• "My Family Is A Real Stress Buster For Me" ; Manish Porwal

    Submitted by ITV Production on Jan 03, 2001

    I begin my day with
    These days, I start pretty early, that is, around 5.30 am. Getting my son ready for school is my responsibility. Once I send him to school, I steal an hour for a short nap. After the nap, I am off for a walk or a quick session of aerobics. I really don't have the time to visit the gym. Then I quickly get dressed and rush for office. Getting to office takes me around 40 minutes, and during that time I make and receive calls.

    My diet regime
    I believe, `your first meal should be the heaviest and last one the lightest.' So, I usually start with a wholesome breakfast which is lots of fruits or fresh juice. Sometimes it's an omlette or corn flakes and ginger tea. Lunch is all about just gobbling up something unless I have a lunch meeting when I end up eating more. My dinner is extremely light. I've just developed a sweet tooth, and I love to gorge on rasmalai, rasogullas and ice creams whenever possible.
    I don't have very strong likes or dislikes as far as food goes, but when I dine out it's mostly Chinese, Continental and Indian in that order. I love to dine out at the Chinese Room, Sampan and Swati Snacks in Mumbai.

    Shopping
    Quite often, my better half and I go out on shopping sprees. I am more into shopping than my wife and love to buy a variety of gadgets and clothes but I must admit that I am a pacca marwari and am not very brand conscious. Despite this, I do end up buying more stuff than I really need in life.
    I am very fond of watches. They should be functional, sturdy and smart. I have a Swatch, a Titan Edge, a Cartier and a 'Starcom' dial. I am very particular about my shoes and normally get them custom made especially from Jaipur which is my hometown.

    I am a travel freak
    I love travelling. I prefer train travel as compared to air travel. More than globetrotting, I love to discover and rediscover the mystique of India. Our country is really a miniglobe and there are fabulous places to visit here. I have seen most of the places in the southern and the northern part of the country. I am about to finish exploring the western region and yet to venture out to the far eastern parts of the country.

    My best holiday ever has been three years after my marriage; when the entire extended family went driving in a Sumo for an eight -day trip to Nainital, Ranikhet and Almora. It was an awesome journey because it was largely unplanned.
    Apart from this, my work often takes me to various places like - US, Australia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and other South East Asian countries. So, I often take some extra days off to explore tourist places.

    My relaxing mantra

    My professional life really keeps me busy all the time. There was a time when I used to think weekends are an interruption to work. But, I am much saner now! My family is a real stress buster for me. After my work, I love to go home and play with my two month old baby boy, and of course my elder son. I make it a point to travel at least twice a year with my family and look forward to the vacations.

    Gadgets & Gizmos
    I am not really a gizmo freak, but I am gizmo friendly. I don't like changing mobiles very often. I own a Panasonic D50 DVD camcoder, a Palm Treo 650, IPOD Photo and a Sony Cybershot.

    Favourite Car
    I love cars and I dream of cars. In fact, I love anything on four wheels even if it means driving a truck. I love to go for test drives and try out different types of cars. Currently, I drive the Accent GLS and my dream is to possess a Bimmer some day.

    On Books
    I don't spend too much on books; though my wife who's working with an insurance company does love to buy books. More than reading, I believe that I have learnt more from life. I like John Grisham and have read almost everything he's written till date. I have loved his Runaway Jury and The Broker.

    I have a fetish for movies
    I am a movie buff. I personally prefer Bollywood flicks as compared to Hollywood. I think our films are richer in texture and canvas, while Hollywood movies spend more money on technology. Having said that, I think Bollywood films are real paisa vasool.
    Amongst the recent films, I quite liked Black, Parineeta, Dus, My Wife's Murder and , Bunty aur Babli. I 've yet to see Iqbal.

    Some things I wish to do
    I think, if this industry was to sack me, I would have a lot of alternate professions. I would love to be a chauffeur, as I love cars. I love kids and can open a day care center one day. I think given my fetish for Bollywood flicks, I can even be a movie critic someday. I often find that the ratings, specific comments on direction, acting, screenplay and story given by me are almost similar to the ones given by some movie critics. I would, love to act in plays. I know, it requires time and training but one day, I am going to find the time for it.

    indiantelevision.com Team
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  • Simply Bowled Out - Ranjith Rajasekharan

    Submitted by ITV Production on Jan 03, 2001

    A Man of few words Ranjith Rajasekharan, Vice President - Marketing, Neo Sports Broadcast has a very simple world view, he reveals in conversation with Nidhi Jain.

