For Anita Kaul Basu, director of Synergy Communications and wife of ace quiz master Siddhartha Basu, life has been full of surprises - some good, some bad... but nonetheless amazingly colorful.

Born in Kashmir, Anita subsequently migrated to Surrey, England where the world seemed to be her oyster.

"The exposure levels were amazing and my parents were adamant that we (my two brothers and I) got the best of that world. However, they made sure we never lost our identities and were Indians first. The growing up years can be fraught with confusion and we had our share of being in that state, but my mother ensured we got huge doses of our Kashmiri rituals, food, Indian film, music etc," says Anita.

Those were the best days of my life...
I have lots of fond memories of my childhood days... from changing two trains and a bus to get to school in the cold winter mornings of London and picking up stacks of Mars bars and lip-smacking pastries along the way... I've done it all.

It was a dilemma everyday for me whether to catch the bus or spend that money on fresh cream puffs and walk three kilometers to school. I was crowned Miss Beautiful and was taken all over London in a open van with a ridiculous crown and ballroom type of dress, wherein I pretended to be Queen of England! In retrospect, all this seems hilarious. Theatre is something that left me spell bound in Britain, where I watched some of the greatest actors perform. I can never forget the mad 70s when I used to stitch my own clothes and crochet my own long fringed jackets.

I was a sportsperson throughout my school and college days. I was the best in my school for the 100 meter hurdles and even now I dream of having the time to run. I was also the captain of the school hockey team.

Life's journey so far...
Most of us think we can circumvent destiny or at least have the power to control it. I am afraid the writing has been done a long time back and one just has to be receptive to the twists and turns of the plot and story and not let the foul patches dictate our entire course.

I graduated and joined the Indian Institute of Mass Communications for a journalism course. Subsequently I joined India Today on the editorial team. I was there for five years before I resigned to look after my first child. I never went back to a full time job, because by 1987, we set up our own company. It's been like that ever since and has been the most amazing learning curve.

For Siddhartha, it was love at first sight...
I came back from England to do my graduation at Miranda House, Delhi University. There I met Mira Nair, who was a year senior to me. She introduced me to Siddhartha. At that time, he was doing a play for the Shakespeare Society of St. Stephen's College where he took me for audition. It was love at first sight for him. We began dating a couple of months later and got married a full eight years after our first meeting. My parents were very apprehensive about this marriage and it took them a long time to accept it. But it's been 24 years and we are still together!

Marriage is a commitment and a responsibility towards each other and to our children, Aditya (21) and Medha (17).

Read, read, read till I sleep...
I'm into the habit of reading at least three books at the same time! It all depends on my mood and how tired I am. But I have to read before my eyes automatically droop. I have had so many favorites - Vikram Seth's An Equal Music; The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari; Sue Townsend's series of Adrian Mole; Shantaram and books authored by Bill Cosby.

No time to travel...
I have not traveled as much as I would have liked to, primarily because of my children, their school schedules and my immovable work schedules. My favorite holiday places are The Glass House on the Ganges, Rishikesh, Paris and Cornwall in England.

I have fond memories of rafting on the Ganges. It was phenomenally exhilarating, life giving and exciting. The Caravan holidays with friends and cousins in England and beach holidays in Goa were also memorable.

It's ridiculous to buy something just for the sake of the brand
I am not a compulsive shopper, although I love the exercise! I have a keen eye and can get the best bargains. I am not a person who will shop at will.

I do not subscribe to brands and I find it ridiculous catering to people who have more money than they can handle and are up against the Joneses. I refuse to buy something just because it's a big brand name. I can understand buying branded electronics or even watches, but clothes and accessories; sorry I stay unmoved by it all!

I am neither the types who gets easily impressed, nor the type who fawns and drops brand names. I do go for quality in some things but I don't think that brands necessarily equate quality. I pick a lot of my clothes from the streets of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangkok or London. If I like something, I will buy it and not not because I must have it to impress others.

One thing that I am careful about while purchasing is perfumes. My current favorites are Flower by Kenzo and Hypnotic Poison. I stay as faithful as possible to my favorites for a long time. On the shoes front, the best one I have are picked up from London. Again no big brands, but they are comfortable yet stylish. All my summer chappals are from Delhi's Greater Kailash Market or from Bangkok.

