonavala and Panchgani. In fact, these are two places which I visit more than 20 times a year. It's a great experience driving down the Express Highway at a speed of 50 kms per hour, when you find everyone flying by you at a speed of 100 kms per hour. It seems you are strolling while others are running.

As far as travel abroad goes, I love Dubai, UK and US.

Shopping on Sundays
With our hectic schedules, going out with family happens just once a week mostly on a Sunday. I love the shopping experience at the various malls in the city. Apart fromhaving a good time, I can also buy my 8 year old daughter whatever she wants. My favourite brands are Provogue, Arrow and Louis Phillip. For sports shoes I stick to Adidas and Reebok.

I love music
Singer Kailash Kher, happens to be a good friend of mine. There were times when both of us used to go for long drives in his black Honda City, in the wee hrs of the night and sing aloud to our heart's content. Though, I could not sing as well as him but our choice of songs were quite similar. I love listening to ghazals, sufiana qawwalis, and instrumental music. As a kid, when my peers used to listen to western music, I related more to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Pather Panchali is my all time favourite movie
I am not too much into movies, but as a part of my profession I make it a point to watch at least 3 to 4 movies in a month. Some of my favourite films are Pather Panchali, Sholey,Black and The Sound of music. I don't really watch Hollywood films.

I haven't been to a temple in my whole life
I am not a very religious person. In fact, I haven't been to a temple in my whole life.

Gadgets & Gizmos
Not much into gizmos & gadgets but I love my laptop. I carry a Nokia communicator 9500.

A black Honda City for me
I love my Black Honda City. My dream car is a Hummer.

I don't like parties
I don't drink or smoke and therefore don't enjoy partying much. I somehow cannot associate myself to the party circuit. At times, it's only because of my profession that I end up socialising.

Life has not exactly been a roller coaster ride for producer Ajai Sinha. In fact, as he narrates us the story of his life, it sounds like it's really been a struggle in search of his real astitva so-to-speak.

One sees a rather childlike simplicity in him, as he reveals, "I came from Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai not knowing what I really wanted to do. I did my Civil Engineering and spent a few years trying to construct canals, which was rather frustrating.
So, how did a civil engineer later venture out into television? On a rather candid note, he reveals, "Later, I tried films and acting but nothing could really fulfill the creative urge in me. Along the way, I figured out that only directing would fulfill the creative urge in me. And the first break in life came with Zee's Hasratein. After which it's been television all the way."

But as they say life always comes a full circle. Now what next after Astitva- Ek Prem Kahani? On a rather lighter note, Sinha chuckles, "Now, I am again out of work and sort of just rediscovering life. Apart from working on a few scripts, I am planning a long holiday with wife Sangita to Australia and New Zealand."

As we continue chatting over some chilled juice, we slowly discover that Sinha plays a constellation of roles in life. A multi-faceted personality who feels strongly for social issues, writes, travels, parties and can pick up any musical instrument in just a few days.

I feel strongly for ...
My serials always attempt to convey a social or a political message realistically. And even in real life, I feel strongly for issues concerning the country. It's ridiculous that on the one hand we talk about the country being on the global map, the economy growing but on the other hand, we don't have some basic infrastructure in the country. I think, we need to seriously form a consensus and sort out the real issues which concern the common man.

Musically yours...
As a child I had this unusual knack to pick up any musical instrument. I learned to play the Banjo, Guitar, Mouth organ and flute. But, somehow now, time doesn't permit me to pursue my hobby.

I've written a book
I grew up reading folk tales which always left a deep impression on me. I still love to read folk tales which always have a social or a personal message. Apart from reading, I've also written a book called Akheri Bus, which was adapted from a Russian play.

I am crazy about cars
I have a weakness for cars. The first vehicle, I ever had was a Lambretta scooter, then a Rajdoot bike. I sold that and bought a Bajaj scooter. After a long time, I managed to acquire a second hand Fiat. Finally, after Hasratein happened, I bought my first new car which was Esteem then Zen. Later, I sold the Esteem and bought a Lancer, sold my Zen and bought an Accent. Later in life, I purchased a Scorpio. and now I own a Mercedes.

