Kaushik Roy, President Brand Strategy and Marketing Communication Reliance Industries Limited talks to Richa Dubey on his love for films and collecting artifacts.

Things that I really love to collect: One is artifacts, anything that is artistic, made of wood, metal or silver. I sometimes buy many things and assemble them together.

I have been collecting paintings for several years, since I used to paint. Many of these paintings are self made and few by other painters. I exhibited my paintings last year that got a good response and all of them were sold. Now there are others who collect my paintings. These paintings are very expensive now.

I have paintings by Gopal Ghosh, who is no more. He was a famous Bengal artist who specialized in landscapes. His work did not fetch him much when he was alive. But now, after his death, these paintings have become much sought after. These have been collected by my father over the years and they have become very expensive. They are invaluable for me. Estimated price of each of this would be Rs 5 lakhs (Rs 500,000).

Since the time I started living on my own I have been collecting artifacts. Initially, my collection was small and not very long lasting maybe because the things I collected were cheap and not durable. When I had more money, I started investing in wood carvings, metals and brass. Now I have slowed down in terms of collecting as there is no space left.

I simply love things that are made by hand as there is a lot of imagination and talent involved in making these things. In most cases, the people who make them are not recognized. So to be able to respect their work, I collect them. They look very beautiful and different.

Most of what I have I collected are from an auction house in Calcutta where you can pick up a beautiful piece of artifact without having to pay a lot. A lot of these are from old auction houses in Calcutta, Mumbai and Bangalore. I also designed a few of them on my own, like the chairs.

Maintenanceis not easy. Metal has to be cleaned from time to time. Wood furniture tends to become weaker over time so they need to be used carefully. Wood has to be treated like a sturdy young man when new and should be looked after when it gets old. A good amount of polish is the best way to maintain wood. Chances of losing wood to white ants are larger than losing it by continuous use.

Most of my artifacts are from India. But I also have been collecting from Thailand, South Africa and a few other places. I have not bought anything from the USA because over there anything that is hand made is of premium price. I don't possess anything European or American I bought rhinoceroses made of wood from South Africa. It is very unique and difficult to make.

In places like Jakarta and Indonesia, they have everything made of wood because of of availability in in abundance. There artisans are also used to working on wood, be it combs made of wood or spoons made of brass.

Silver is a precious item so I don't have many things made of silver. Stone carvings are very rare and I don't have them as they are heavy to carry.

My wife Nina is also fond of collecting artifacts.

Another area of collection is my real passion, films. I invest in buying lots of DVDs. I collect movies which I can watch and enjoy over and over again. Apart from my executive work profile, my biggest love is filmmaking. I am a self trained film maker, have learnt all the aspects of filmmaking on my own.

I have made my first film Apna Aasman, which will release by the end of June. It has Irfan Khan, Shobhna, Anupam Kher and Rajat Kapoor as lead actors.

Therefore, for me filmmaking and collection of DVDs is not just watching but more of a reference. Depending on the response my film gets, I will decide whether to take my filmmaking further and more seriously.

One basic difference between painting and filmmaking is that in the former you can play with the canvas available whereas with latter you cannot. Painting gives a good understanding of framing and composition but the film canvas depends on many external things. Film making is also about performances.

Subhajyoti Ray, president of the Internet and Mobile Association of India, has already penned two books and is getting ready for a third. And no, it's not the virtual world that his pen traverses but the historical one. 'Historian Subho' takes Nidhi Jain on a journey back through time.

What made you write this book?
My first book was Transformation of Bengal Frontier. Spanning a period between 1750 and 1940, this book analysis the socioeconomic changes brought about by colonial rule in a frontier area of Bengal, Jalpaiguri.

It started as a chore as it was my PhD topic and the project grew on me and I became so fond of it that at the end of the day I thought I had written a second PhD. I didn't want it to confine it to a library shelf as a PhD thesis. I went out of my way to get it published. When one is working on a PhD it's like a baby and the final delivery is when the book comes out.

The second book was more interesting, it was co-authored with Sharmila, my colleague at CII, and is called India Building Partnership for CII. The institution was founded in 1985.

Book and Character
I am a historian, interested more in things of the past than present. I wanted to write a corporate history with a different feel of the process and perspective at CII.

Crux of the book
First, it questions certain beliefs, prejudices regarding the agrarian labour industry in the country. It looks at the national movement, management control of labour, agrarian relations.

What's next on your agenda?
Translating a book, an autobiography by a Bengali author. It's a fascinating account of 50-60 years of his life. How he left his home in Uttar Pradesh, lived in Calcutta, then Mumbai, before the First World War.

It will give you more insights into Mumbai than many other books written on the city.