Eclectic taste for movies and music...
I love movies and music and have a pretty eclectic taste in both. However, I do not watch science fiction movies and absolutely detest heavy metal and trance music. The movies that have been etched in my mind are, The Shawshank Redemption, all of Audrey Hepburn's films, Kazaz ke Phool, Satya, Bunty Aur Babli and Being Cyrus amongst many others.

Music is my life. I just can't live without rock and roll! I love old Hindi film songs, uplifting classical Indian music as well as western music. Elton John, Phil Collins, Celine Dion are some of my favourite singers.

No discos for me please...
I like to party with friends but either at their home or mine. I don't like discos too much, partly because the music is invariably loud, metallic and staccato. After a while your ears are torn apart and your legs spent dancing on the same spot, since space is always at a premium.

Perceptions change when you allow yourself to see things from a higher plain...
I must admit, I was a non-believer early on in life. Miraculously along the way all that changed. I began to search for answers, look for inner strength and seek certain calmness. I have a high adrenaline rush and am on the go most of the time. I needed to center my restless energy as I was very stressed out.

I have found that the only person who can help you is you! Yes, you need a little bit of help to find the YOU to begin with. I took to Reiki and meditation. This has helped me tremendously. It's an instant de-stressor. I can see now how we exaggerate our problems in our minds. The solutions are simpler than we think. Your perceptions change when you allow yourself to see things from a higher plain. It minimises the problems and makes them easy to tackle.

I meditate everyday without fail. It's my soul curry! Otherwise I stay active running around as I am not prone to just lying around doing nothing. I have to spend the excess energy I have.

I am a 'kattar' meat-eating cannibal
I am not an orgiastic foodie. I need it as fuel. However, I don't mind trying out different cuisine. I am a 'kattar' meat-eating cannibal - Kashmiris cannot live without their one kilo of meat a day! I love Kashmir "tabakmaaz," a fried spare rib delicacy. I love fish and chips made the English way and wrapped in newspaper! And Italian food - all of it!

I do cook but I am a person who hates to spend too much time in the kitchen. I am a karate chop cook - quick cutting, fast cooking and swift clean up. I cook all Kashmiri dishes, bit of Italian and my own Indian food recipes; and when I have time, roast dishes.

Most gizmos leave me completely cold
I am not at all a gizmo freak. It's beyond me to understand and make time to figure out the workings of any gizmo - whether a phone or a computer or the latest technology system. I use gizmos for purely practical purposes.

I love driving and the smaller the car the better. A Ferrari or Lamborghini won't hurt! But, even a Santro is good enough for the Indian roads and great for parking and a zippy drive!

About the Author - Ashok V. Desai is the consulting editor of The Telegraph. He also writes for the Business World. Before becoming a columnist and commentator, he was advisor to the then Indian finance minister Manmohan Singh in the early 1990s, when India embarked on economic reforms. In the 1980s, Desai coordinated a large project on energy research across the world, the results of which were published in a 15 volume study. Desai speaks fluent German and once wrote a thesis on German wages in the nineteenth century.

India has evolved with the passage of time and so has its telecommunications industry. More than a decade back in 1992, the Indian telecommunication industry was totally monopolised by the government, but now with the advent of new technology, it is growing at a rapid pace and seeing more and more private players.

In the 1990s, the government of India appointed regulators as an alternative to the direct control of industries such as telecommunications, banking, capital markets, insurance, hydrocarbons and electricity. But in spite of tremendous efforts, it seemed to go in vain and was by and large ineffective.

The book takes holistic look at the industry's past, incumbent and future trail. The author creates an atmosphere for the readers and provides a detailed view of the technical world. Through the book, Desai attempts to bring forth arguments as to why regulation does not work in India.

India's Telecommunications Industry showcases the birth and growth of the industry. Desai throws light on the industry from the time of DoT to internet telephony.

He also talks about the impact technology has on the telecommunications industry. He divulges a well known fact, which is understood by all in fast paced world --- the importance of networking and staying connected.

Who can do without a mobile or a personal phone in today's world? And to top it all, with increasing competition, the calling rates too are lowering day by day. With the advent of more and more channels of communication, the need seems to be unending.

