Taking the craft of theatre and stage play to another level, CinePlay founder Subodh Maskara gave up his full time corporate life to focus on his creative passions along with his wife, Nandita Das, who is also an award winning actress in the country.

Maskara is an actor, entrepreneur and also holds a MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, USA. From production of television sets to recycling of plastic bottles, Maskara has been involved in various enterprising schemes. In conversation with Indiantelevision.com?s Ritwika Gupta, Maskara reveals his passion for theatre and talks about his latest venture, CinePlay.

Excerpts:

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

I was in the corporate industry, wherein I ran a business of recycling plastic bottles. My love for theatre developed when I met Nandita. Initially, theatre started off as a hobby. It was lovely performing for a live audience. However, it was when we started getting invitations to perform in different cities that I realized that there was a time constraint and many geographical restrictions to live theatre. Logistically, it wasn?t very easy to put together a performance in a different city or country effortlessly. There are many issues that go into making a live production. So, I thought of an idea. I wanted to take these stories from theatre onto a digital platform and create a new genre, which comprised theatre and cinema.

When did you first realise your love for theatre?

I was seven or eight years old when I used to go watch my uncle perform stage plays. My uncle was a graduate from National School of Drama, so while I was exposed to theatre at a young age, I did not pursue it. To be honest, I am fond of anything with a strong cultural association. I feel any form of art is like an internal growth and that is why I look up to all artistes. Every artiste has a story to tell. I have done only one play, so far. It?s called Between the Lines starring my wife, Nandita and myself.

What is a CinePlay?

A CinePlay extends the influence and reach of theatre by creating a self-sustaining financial model. It is a new genre altogether, a genre that allows stories from theatre to break the constraints of economics, geography, language and accessibility. We archive iconic plays, allowing future generations to experience unforgettable stories and performances.

Who is your inspiration?

Frankly every actor, producer and director in theatre has inspired me. CinePlay is like a tribute to everyone in theatre, production and backstage. This month, we are celebrating our first anniversary and I am glad it?s been a success so far.

Which part of your job do you enjoy the most?

I am an entrepreneur. So, I am excited by new ideas ? the ability to give shape to a concept and to create something radical and to find new ways to solve new challenges. That is what I enjoy the most.

Is it difficult to balance your role as an entrepreneur and a family person?

Not at all! I have had great support from my family. Yes initially, there was a little bit of resistance from my wife because the idea was out of the norm. She was just watching out for me. However, there?s been immense support over time and I am really happy about that. I make sure I wrap up my work on time so I get enough time to exercise, relax and spend with my family.

Theatre or Cinema: What?s your pick?

I am fond of every form of art. In theatre, you have an audience that can range from 100-500. The actor?s projection is much more; the lighting is for stage and for the audience. Theatre is one dimension. I want to archive live theatre. For eg., the play Tumhari Amrita, whose original star cast was Shabana Azmi and Farooq Sheikh is a world class drama but not everyone has seen it. And now because it?s stopped playing in theatres, the new generation will not be able to ever see the original performances either. So my attempt is to film these plays and archive them. We get the talented theatre actors to act for camera and with the usage of angles, light, background score, subtitles and techniques, which are not available in live theatre, we are able to bring these performances to people who are not privileged enough to watch these plays live for various reasons. I want to bring these CinePlays to different cities and countries. A month goes into pre-production and it takes us almost a week to shoot an entire play, followed by another month of post-production.

How important are awards to you?

I don?t quite believe in awards and frankly, it does not make a difference to me. I feel those who seek awards and make it their sole aim, are rather insecure. Sometimes a lot of people who have a lot of awards are actually depressed. To me, awards and appreciation are all an individual interpretation and one should not treat it as a final judgment. Life goes on.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

On a professional level, I wish to take CinePlay onto a global platform and not just limited to India. I want to create a healthy exchange of CinePlays worldwide ? be it Chinese, Taiwanese or French plays. As of now, we have 50 shows and we have a tie-up with Inox Cinemas to showcase them. We will have a national launch of CinePlay in June. We have partnered with Jet Airways for in-flight entertainment, so there we are trying many non-traditional ways of reaching out to people. But here I must tell you that CinePlay is neither competing with cinema or theatre. It?s alternate content, which caters to both cinema and theatre lovers in India. As I mentioned, I want people to become aware of this genre.