Work rejuvenates me
Work is never stressful but it'ss always a challenge for me. There were times during the early years of my life when I felt like giving it all up. But then, where would I go? I've realised that life is a challenge and one has to face it. So,I don't really believe in any kind of a relaxing mantra.

I love parties
I love going to parties, meeting up with people you've worked with and chatting up with friends. And apart from this, of course I love dreaming of the stars.

Future plans
I've done enough of television. Now my main focus is films. I am currently working on a few good scripts.

I love to shop for Shoes
I have a fetish for shoes. I have a collection of more than 80 to 90 shoes. I've a wonderful collection of shoes from across the world.

Bharat Kapadia, Executive Director, Divya Bhaskar, offers a glimpse of what keeps him occupied in life beyond work, to Richa Dubey.

My nuclear family??
My wife runs a shop at Lifestyle in Juhu Chowpatty, Mumbai. A shop of gift items and artifacts. She is a good painter. All this keeps her pretty occupied. My eldest daughter, Manasi, is a teacher for the disabled. My son Tejas is graduating and plans to study management further. My youngest one Samay is studying in class 8. This is my family and I love to get back to them after work.

My creative instinct?
I contribute ideas to sketch cartoons in Divya bhaskar. I started with this interest just a year ago. So far around 400 of them have already been published.

My fitness routine?
I simply love cricket. Though I don't play it well, I follow it religiously. I love indoor games like chess. Sometimes, with no company around, I play chess myself on computer. For me, it's a great stress buster. I participated in many inter-college tournaments during my college days and won many prizes in school competition.

My talent - unheard and undiscovered?
I like singing a lot and have participated in a few singing competitions also. I do stage performances and sing for many shows. I just finished a performance recently.
I am often questioned about time management but sarcastically reply saying, "Main Samay ka baap hoon". To be very rational, I feel that time is water. If you put your hand in it, it gives you space otherwise it will take its own form. I should have an interest in something for me to hook to it and find time.

My observation and inspiration?
I have met a lot of people and feel that our society is very friendly in general. Hence, there is no question of grudges. Out of all the nice people, a few are very close to my heart, and those are my friends. None of them are from my industry.

I always take inspiration from whoever I meet. The biggest source was my mother, a powerhouse of positive and good qualities. She taught me to look ahead in life. Her fundamental view is that human body parts - eyes, nose, mouth, hands and legs are all made to face the front. Only one part faces back. Therefore, one should never look at the past but keep looking forward for a new beginning.

My joy is to meet new people?
I am not a very holiday person. I do not enjoy sightseeing a lot. For me, more than a tourist destination, what matters are the people around. I am only interested in good company. I have been to New York so many times but I never saw the Statue of Liberty from up close. People say it is so unusual but that is how I am.

Gregarious, god fearing and genuine. Three words which perhaps describe writer producer Ashwani Dhir in a nutshell. Wearing a warm smile, Dhir greets us with a firm handshake as we settle down for a t?te-?-t?te in his simple but elegant drawing room. His homely-looking apartment situated at Goregaon (a suburb in Mumbai) is done up well and what really stands out against the dull purple walls are the huge photographs of his daughter Garima.

"My life revolves around my daughter. Not just that, she has also proved to be very lucky for me. I have prospered only after her birth. Before that life was a struggle." As the doting father continues to help his daughter finish off with her days homework, the tea and the cookies arrive.

There's a telltale frankness about the man, as he gets down to telling us the story of his life and how he managed to get where he is today. At the beginning of the conversation, he declares, "I am not really comfortable in English. When I came to Mumbai, I used to get an inferiority complex. But then that's when I decided to turn the negative into a positive. Over a period of time, because of my strong command over the language, people on the sets started consulting me for writing their dialogues. And till date, I refuse to speak in English."

And so, over a cup of tea, in shuddh Hindi, interspersed with some couplets and interesting anecdotes Dhir tells us the story of his life.

