The fourth episode of Talking Point with Ritwika Gupta features JD Majethia, an actor par excellence, a producer and director of some very popular television shows.  He is also the co-founder of HatsOff Productions and also runs his very own acting academy, HatsOff Actors Studios. On this episode, JD shares his interesting journey from advertising to theatre, television and films. Confessing that he probably cannot imagine doing anything else apart from acting, JD sees life in a very positive manner and reveals the secret behind donning a hat all the time!

Behind that number crunching mind is a heart that is poetic. That?s KVL Narayan Rao for you. Donning various hats during his 20 years stint in NDTV, Rao - the now executive vice chairperson of the Prannoy Roy led media entity - admits that he enjoys reading, going to the gym, hanging out with family and friends. What?s more, he has even taken to playing golf again.

In conversation with Indiantelevision.com?s RITWIKA GUPTA, Rao provides a rare insight into the man behind the suit as he talks shop and also gives us a glimpse into his personal journey through the years.

Excerpts:

Tell us about your journey as a professional in the industry.

I joined NDTV in 1995 as general manager and have just completed 20 years in the organization. Back in the 90s, the industry was a very small playground with very few players in it. NDTV was producing the famous weekly show, The World This Week and had just signed a contract to produce India?s first private news bulletin, The News Tonight. I came onto the Board of NDTV in 1998 and was formally appointed the Group CEO early in 2007.

Towards the end of 2011, I became the executive vice chairperson of the Group. I have been a director of the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) and the president for four terms. I have been on the board of the IBF for over 12 years and have also been the vice president of that body. I was the vice president of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association some years back. It has been quite a journey!

What kind of changes have you seen in media industry over the past decade or so?

In a single word, HUGE. NDTV launched and ran India?s first 24 hour news channel, Star News from 1998 to 2003. Now, there are over 800 television channels in the country of which 125 are 24-hour news channels. Digitisation has been partially implemented and will be completed in the next couple of years. There has been enormous growth in the regional space. Technological changes have been massive. HD has come in and equipment is now fantastic and general quality has moved several notches up. The young are consuming television differently and it is important to understand that and keep pace. Self and independent regulation has come to stay. BARC is going to happen.

Which part of your job do you enjoy the most and why?

Well, that answer will be different for different phases of my career in the industry. For the first few years, I loved the rush of setting up the organization, creating bureaus and hiring staff; many of them have been with us for as long as I have. I loved getting the infrastructure into place and setting up our systems. Later in my career, as group CEO and executive director, I loved the process of expansion - first the IPO, and then the new businesses in areas beyond news. Later, it was doing things at the industry level, contributing to policy and the future that I really enjoyed.

What is that one valuable lesson you have learnt throughout the years?

I have learnt that ethics, high standards and credibility are always vital and should remain paramount at all times. Also that everyone deserves respect.

Who is your inspiration?

At my age, it does become a bit of a long list! I look up to Prannoy and Radhika Roy. They created this wonderful organization with amazingly high standards and have set the benchmark for ethics and credibility. People watch us because they trust us. Gandhiji, the Indian soldier and my father also inspire me to a great extent.

When you are not working, how do you relax?

These days with the smart phone and 24 hour mailing, one is kind of working quite a lot. However, I enjoy reading, watching television and movies, going to the gym, hanging out with family and friends and recently I just got back to playing golf.

What kind of books do you like to read?

Various kinds. I was a student of English Literature. I love reading thrillers, history and the classics. My favourite authors are Forsyth, Le Carre, Dickens, Hardy, Romilla Thapar, Chetan Bhagat, Ramesh Menon, Arjun Rao.

 Are you a movie buff?

I do enjoy cinema ? both English and Hindi. The last film I watched was American Sniper. It is a fantastic film!

How do you spend time with family?

Well, my children are grown up and have flown the nest. My wife and I enjoy doing a number of things mentioned earlier, together.

What are your favourite holiday destinations?

In India, it is Goa, Kerala and the mountains, not necessarily in that order. I also love going to Paris, a truly beautiful city, and London which so vibrant and has so much to do.

What is your favourite cuisine?

I enjoy Chinese and Italian cuisines a lot. I love Indian food and it is difficult to name a single cuisine or restaurant but I enjoy eating a lot of coastal food.
 

At this stage, if you had to describe your life in one word, what would it be & why?

I cannot think of a single word that would describe my life at this stage. But there is this poem, ?Ulysses? by Tennyson that is a lovely mix of pragmatic realism, optimism and adventure. Incidentally, I also had a dog called Ulysses, who was a wonderful friend in his short life.

 The following lines from the poem are inspirational:

We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

The third episode of Talking Point with Ritwika Gupta features the Managing Director of HBO South Asia, Monica Tata.  With over 24 years of experience in the media industry, Monica talks about her journey in the competitive media industry. She believes that if you work hard, awards and rewards will follow.  A completely passionate person when it comes to work, Monica also reveals whether a glass ceiling still exists in media industry. Monica enjoys every single role she plays in her life but also admits that this would not have been possible without her supportive husband and an ever loving family. 