Name: Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay and Varsha Narain

Designation: Research Coordinators - Doordarshan

Sun Sign: Nilanjan - A balanced Libran

Varsha - A go-getter Virgoan

Educational Experience
VN: Schooling at Bishop Westcott in Namkum, Ranchi. Later degrees picked up in the midst of running a household and raising 3 beautiful children. Career took me back to school as a teacher till I landed in Delhi. Delhi provided a wide range of opportunities - right from working with the Corporates to the NGO world and finally as an entrepreneur. Life continues to be the biggest teacher and learning new things every day continues to be a passion.

NM: Haven't had much after school. After a runaway phase enrolled for a Masters in Russian Language in Jawaharlal Nehru University to read Gorky in the original but somehow drifted into journalism - more by chance than by choice. Hoping to realise dream of being the first non-graduate Visiting Prof. at a 'Propah' Univ.

Professional Experience
VN: Wide and vast to say the least. Began as a teacher in the best of public schools after which went on to head the biggest formal school run by a NGO in the Capital. Thereafter, had a stint with the corporates to help out with their programmes in the social sector. For the past two years running the first ever out-sourced Research and Anchor Support agency for Doordarshan News in partnership.

NM: Pen pusher initially and now keyboard puncher with thought processor attached. Name any quality newspaper or magazine published from the Capital, its archives would have something or other written by me. An early gatecrasher from the print media into the electronic in the infancy years of satellite TV, have in recent years specialized in backroom support.

Job Profile
Essential backroom support to faces in news TV. Besides running an agency flawlessly, the work includes providing detailed background notes on issues ranging from cricket to diplomacy, from fashion to elections.

We are the eyes and ears of news anchors besides being important sounding boards for newsroom, graphics divisions to high profile directors. Quiet workers, a creator of an innovative model, our existence underscores that content is really King. Poverty of words and abundance of info: that the motto at work.

After all TV anchors and Reporters have little time to go through heavy tomes. What started out as an exercise to provide data support during election shows has now developed into a full-fledged system that provides the spine to any news channel.

Television as career choice
TV, especially News, is demanding and stretches the ability to cope with demands to the hilt. Everything that is needed by reporters, anchors, producers and editors is always needed yesterday but we have created a system enabling us to meet demands the moment news starts breaking.

In today's age of competitiveness no channel can continue providing quality programming without adequate backroom support. In the final analysis, it leaves us with the satisfaction that though the faces might be different, the words and thoughts --- most of it --- articulated on screen is very much ours.

Current Television scenario
Just about beginning to heat up - especially news and current affairs TV. The 15 second sound byte brigade would have to look beyond that to provide greater depth and add quality analysis.

First there was the novelty of being first with the pictures but soon this is going to be replaced with greater variety. Sooner or later, the pressure will mount on channels to come up with exclusive stories that still remain the domain of the print media.

Right and wrong about the current television scenario
The Right is that more and more competitiveness is coming in. The Wrong is that television news is in danger of being trivialized. There is need to get away from the overdrive of only pretty faces, but also add innovation with creativity.

Five years from now
Five years from now Name, fame, health, wealth and prosperity by our side?And of course the reputation of being the last word in quality and content with our organization "Qualitent Research Group" steadfast in its mission.

Hobbies
Traveling (though currently a casualty), tending plants and feeding birds.

Idea of enjoyment
Chandni raat ho!

Haat mein jam ho!

Aur intellectual funda ka saath ho!

My father was very well read. He was a self made man, a real karma yogi who used to seek inspiration from books. As a child, I remember being inspired by him to read all kinds of books. l used to mostly stick to spiritual books. And being afflicted with polio on my right leg I couldn't get much into sports and so grew to be an indoor person. So, naturally I progressed towards reading and read Dan Brown, Robert Hudlum and Arthur Halley.
Then, since I was spiritually inclined I read all the religious scriptures including the Bhagwad Geeta and the Bible. I used to also read books written by Swami Vivekananda and Osho Rajneesh. Reading these books always gives me a lot of programming ideas for out channel.

Somehow, reading the Bhagwad Geeta is always very enriching. It teaches you to rise above relationships and tells you `you've got to do what you've got to do. Work is worship and that is something which will get you closer to God. And decisions ethically taken will lead you onto grow richer. Somehow, the Geeta always offers a different outlook on things at different times. And depending on the situation it sort of adds on different meanings and a perspective to things in life.

I dislike management jargon
I don't quite like management books. And there are so many of them in the market now-a-days. There are some books which suggest professional people management strategies which are individualistic and not family oriented. But then family oriented companies are still ruling the roost. So, I feel each company should work towards its own style of functioning and evolve accordingly.