    Reel love?
    I read books and watch movies to keep myself updated and refreshened. SawLast King of Scotland, which I'd heard got nominated for the Oscars, and saw Blood Diamond. If you observe there is lot of drama in the sport itself.

    Rhythm Divine?
    When it comes to music I like anything I lay my hands on. I really enjoyed going to the Roger Waters concert and I am looking forward to watch Shakira live in action.

    Hmmmm?
    Survival is easy as I can cook chicken curry really well. But I like to check out new things that are in flavor, different cuisine. One of the favorite pastimes is to try new restaurants.

    I like chicken tikka masala at Leopold at Colaba, I love pasta at Churchill, Colaba. Also Thai Pavilion for Thai food.

    Fit-o-meter...
    My wife Sheetal, ex- advertising person insists that I do Yoga. It is more effective than it was 5 years ago. Silently Yoga worked on me and made me feel healthy.

    A cautious traveler...
    I am a very conservative traveler. I get paranoid if I do not plan my holidays but my wife, Sheetal is the opposite, and she can just backpack with limited money and travel. I am more into luxury holidays. Kerala and Goa remain my favorite holiday destinations.

    Sports feature reader...
    When it comes to reading it's only about keeping up to date with sports. While holding on to a newspaper, my reading starts with the sports page sections only.

    Agenda?

    Now I am looking forward to go to World Cup and see my favorite player Rahul Dravid and the other Blue Billion boys in action.

    indiantelevision.com Team
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  • My Merging Lifestyles : Jiggy George

    Submitted by ITV Production on Jan 03, 2001

    A peek into Cartoon Network Enterprises India and South Asia director Jiggy George's mind. He tells Nidhi Jain about his interests, which are a very crucial part of his life.

    Life for me is about merging things that are most important to me within and outside of work.
    At work, life is about responding fast via technology, I am totally hooked to my Blackberry which has my data, schedules, emails etc. When changing gizmos, my research about new efficient gadgets ends with information from my close friends. I often carry a portable DVD player when I travel and a digital camera, as I love to do photography which is my most recent interests. I would love to own a single gadget with multiple functions to make things simpler but life that doesn't work that way.

    My music flows seamlessly in my life from home, to car, to office or anywhere else I may be or travel. I am constantly hooked on to my ipod and have a Docker back at home and one at work, a road trip for my car and a small travel Docker for when I'm away.However I still have my old Panasonic deck only for nostalgia.

    I am not greatly passionate about cars; however my favorite would be the BMW. For me in a city like Mumbai where you run at snails pace and are always threatened by scratches and dents, a car becomes just a mode of transport that takes one from place to place.

    I grew up on the tradition of rock; after which there has been an eclectic and paradigm shift towards jazz and world music. I have recently started lessons in learning the Classical Guitar.

     I am equally a lover of art and have some interesting art in my private collection besides my own prints. I used to do these strange miniature black and white drawings. .

     I am passionate about travel. For travel within India, I think the Outlook Traveler is one of the best things that could happen to a discerning traveler. I have traveled quite a bit within Maharashtra to offbeat destinations and have also traveled to countries in Europe, Africa, South East Asia and parts of the US. Travel for me is an entirely cultural experience gathered by staying with locals and friends, savoring the native cuisine, being introduced to local music, history, art and architecture, cultural traditions, trends and lifestyles.

     As for cuisine I love Thai, Japanese and Indian cuisine. I feel sorry about how for people Indian food is about Northern Frontier cuisine with thick masala rich curries, where the taste of vegetables or the meat is completely lost. I love Gujarati and Maharashtrian food too. I can just about save myself during tough times when it comes to cooking.

    I am a huge fitness freak, I think it's important to stay fit mentally and physically especially when one is constantly challenged by the enthusiasm and energy levels of the young fresh corporate breed. Yoga, running and sessions at the gym form my weekly fitness routine. I like team sports and as a kid played loads of soccer, hockey and cricket.

    As one progresses in life, yoga is more like a spiritual and physical exercise. An hour of yoga is a great kick start to the day as it makes you mentally alert and the energy levels are much higher too. As for being intellectually fit, my work lends itself to lots of creative and mental gymnastics and challenges.

    My personal philosophy in life is to stretch oneself to the extent possible, so that on the final day of reckoning what matters is that one can look back and say that was a good job done and a life truly enjoyed.

    indiantelevision.com Team
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