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.

He's the man behind the eternal mythos like Om Namah Shivay and Shree Ganesh. In fact, many in the industry refer to him as the `mytho man'; though he has consistently also delivered on other genres of programming.

The plucky producer has currently been in the spotlight for his new show `Jodi Kamaal ki' on Star Plus.As we got talking to him, we found out that Dheeraj Kumar is an ardent follower of Lord Shiva (the most powerful god of the Hindu pantheon and one of the godheads in the Hindu Trinity) and Goddess Durga (manifesting Shakti or power) . In an interview to exec life, we talk to him about his belief system and faith that has kept him going in life.

"There's a bit of providence in my life"
There's definitely a bit of providence in everybody's life. Apart from that, I believe in destiny and the power of the almighty. A lot of things & events happen in life which are not planned. In fact, I believe all the important events in my life have been a result of divine intervention. The way my company has grown, the day I met my wife or even my name for that matter.

Not many people know that my real name is Purshottam Kochhar. During my early days in Mumbai, when I was very much a part of the filmworld, someone suggested the name Dheeraj Kumar since it was in sync with Dilip Kumar.

"My wife is actually a Parsee"
My wife, Zuby Kochhar used to fly for Air India for about 17 years. We've now been together for more than 45 years. She's actually a Parsee but after our marriage has adopted my faith and belief system. Now, it's her strong belief in Lord Shiva and Ma Durga which gives me strength. If there's any critical decision to be taken or any business problem, I turn to Zuby,who's really my support system.

"My parents sowed the seeds of devotion in me"
My parents actually sowed the seeds of devotion in me. They were very religious and we used to pray as a family together. My childhood memories are all about the huge temple in our house which had Ma Durga and Lord Shiva's Trishul in it.
I don't really believe in any kind of rituals. Every morning, I take about twenty minutes to do mypooja. That gives me strength, lightens up my worries and also keeps me feeling young.

"I own more than 1000 shiva idols"
I've a huge collection of Shiva idols at home as well as in my office.Yet, my friends keep gifting me with more Shiva idols. In fact, my office building is also called as Kailash Plaza.In fact, I had donated a huge statue of Lord Shiva to this building, when it was being constructed.

"I am a Karmayogi"
Do I sound like I am preaching like a saint? Well, I am actually a Karmayogi. I am very ambitious and still desire to grow my company further. But I do these things very peacefully. So, while I plan for the future, I also give all my worries to God. I work hard for more than ten hours a day and try as far as possible, not to overreact to people and situations.

"God doesn't ask you to relax"

Belief in God doesn't mean put on your AC and relax. But Lord Shiva really inspires me to stand up and fight.

"An incident that has stayed with me"
I used to live in Byculla during my younger days. Once, late at night after a shoot, I got down at Mahalakshmi. I only had a railway pass and cash of Rs 1.30 with me. I was very hungry that night, but the question was whether I should take a taxi or should have my dinner?

It was pouring heavily that night and all the restaurants were closed. And the other restaurants that were open were charging 80 paisa for three chapatis and a paya soup. I couldn't afford that. I kept walking on and saw a labourer who was making chapatis for himself. I asked him if he would share his dinner with me. He happily baked 7 to 8 chapatis and we had it together with just a glass of water. I still remember the sweet taste of that dinner and thank God everyday for standing by me.

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.

Car buyers crave the best deals on their purchases, but the best cars for the bucks are not necessarily the ones that come with the biggest discounts. After all, you can brag to your friends that you got a Saturn Ion with thousands of dollars on the hood, but you?ll still be driving a Saturn Ion.

In the slide show that follows this piece, we describe this year?s crop of the top cars in terms of value. We focus on vehicles that give you a lot of car considering their sticker prices?not on vehicles that have deep discounts because of inventory and/or sales problems.

Detroit should focus on packing value into its cars from the beginning. Instead, starting with the initial business cases they make for new cars, American automakers count on offering incentives. The average offer from General Motors is $2,433; from Ford Motor , $2,612; and from DaimlerChrysler?s subsidiary, Chrysler, $1,969?all significantly higher than the offers made by foreign competitors.

See the best cars for the bucks.