In a world fraught with mounting levels of stress and pressure on the personal and professional front, if there is one young lady who seems to truly live by author Ray Bradbury?s famous line ? ?Love what you do and do what you love? - it is Chinmayi.

With a strong background in Hindustani classical music and a penchant for writing poems, Chinmayi has been composing songs ever since her college days. She subsequently pursued a MBA in marketing and worked with Network 18 for two years. However as they say, once an artist always an artist! The entrepreneurial bug bit this versatile artist early on in life, wherein she quit her job and co-founded Songdew.com.

In addition to channelizing her love for music via this new venture, she also pursues her passion as a singer and songwriter. In a freewheeling chat with Indiantelevision.com?s RITWIKA GUPTA, Chinmayi delves on her success mantra.

Excerpts:

1. How do you juggle your multiple roles as director, singer and co-founder of a company?

Life is nothing but a game of energy. To be successful, one requires to be focused with great persistence towards your goals. Prioritizing time, planning and keeping a disciplined lifestyle is imperative. If you miss singing practice for a day, you go back seven years! Without dedicating a specific time in the day for practice daily, it is impossible to sustain it. A business start-up takes enormous amount of time, focus and determination in order to see the growth curve. No matter what the time frame is, it takes a lot of blood and toil. However, if you really enjoy doing what you are doing or feel strongly about something, then it?s always worth it.

2. What is that one valuable lesson you have learnt through the years?

Follow your instinct. It rarely goes wrong and the more you nurture it, the stronger it gets. My instinct is my biggest anchor in life. Reason, logic and emotions can all fail but your instinct won?t.

3. Which part of your job do you enjoy the most and why?

Listening to music and watching good artists gain benefit out of Songdew is something that really gives me a kick. With Songdew, our goal was to create a platform offering the largest number of opportunities to independent musicians and a place where listeners could discover independent music and seeing that happen gives me immense job satisfaction. Another part of my job that I really enjoy is being part of my fusion band - Spice Route, in which I am the singer-songwriter.

4. What kind of changes have you seen in the industry over the past decade?

There has been a complete paradigm shift in the independent music scene. In the 1990s, a large number of artists became big through the support of record labels along with TV and radio platforms. However, due to piracy and rise of the Internet, that changed quickly and CD sales stared dipping. However, in the last three-four years, there?s been a lot of development. Music venues are on the rise across all major cities and a whole lot of music festivals have mushroomed. Brands have also shown a keen interest to support independent music, which is leading to momentum.

5. How do you get inspired?

Life keeps throwing a lot of instances for inspiration. I learn by observing and reading people. If I find something fascinating in someone, I pick it up instinctively. Being an introvert, I get the greatest inspiration from contemplating and all great ideas, songs and thoughts come from there.

6. Apart from music, what else do you love?

Food is the other love of my life. You can call me a foodie! I love all kinds of cuisines and food. One of the quirks I have is that I absolutely have to try the food at any restaurant that opens. I am spoilt for choice as Delhi and Gurgaon have some amazing eating joints and street food. Moreover, I also love cooking and trying out new recipes at home.

7. How do you relax?

Meditation, writing poems and reading books are my idea of relaxation. I don?t read too much but poetry and biographies are something that I do enjoy. I like to listen to a lot of classical, folk and Sufi music as well as old Hindi songs. Personally, melody is very important to me. If there are words, they have to be meaningful. I cannot stand crappy lyrics and noisy music.

8. Are you a movie buff?

I like to watch movies but given a choice, I would any day prefer to do a marathon of animation movies.

9. Do you like traveling?

I?m a complete nature freak. I love the hills as well beaches and Goa is one of my favourite places. I love traveling to London and Thailand as well. A few countries that are on my radar currently are Greece, South America and Switzerland.

10. At this stage, if you had to describe your life in one word, what would it be & why?

Madness! There is too much pace and too many things happening simultaneously, which is great but there is no time to sit back and think. Phew!

By: Ritwika Gupta

Rom-coms, cupcakes, candle light dinners, flowers and candies ? some of the most cherished moments in our lives arise out of love. Although each one of us are preoccupied with a million priorities in today?s fast-paced setting, there is no denying the fact that all of us want to be with people whom we care about, who make us happy and who value us for who we actually are. When you find the right person to spend your entire life with, you enable yourself to weave long-lasting moments that create memories of a lifetime and a beautiful love story to share in the coming years. As Valentine?s Day draws closer, I have rounded up five of the true love stories of happily married couples in the television, media and lifestyle industries that truly make me believe that if you?re in love, everyday is Valentine?s Day!

LOVE IS FRIENDSHIP

Sudhir and Seema Sharma, owners of Sunshine Productions, have given us popular love stories on television like Miley Jab Hum Tum and Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha. However, when it comes to their own love affair, they confess that it was not a mushy romantic story at all.

Sudhir and Seema Sharma
 

?We both used to work for Zee Network in Delhi. Seema was a news producer with Zee while I had newly joined as a reporter. We became friends when I started anchoring. Our interaction led to friendship and I got along with her from day one. We became best of friends. So, this is not a typical romantic love story but I can proudly say that even after 15 years of marriage and two lovely kids, we are still the best of friends.?