India's Telecommunications Industry had been written in a lucid manner and is also packed with a punch. It is an essential read for policy makers, economists and industry watchers. The book will also be of interest to students of industrial economics and management.

"Just as one thinks that one has reached the full stop, something happens that renders an entire chapter out of date," says Desai. As a result, this book is a result of four drafts spread over a year coupled with a whole lot of effort on the author's behalf.

About the Author - Dr. Nalini Rajan is associate professor at the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai. Her key academic areas are key issues; deprivation; identity politics; democratic practices and institutions. The other two books penned by her are Mass Media, New Technology, and Culture and Secularism, Democracy, Justice.

The GenX journalists of today (including me) have had it much easier in life. Neither do we have to scan through bulky newspaper archives for a past report nor do we have to visit libraries for research work. All it takes is to enter a "key word" on the internet search page and in a blink you have hundreds of pages on the topic you've been looking for.

Why I mention this is because Dr. Nalini Rajan's Practising Journalism - Values, Constraints, Implications throws light on the journalism days gone by starting from the days of the British Raj and the kind of conditions that journalists and the publishing industry used to work in. At the same time, it also dwells on the days to come. An interesting collection of factual accounts from various editors and journalists highlighting the dos and don'ts of journalism is how this book can be best described as.

If you want a crash course in the history of the Indian press and the trials and tribulations it underwent from the times of the Colonial rule, till date; then this is the book to read. Rajan gives us a more-than-brief introduction to the content of the book, which tells us in a jiffy what to expect in the 400 page tome. As Rajan puts it, the history of journalism is not linear but consists of a series of criss-crossing loops.

This book, which has been divided into four parts, has contributions from stalwarts like B R P Bhaskar, N Ram, Harivansh, Dilip D'Souza, Mukund Padmanabhan, Valerie Kaye, Darryl D'Monte, Pamela Philipose, V Geetha, Nirmal Shekar, Devinder Sharma, Kalpana Sharma, Lawrence Liang, S Anand, MH Lakdawala, Praveen Swami, Shyam Tekwani, Bindu Bhaskar, Robert Brown, Robin Jeffrey, S Gautham, KP Jayashakar and Anjali Monteiro, Mahalakshmi Jayaram, Steven S Ross, Ashish Sen and Anjali Kamat.

While it is a comprehensive account of what the Indian press was / is all about, it does at times become more of a platform for contributing editors to tom-tom about their newspapers. One such example is a chapter by Harivansh where he glorifies Prabhat Khabar and tells us how it emerged a winner without bending the norms and succumbing to various external pressures.

It also dwells on topics like the growth of the regional and 'national' media in India, investigative journalism, sting operations, Page 3 journalism, online journalism, rural and urban reporting, agricultural reporting, sports journalism, sensationalism in reporting and the new age journalist.

Overall, it's an interesting and comprehensive piece of reading, which tries to touch upon every important aspect of journalism with illustrative articles.

By Hetal Adesara

"Since my early days I have been reading books related to astronomy and cricket. It's not that I was deeply inclined to study about planets and space, but it's been in me because of the course I chose in my post graduation level. We were required to do projects on the subject and therefore my liking for it sort of grew," says Tam India CEO LV Krishnan.

As far as cricket is concerned, it's been my passion to know about it in depth. Though I can't play cricket at all, I love reading about it. After all, it is not essential to virtually practice what you read. I never lay my hands on self-help and motivational books as I find them very boring.

I spend quite a lot of money on books at times and I usually shop at the Crossword book store in Bandra.

My favourite books...

Sunil Gavaskar's Sunny Days has been my best read ever. The book is an autobiography of the great cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar. This was the first book he wrote and after this another three followed.

I'm not a fiction fan at all and so I have no favourite authors. As far as non-fiction is concerned, I only read in about astronomy and cricket.

I'm reading Steve Waugh's autobiography Out Of My Comfort Zone, which I find extremely entertaining. It gives a detailed description of another great man in the field of cricket.

Books that do not hold me?

No other books hold me the way books related to these topics do. I haven't really been able to peruse any 400 page books for the past many years now. There is hardly any time left for all this.

Browsing and E-Reading...