Honda Motor is getting full sticker prices for its overhauled Civic line, and it can do that because the Civic is chock full of value. As you will see in our list, it is an affordable, entry-level car, but one that meets the highest standards for safety, reliability, build quality, accident-avoidance technology and fuel economy.

Honda avoids cash incentives, and fellow Japanese automaker Toyota Motor is cutting incentive spending. In the first quarter, Toyota?s average incentive offer dropped 38% to $816. Yet sales for both Honda and Toyota are up this year, and their profits never seem to stop growing, while GM edges closer to bankruptcy.

However, American-car inventories have declined this year, meaning that GM and Ford might be able to avoid the kind of blowouts they offered last summer, when they made employee pricing available to the general public.

The command that Wall Street likes to use when advising General Motors is, ?Shrink to a defensible position.? This means cut production, cut salaries and cut the workforce, and focus not on being the world?s largest automaker but on improving per-car and per-dealer profits.

Just look at Porsche, which is one of the world?s smallest automakers but one that is nearly untouchable in terms of profitability. Making fewer cars but making them better is the key to rehabilitating customers and getting them used to lower discounts.

In keeping with the idea that cheap doesn?t equal good value, when compiling our list of the best cars you can get for your buck, we looked for vehicles that offer power, comfort, safety technology, reliability, high levels of build quality, sophisticated accident-avoidance technology and more?all for less than you would spend on competing vehicles. The cars on our list range from the $15,000 Civic up to the what we think is the best bargain supercar around, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, priced a little under $66,000.

And they?re from all over the map, which just goes to show that any automaker can offer an attractive car for an attractive price, and not just lure people into showrooms with cash on the hoods of its cars.

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.

Short background about the author
"William Dalrymple understands India, Indian history and his readers in
ascending order. That is what makes him a very good writer and a reasonably sound historian writing on South Asia. The fact that his writing is not determined by academic exigencies such as the pressures of a thesis, the load of a prejudice or the hassles of artificial deadlines allows him the supreme freedom of choosing a topic and going all out to collect sources. And the fact that he deliberately writes for a larger audience than the incestuous circle of South Asian historians, allows him to present history in a form that is at once not intimidating to the layman and very challenging to the more professional practitioner of the craft.

"The Last Mughal"
It is a biography of the last Mughal Emperor (that is the romantic side of Dalrymple) but it is firmly rooted in the social, political and cultural changes of the times (that is the historian and the story teller in Dalrymple). It is a voluminous book, but its essence both as a literary and a history treatise can be captured a few short paragraphs:

1. It fills up a major lacuna in the historiography of India in the
sense that it supplements the works of Erick Stokes (for Northwestern
Provinces, modern UP) and Rudrangshu Mukherjee (Awadh) among others,
who have undertaken in depth regional studies to bring to light the complexities
of the Uprising of 1857. Before "The Last Mughal" Delhi was, rather, strangely, left out of such in depth treatment.

2. For less strange reasons, Bahadur Shah Zafar never enjoyed the
attention that his more illustrious forefathers received from Indian historians. Although, in many senses, he presided and lived through over a complex socio-political transformation that few of his predecessors except perhaps Babur did. Dalrymple successfully puts the focus back on this "black sheep" of the family.

3. Finally, and this is very important, Dalrymple clearly shows how complicated simple social divisions like class, caste, race, gender and loyalties were before, during and immediately after the mutiny.

4. In terms of substance, the book is rich is use of sources, nuanced in its arguments and very textured in the way that arguments and substantiation are knitted together.

From a historian's perspective:
Another new regional study on the events of 1857 - filling up a major void; unearthing of new sources - another big contribution to the historiography. But nothing new in terms of argument. Believe you me, we already knew the broader arguments around race and religion. In fact, Dalrymple's extra leap to connect the Jehadis of 1857 to
their current cousins seems like what it really is - a giant and unnecessary leap.

From a reader's perspective: That is the way to write history, each
character stands out on its own. And although it will not be apparent
to an ordinary reader, a trained eye will not miss the hard work that must
have gone to flesh out each character with such meticulous detail. And Oh
boy! What a style of writing - captivating to say the least. It does read like a
best selling thriller.

Lessons for the historian: "Isn't that the way we should write our
history so that more and more people read and understand what really happened and how?"