The journey from Kanpur to Mumbai
"I came to Mumbai to make it in the television industry. I knew no one here, so it was either make or break. I tried the film line and worked on two films (Farishte and Tehelka) with Anil Sharma. But somehow, money never came in and it was a matter of survival for me. So, I moved on to television and started work as Assistant Director on Thoda sa Aasman with Deepti Naval. I realised that television is regular and good money. So, I stuck to the medium and as fate would have it, I got into satire writing. Earlier on I used to write for myself. And later the big break came when I got to write Office Office where I could express the common man's angst and struggle. I strongly believe the real awe inspiring stories come from the middle class people. I seek inspiration from everyday situations.

Again it was fate or providence that I moved on from a writer to a producer. The first break was when I produced Ram Khilawan CM which got into controversy and had to be pulled off air. Later, the big break was Public Hai Sab Jaanti Ha. Currently, I am producing Chamca in Chief on SabTV.

On values in life
The city provides equal opportunities for women as well as men and treats them at par, which is wonderful," says the 37-year-old writer. However, I believe there has to be a good mix of our old values along with the new order. "It's like have a drink, but you should know your limits. At media parties one often gets to see people crossing their limits after a few drinks. Also, I feel there should be a certain decorum in the way we use language. I feel language need to be respected and I strongly detest the use of foul and lose language"

Life is a journey of faith
"I strongly believe there's a power above which controls our lives. And it's really the fear of the future which drives us towards faith and prayers,"he says.Reminiscing about his struggling days, Dhir says "there was a time in my life when I didn't have a roof over my head. It was during that phase, that I happened to tag along with a relative of mine to Shirdi . Just after the visit, I managed to wriggle out of all my problems. It was like a miracle in my life and I soon realised the power of prayer. Since then Dhir has become a great follower of Sai Baba and visits Shirdi at least once a month.

"There were times during my lean phase, when I didn't even have the money to buy two tickets for a journey to Shirdi. Then, just one of us either me or my wife would go for the darshan. But today life has changed. Dhir lives life on his own terms, owns a swanky apartment and drives a Honda City.

"I've got more than I had asked for and I am very happy with what I have got," says the contented man who makes it a point to celebrate almost all the festivals. He reveals further, "Though I am a Punjabi myself, I've adopted many things from Maharashtra. So, be it the Ganesh festival or the nine day Navratri, we definitely celebrate it with a lot of gusto.

I am currently on a Anjali Mukherjee Diet
The conversation now switches on to certain lighter issues in life. We chat about his regular diet habits, mobile phones amongst other things. He tells us that for the last few months he has been on a strict diet.

He says,"I am following the Anjali Mukherjee diet presently and have lost more than 12 kgs. I follow the diet strictly except that I've a weakness for sweets. And sometimes, when I can't control, I give in. Losing weight has other advantages from the fact that I feel lighter and healthier.

And what about gizmos and gadgets? He says, "I feel a mobile phone is a necessary devil which does not allow you any peace of mind. Now, people can contact you anywhere anytime and intrude on your privacy. So, one is forced to talk or else switch it off and then face a volley of questions from friends and family. I am sure, this is one device which will be responsible for many divorces in the country," he says on a lighter note. Just then his phone rings. And it's time to leave.

Name: Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay and Varsha Narain

Designation: Research Coordinators - Doordarshan

Sun Sign: Nilanjan - A balanced Libran

Varsha - A go-getter Virgoan

Educational Experience
VN: Schooling at Bishop Westcott in Namkum, Ranchi. Later degrees picked up in the midst of running a household and raising 3 beautiful children. Career took me back to school as a teacher till I landed in Delhi. Delhi provided a wide range of opportunities - right from working with the Corporates to the NGO world and finally as an entrepreneur. Life continues to be the biggest teacher and learning new things every day continues to be a passion.

NM: Haven't had much after school. After a runaway phase enrolled for a Masters in Russian Language in Jawaharlal Nehru University to read Gorky in the original but somehow drifted into journalism - more by chance than by choice. Hoping to realise dream of being the first non-graduate Visiting Prof. at a 'Propah' Univ.

Professional Experience
VN: Wide and vast to say the least. Began as a teacher in the best of public schools after which went on to head the biggest formal school run by a NGO in the Capital. Thereafter, had a stint with the corporates to help out with their programmes in the social sector. For the past two years running the first ever out-sourced Research and Anchor Support agency for Doordarshan News in partnership.