If at this stage, you had to describe your life in one word, what would it be?

Contented. I take one moment at a time and very happy to have a good equilibrium between work and family. I feel I am too privileged that I am able to make a difference. 

By: Ritwika Gupta
 

His zest for life is eternal and his vivacious personality almost infectious. Meet the hair icon of India - Jawed Habib ? the renowned hair stylist, who has made a mark for himself in a career spanning over 25 years.

Known for his association with fashion and celebrities, Habib has also authored best-selling hair books, is a hair consultant, an architect of a unique range of hair products and winner of numerous tresses awards. Habib shot to fame with his drive to make hair color fashionable across all sections of society in India.

A die-hard optimist, Habib?s career journey has been very exciting so far. Shedding some light on his younger days, he says that he was always inspired by his father but it was his experience at the London Hair Dressing School that helped him choose a career in hairstyling. It was here that he learnt the art of systematic approach to the hair profession.

?I decided that I wanted to become a hair dresser when I went to a famous hair dressing school in London. There was no looking back for me from there,? Habib shares.

Talking about the evolution of the hair and beauty industry over the years, Habib says, ?Personal grooming has become more of a basic need than a luxury, as it was thought five or so years ago. Today?s generation is image conscious. Considering today?s fast paced life, people do not have time for themselves. They would like to be groomed in the shortest possible time, in the best possible ways and at the most affordable prices possible. Everyone needs to look presentable at all times ? whether it is your workplace, your office or business or home.?

With trends changing at the drop of a hat, hairstylists are required to keep their abilities and skills up to date. ?If you want to stay in the business, your skills better adapt. Clients are so active about the ongoing trends that they bring in photographs on their smart phones of the hairstyle or color they have in mind,? Habib informs.

His skills, aesthetic sensitivity and solid expertise, helped him understand the needs of growing Indian market. Moreover in India, Bollywood has for long exerted a deep influence on popular Indian fashion. This year, Habib predicts that boho waves, long tails, braids and twists, big buns and bombshell blowouts are some of the trends to watch out for.

?Any haircut or new look adorned by an actor in a hit movie immediately becomes a prime tresses trend for a stylist to reproduce. But one has to understand that it?s not easy to replicate the look as the actor usually spends two hours behind that look. When it comes to a normal person, he or she cannot spend two hours on styling hair in their day to day life.?

The amount of chemicals that one puts in their hair these days is almost unbelievable. From hair rebonding, straightening, highlights and perming, the various chemical treatments impact the quality of one?s hair. While Habib agrees that these chemical treatments do cause damage, he is quick to point out that if the hair is healthy and the treatments are done by a professional, it will not damage the hair to a great extent. ?You need to deeply condition your hair after a treatment by applying a weekly hair mask,? the hair expert advises.

In order to maintain and take good care of hair, it is necessary to use high-quality products according to Habib. And that?s where Jabib Habib Hair Yoga comes in! Through Hair Yoga, Habib is introducing the ancient service of 'Champi' or head massage using oils specially created by the house of Jawed Habib, which will help improve the overall hair health and texture.

?This year, we are coming up with Jawed Habib Hair Yoga, which will have 12 products like a shampoo, serum and oil etc. These products will take good care of different types of hair ranging from dry, oily, curly, frizzy and even coloured-treated hair,? he shares.

Apart from his celebrity image, Habib is also an entrepreneur with 480 salons across 92 cities in India. Habib confesses that the secret behind his success was the attitude that he and his staff adopted over the years.

Habib believes that education can change any profession. The expert hones his skills and learns every day. He attributes his success in this profession to education. ?Learning our job well is of utmost importance. This gives an edge to us over others,? he signs off with a confident smile on his face.

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!