 Sudhir admits that since they work together, there are bound to be small arguments and issues but the husband-wife duo are so passionate about their work that it hardly matters in the bigger scheme of things.

?Our morning starts with a conversation related to work but we have our ?switch on & switch off? mode. We try to avoid work post 8 pm and try to spend time with each other on weekends. We have an understanding like friends and the trust factor is there which is very important in any relationship.?

This year, the couple will be in Mumbai and you can spot them dining out at a restaurant in the city.

THE ROMANTIC ONE

Subhadarshi Tripathy, who is the cluster head - paid TV at Zee Entertainment, admits that his life would not have been the same without his wife, Shraddha who left her job to take care of his family and children.

Subhadarshi Tripathy with his twins

Subhadarshi and Shraddha know each other for 20 years now and met during an animation course where the former was completely awestruck by his wife.

?She was my batch-mate and way superior to me. I was a nobody and completely in awe of her as she was so good at her work. After knowing each other for sometime, I popped the question and proposed to her. We then got married in 2003.?

Subhadarshi shares that Valentine?s Day does not really have much of an importance in his life as he believes every day should be celebrated in love. Adding on to that, he tells us that there are no specific Valentine?s Day plans for this year.

Speaking of Shraddha?s role in his life, Subhadarshi admits that Shraddha helps him keep a work-life balance, as she understands his work schedule, which can get quite hectic at times.

?Even though I have a set of house keys, I still ring the doorbell because I want to see her face first when I come home,? he says with a slight blush.

THE FILMY LOVE STORY

Yash and Mamta Patnaik

Yash and Mamta Patnaik, founders of Beyond Dreams Entertainment, had the ultimate Bollywood-ish love story. There was a hero, heroine, villain, action and lots of drama.

?Back in 2001, we both were working for a channel. We knew each other but we were not friends. So during a celebration party for the channel, I bumped into her again. Initially we did not talk much but during the party, a few guys started misbehaving with a few girls. They were forcefully trying to dance with them and that is when I intervened to stop the guys. I guess that was my winning moment. That same night, I danced with Mamta and dropped her home too. This was in January 2001. By May, we got engaged and within the next year we got married.?

Completing 13 years of marriage this April, Yash confesses with a smile that nothing has really changed.

Speaking about how it is like to work with his wife, he says ?I think when you love each other, work becomes much easier. There are differences but the best part is that we spend almost 23-24 hours with each other. Our cabins are just opposite each other. When she is unable to come for a meeting, I attend it on her behalf. I put in the extra effort to do justice to her concepts.

Stating his beliefs that Valentine?s Day is a celebration of love and your loved ones, Yash admits that both of them complement each other perfectly.

When asked about his plans for this year, he laughs and shares, ?Well my wife?s birthday falls on 10 February, so there is a demand for two different gifts. But apart from that, I will also take her out for dinner.?

A FAMILY STYLE STATEMENT

Jawed & Shaheen Habib

Top hairstylist and founder of Jawed Habib Hair & Beauty, Jawed Habib has a very interesting love story to share. ?My wife, Shaheen was one of my clients who used to come for a haircut to me and that?s how I met her and we fell in love,? he admits.

Speaking about his wife?s role in his life, Jawed admits that Shaheen has managed to give all the values to their children that he had received from his mother when he was a child. ?It is not difficult for me to maintain a work - life balance as my wife has been a pillar of strength and support. I live only for today and I don?t depend on tomorrow,? he says.

When quizzed about their Valentine?s Day plans for this year, he shares, ?I normally spend my Valentine?s Day with my family at home. Valentine?s Day is about being with your dear ones and this year, I will be taking them out for dinner. Furthermore, for me it is also about spending time with my employees who work so hard for me day and night. So yes, I have a huge family to celebrate this Valentine?s Day.

LOVE AT WORK

Rupali and Pintoo Guha, owners of Film Farm India, have been married for 21 years now. They met during a work assignment and got married in 1993. Talking about the significance of Valentine?s Day in their lives, Rupali says, ?To be honest, neither Pintoo nor I believe in Valentine?s Day. We believe everyday should be celebrated like Valentine?s Day. I think it is utopian for every working woman to have a man in her life whom she can share the same level of understanding with.?

Rupali and Pintoo Guha

Rupali admits that whether it is work or home, she is lucky to have Pintoo by her side and shares that it is not very difficult to maintain a work life balance if you have faith in each other.

?During work, Pinto and I distribute our responsibilities. While I take charge of the creative aspect, he takes responsibility of the production. It is not like we agree all the time but we debate about it and it works fine at the end of the day,? she tells us with a smile on her face.
 

The second episode of Talking Point with Ritwika Gupta features one of the most prominent film critics in the country - Anupama Chopra. Anupama reveals that her husband and award-winning filmaker, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, has been her biggest inspiration. A film enthusiast, book author and television presenter by profession, Anupama shares her experiences in the industry, talks about her wonderful voyage and how she manages to juggle the multiple roles in her life.