I own hundreds of books most of them I've inherited. The titles range from fiction, non fiction, Finance and Law I do keep buying books, these days it does prove to be a slightly expensive hobby but it's well worth. Finding time for reading is always very difficult. I read while travelling on flights, in the car or on holidays.

I have produced a coffee table book called India 24 Hours. It was published in India and abroad by Mapin and Harper Collins respectively some years back. A beautiful book which got me a lot of recognition and was a thrilling experience. We had a team of photographers who travelled to various destinations in the country. We also shot video footage with it. Later on Harper Collins published it abroad and called it a A day in the life of India.

I've recently started penning a book called 'How not to become a pauper' seeing there are so many books on How to become a millionaire. But how does one stay a millionaire is a bigger challenge. Writing the book is actually serious fun.

Name: Bidisha Nagaraj

Designation: Marketing manager - Intel India Sun

Sign: Cancer, 9 July 1967

Educational Experience
After doing my B Com I did post graduation in mass communication from Bangalore University.

Professional Experience
I was in Lintas from 1991 to 1996 as a group account manager. Then I joined Compaq Computers in 1997 and was there till 1999 as their market services consultant. Since 1999 I have been with Intel Technologies as their marketing manager.

Job Profile
As a consumer marketing manager of Intel India I am responsible for driving Intel's consumer strategy for increasing demand for home PCs through the use of advertising, Internet marketing and retail marketing.

Marketing as career choice
Marketing has the power to move minds and influence decisions. It allows you to think outside the box and colour outside the lines.

I can't think of too many other professions where I can use the following sentences so appropriately - 'Create like a God ', 'Command like a King' and 'Work like a slave'.

These are some of the reasons why my passion for marketing has soared high over the years.

Current marketing scenario
2003 is certainly a watershed year for media and indeed for marketing.

Let's look at the inflections - CAS on TV is allowing consumers to choose their bouquet of channels better but this comes with an added price tag, rebirth of radio with increasing popularity of FM, growth of cinema multiplexes, Internet users estimated to ascend to 25 million in '03, regional print options are also mushrooming.

This dynamic situation is pushing the marketeer to 'Cogita Differenter' (Think Differently). There are new vehicles to evaluate, there are new competing categories that are emerging, all vying for the consumers' share of wallet, there are new consumer segments emerging which allow for finer positioning. Innovative thinking is really the only way out.

Five years from now
My philosophy is to take each day at a time... live each day to the fullest. I don't even plan for five days so five years is a real stretch to think of.

Hobbies
I'm a very patient listener of people's problems.

Idea of enjoyment
The three Cs: Coffee (Capuccino), Company (stimulating), Conversation (intense)!!

"As a child, I loved reading Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and Enid Blyton. When I joined college, I started with Mills & Boons but the books didn't really fascinate me. As a matter of fact, I found them to be trash. So, I switched over to Sidney Sheldon and never regretted it.

Those were the days when I had all the time in the world and I could settle down with a book anywhere, anytime. Now, my priority is marriage, motherhood and of course work which leaves me very little leisure time. However, I try to catch up on my reading, either in between shoots or while going through files in office or sometimes even before going to sleep.Holidays are the best time to catch up on my reading, but then I would rather spend some time with my family.
In fiction, I like to read mushy stuff and so pick up novels written by Sandra Brown and Danielle Steel. I am not really cut out for hardcore stuff, and authors like John Grisham don't excite me. Science fiction or spiritual books are again not for me. I like to read only self-help books which sort of give me some direction in life.My favourite books
I have just finished reading Focus by Jack Canfield. The book is all about focusing on a goal. The author emphasises that `goal achieving is a process.' Nothing should come in between one's focused efforts and the goal one has set for oneself. It might take one years to reach our goals, but one has to continue to fight failure and not give up or lose focus.
This book has really inspired me a lot. It has helped me focus on my goal of having more television shows. Eventually, my goal is to make a feature film that would get me international acclaim.

I try to read books which help me with new ideas and that doesn't necessarily mean books in English. Sometime back, I read a Gujarati novel Maare pan ek ghar hoi by Varsha Adalja, based on which we made the serial Mujhe Dor Koi Khinche. I also read Trijo Kinaro by Harkishan Mehta. I love reading all his books. I wish, I had the time to read Hindi and Marathi literature which is equally rich.

Another book which has helped me in my profession is, How to win friends and Influence people by Dale Carnegie. This book was recommended to me by my father-in-law Pranlal Mehta. It was nothing less than a Bible for him. He used to say, 'You must read this book, otherwise you will never be a successful producer. And truly the book has helped me handle people effectively as a producer. In the self- help series, I have also enjoyed reading Success Principles by Norman Vincent Peale."