I do read a lot of snippets on the internet but not any kind of books. Apart from books and related material there is a lot to be learnt from the net. Advancements in the field of technology have taken great leaps and the net is catching more and more viewership than any other form of media.

His life has come full circle. He started his career with his family business of film distribution, left it to try his hand at various other trades right from garments to even handling shipments to production. But he is back at it again, this time with Indonesian entertainment baron Raam Punjabi's company PT Parkit Films' Indian distribution arm, Multivision Multimedia India. Just a couple of years ago, he was spearheading Indian media czar Subhash Chandra's forays into the cinema business.

With reason. Gupta believes in giving it all that he has got. He narrates an incident when he was in the shipment business when he chose to stay in the factory till 2 am just because he felt maybe his mere presence would help others work faster and prevent casualness from creeping in.

However, it's a tad difficult to believe that a man who looks all of 40 has a daughter who will turn 24 in October!

A Delhiite by birth he came to Mumbai in 1998 and joined a production house. This was followed by the Essel Group's E-City, where he spread the mutliplex chain in four cities across India before helping Punjabi set up his Indian arm.

We get him to talk about his journey so far, and get to know a lot many hidden secrets about him.

Sporty to the core in school and college?
As long as one is in school or college everything is great but once you are out, the strive begins. I used to be very active in sports. I've played hockey at the national level and table tennis at the state level. Later my passion for sports led me to play games like golf and pool. But now who has the time for all that? It's very rare that I play a frame of pool when I'm out on a trip with friends.

What's cooking today???
I won't call myself a foodie but yes, I do like eating and make it a point to try out different cuisine whenever I am out. I love the exquisite food in Bukhara and the barbecued dishes in Delhi and that's something you can't get anywhere. Very recently, I tried pizzas in La Pizza at the Cannes film festival. They were baked on earthen ovens and had a totally different taste just like the roties made on earthen stoves in villages. Also there is an Algerian restaurant where they serve you starters like kababs and a wholesome full course. I am extremely fond of Chinese cuisine and therefore land up normally at Mainland China, the Chinese restaurant in the Mumbai suburbs.

Normally, I prefer having anything vegetarian. I even like having continental dishes and as a matter of fact I even love cooking, but then everything has to be done by me. On Sundays the lunch menu is fixed comprising Curry chawal (Punjabi Curry).

No Yoga-shoga for me
I try to be regular with my gym routine or go for a walk at times. I wake up at 7.30 am and my day winds up at around 8 pm. I've also tried, what you call, the new life or the alternate healing - Art of Living and Reiki. I don't really believe in Yoga as such. I agree everything has a benefit but it's not often possible to practice everything because it all depends on your conviction.

I don't believe in giving prasad or donations...
I believe there is someone up there who has control over all of us. I am religious but I don't believe in rituals as such. I believe in a private conversation with God even if it's for 10 minutes a day. On Sundays the first three hours are totally devoted to God. I don't believe in giving prasad and donations; instead I would go and help some NGO like CRY or something else on those lines. And I believe that God is with me all the time... I don't search for him. I am not an extreme person, so when one is walking on a moderate line it is very easy to choose which way to go. Therefore I haven't felt his absence till date.

Books lag behind, TV reigns supreme
Very frankly, with the advent of so many channels, the reading habit has taken a back seat. In the past three years I have started reading many books but haven't managed to finish even one. By the time you get back home, seeing something visually is more appealing than a fat book of 400 pages. I read fiction and religious books at times. I usually like reading those books that do not require long attention spans. There are certain stories, which are just 40 pages long but have a great moral. As far as religious books are concerned, I would say, I don't really read mythological books but mostly books on their analysis is what I prefer.

Historical destinations beckon
Though traveling happens quite often but holidays are a far fetched dream now. There are a lot many places left to be visited. My wife is very interested in history so I want to take her to her dream destinations like Egypt, Greece, Cambodia and places, which offer historical background. Apart from that there are so many places in India too where you get a variety of things. Our dream destination in the monsoons used to be this place called Chail, which is 45 kilometers from Shimla. There is a Chail Palace that used to be the summer palace of the Maharaja of Patiala and has now been converted into a hotel. It has four - five cottages and the whole place had hardly 25 shops, a bus stop and a post office. We used to plan a week long trip so that we could utilise the fire place in the evenings and enjoy the cold breeze.