NM: Pen pusher initially and now keyboard puncher with thought processor attached. Name any quality newspaper or magazine published from the Capital, its archives would have something or other written by me. An early gatecrasher from the print media into the electronic in the infancy years of satellite TV, have in recent years specialized in backroom support.

Job Profile
Essential backroom support to faces in news TV. Besides running an agency flawlessly, the work includes providing detailed background notes on issues ranging from cricket to diplomacy, from fashion to elections.

We are the eyes and ears of news anchors besides being important sounding boards for newsroom, graphics divisions to high profile directors. Quiet workers, a creator of an innovative model, our existence underscores that content is really King. Poverty of words and abundance of info: that the motto at work.

After all TV anchors and Reporters have little time to go through heavy tomes. What started out as an exercise to provide data support during election shows has now developed into a full-fledged system that provides the spine to any news channel.

Television as career choice
TV, especially News, is demanding and stretches the ability to cope with demands to the hilt. Everything that is needed by reporters, anchors, producers and editors is always needed yesterday but we have created a system enabling us to meet demands the moment news starts breaking.

In today's age of competitiveness no channel can continue providing quality programming without adequate backroom support. In the final analysis, it leaves us with the satisfaction that though the faces might be different, the words and thoughts --- most of it --- articulated on screen is very much ours.

Current Television scenario
Just about beginning to heat up - especially news and current affairs TV. The 15 second sound byte brigade would have to look beyond that to provide greater depth and add quality analysis.

First there was the novelty of being first with the pictures but soon this is going to be replaced with greater variety. Sooner or later, the pressure will mount on channels to come up with exclusive stories that still remain the domain of the print media.

Right and wrong about the current television scenario
The Right is that more and more competitiveness is coming in. The Wrong is that television news is in danger of being trivialized. There is need to get away from the overdrive of only pretty faces, but also add innovation with creativity.

Five years from now
Five years from now Name, fame, health, wealth and prosperity by our side?And of course the reputation of being the last word in quality and content with our organization "Qualitent Research Group" steadfast in its mission.

Hobbies
Traveling (though currently a casualty), tending plants and feeding birds.

Idea of enjoyment
Chandni raat ho!

Haat mein jam ho!

Aur intellectual funda ka saath ho!

Name: Bidisha Nagaraj

Designation: Marketing manager - Intel India Sun

Sign: Cancer, 9 July 1967

Educational Experience
After doing my B Com I did post graduation in mass communication from Bangalore University.

Professional Experience
I was in Lintas from 1991 to 1996 as a group account manager. Then I joined Compaq Computers in 1997 and was there till 1999 as their market services consultant. Since 1999 I have been with Intel Technologies as their marketing manager.

Job Profile
As a consumer marketing manager of Intel India I am responsible for driving Intel's consumer strategy for increasing demand for home PCs through the use of advertising, Internet marketing and retail marketing.

Marketing as career choice
Marketing has the power to move minds and influence decisions. It allows you to think outside the box and colour outside the lines.

I can't think of too many other professions where I can use the following sentences so appropriately - 'Create like a God ', 'Command like a King' and 'Work like a slave'.

These are some of the reasons why my passion for marketing has soared high over the years.

Current marketing scenario
2003 is certainly a watershed year for media and indeed for marketing.

Let's look at the inflections - CAS on TV is allowing consumers to choose their bouquet of channels better but this comes with an added price tag, rebirth of radio with increasing popularity of FM, growth of cinema multiplexes, Internet users estimated to ascend to 25 million in '03, regional print options are also mushrooming.

This dynamic situation is pushing the marketeer to 'Cogita Differenter' (Think Differently). There are new vehicles to evaluate, there are new competing categories that are emerging, all vying for the consumers' share of wallet, there are new consumer segments emerging which allow for finer positioning. Innovative thinking is really the only way out.

Five years from now
My philosophy is to take each day at a time... live each day to the fullest. I don't even plan for five days so five years is a real stretch to think of.

Hobbies
I'm a very patient listener of people's problems.

Idea of enjoyment
The three Cs: Coffee (Capuccino), Company (stimulating), Conversation (intense)!!