I believe?
Since adulthood I've believed in just one thing - whatever you do, every single thing comes back to you in this one life only.

Ghulam Ali fan
I love listening to yesteryears' music. I have my own collection of Boney M and the likes. I don't mind listening to Indian classical, instrumental and other music of the same era. There was a time when I was hooked on to Ghulam Ali.

As far as movies are concerned I would say, every genre has its own charm. Mackenna's Gold is one such movie. It was made so differently that even today it is fresh in my mind. If I am switching channels in the night and happen to see Sholay, I till date stop and watch it. Lord of The Rings and My Fair Lady are some of my favorites.

A nose only for Davidoff Cool Water
Shopping has become so very easy now with the advent of malls. My personal favourite is InOrbit. A lot of mix and match brands do for me. In perfumes, I prefer only Davidoff Cool Water. I am not very particular about the brand of clothes I wear as long as they are comfortable. As I have been associated with the fashion garment industry, I go in for the cut and fit and not much for the brand.

My priorities have changed
In the last three years, there has been a total shift in my lifestyle. Earlier I was a party animal and had less time for my family but now it has become vice versa. It was more of a conscious choice because with time priorities change and so did mine. Since my profession demands it, I try to catch up more on films now and films have always interested me. Moreover it also becomes a family outing when we go for movies, film festivals and screenings together.

Beautiful Dreams
Ten years from now I wish to be in the Bahamas, holidaying (chuckles). Actually a lot depends on my luck and circumstances. But I do want to own a wooden cottage on a hill where I can hear the sound of running water.

Celebrated for his rich marketing and editorial experience, Bharat Kapadia is regarded of the leading names of the publication industry. Former editor and associate publisher of the Chitralekha Group, Bharat Kapadia firmly advocates 'the power of positive thinking'.

We take Mr. Kapadia on a spiritual quest and what comes across an iron willed person who not only thrives on conflict and competition, but seeks it out! In a t?te-?-t?te with the exec life, this enterprising man from Divya Bhaskar discusses his ideologies on God, religion and devotion.

By Birth?
I'm a Hindu Vaishnav by birth, partisan of Lord Krishna. Other than adorning the traditional necklace 'janoi' during my childhood days, I can't testify as a firm believer of God. By the way, I'm no more wearing the 'janoi'.

Family Values?
My parents were extremely devotional; they conducted pujas and other rituals. My wife, Ronak, belongs to the same school of thought. But I don't subscribe to it. My mother used to narrate the holy books to me when I was a child. Talking about my kids (a daughter and two sons), I try to infuse the philosophies of Subhash Chandra Bose in them. Except naming my kids as per their rashi, I have taught them to act rational and be pragmatic in all walks to life.

My belief?
I'm neither an atheist nor a devotee. Yes, a 'super natural force' does exist but I don't get carried away with that thought. If God does exist, I'm thankful that he has been kind to me so far. I feel the biggest tribute that we can give to our parents is by following their inculcated values and not just by blindly believing in the existence of God. Also, I have adhered to being a pucca vegetarian and teetotaler.

Rituals?
I have never succumbed to any rituals. Even when I was supposed to conduct the shraads on the demise of my parents, I entrusted the deed to the temple through donation. On rare occasions like Diwali, I do participate in the

chopda pujan, where the books of account are worshipped

Divine Visits?
I don't intentionally plan a visit to a temple. But when accompanied by my family on devotional trips and on social occasions, I do give in without reluctance.

Spiritual Guidance?
I haven't investigated any books which explore the being of The All Mighty. With my editorial experience of years, it's ironical but amusing to say, I can write but cannot read! As far as guidance goes, I listen to my heart. I have always believed that God, if there, is within us.

Positive thinking?
The power of positive thinking can change and enrich our life. Being sanguine and zealous in our deeds will, for sure, guarantee success and happiness.

Karmalogy?
Good karma or bad karma?I don't know. What I adhere to: do whatever pleases you.
The power is within us; how you utilize it is subjective.

Relaxing mantra?
No, I don't chant any mantras as such. Music is what works as a stress-buster for me. At present I'm being coached for vocal classical music. So you can say the music mantra works in my case. As far as being fit is concerned, I do workout regularly under a trainer.