WHERE THE MIND IS WITHOUT FEAR…

Where the mind is without fear…An inspiring line that has stayed with me for years while I’ve gone over several of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s works. As we walked past the year, I was reminded of the dark alleys of the mind — that often need the light of knowledge and enlightenment. I believe it’s something that comes from leaders who surround us, inspire us, and instill strength in us, often without any brouhaha. It’s a seamless transfer of energies…something I’d say I’m blessed to have experienced many times in life.

I’d like to recall two profound leaders to you. Recently, we lost the great industrialist, Ratan Tata. His demise felt like a personal loss, even to those who did not know him, to those whose life he had touched without really being a part of it. I consider myself fortunate that he had been a part of my journey. He was part of a film that I was making with another, extremely powerful, humble, modest and inspiring leader. Suresh Krishna, the chairman of TVS, had entrusted me with the job of encapsulating his company’s 50-year-run in a film. This 20-minute film essentially became Mr Krishna’s story. As it turns out, there are leaders whose lives cannot be seen in isolation from that of the company that they set up or led — in this case, both. Mr Krishna still harbours a strong passion for whatever he chooses to do. More importantly, he refuses to lose touch with humanity. A large population of workers on his floor shop have been by his side for decades, akin to loyal fans of a matinee idol who pledge their support to him from the day he debuts. To me, Mr Krishna is like a father whose love and guidance has seen me through some of the darkest hours in my work life — and trust me, there have been too many of those.

Suresh Krishna and Ratan Tata, despite being such distinctly different industrialists, are identical in their leadership skills. This is my observation — like Mr Krishna, even Mr Tata knew the workers on the floor shop by their first names…when he walked in on the Nelco floor shop, he knew all the workers by their individual names. No fuss and no muss around this…it was just their way of being…Their compassion and an undying need to give to each one that came into their lives became their greatest strength, and a lesson they taught to the world while leading by example. I met Mr Tata while making the film on Mr Krishna. I could not help but observe the similarities between them — who are infinitely gifted leaders in their individual capacities. Like Mr Krishna, Mr Tata heard me talk about my work, the films I was making back then, and his reactions and words energised my thoughts and actions tremendously. Like his company assembled the parts they crafted into one big machine, Mr Krishna assembled knowledge and information from every nook and cranny of the world about great happenings, human achievements, discoveries and what have you. Back in the day, he would write newsletters for the 2000 employees that worked with him. Through these newsletters he would tell them stories that inspired them to improve their skills, their techniques and chisel their abilities. Some of the workers came in with zero qualifications, and retired as men of merit. These workers found a connection with a larger world around them through Mr Krishna — something I believe even Mr Tata did in his own way. He found his own tool for this, but he ensured that people who work with him grow and transform in every respect. 

Over the years, I’ve met many leaders — some designated, and some leaders by the qualities they exuded. For me, it has always been about the kind of person he or she is, which helps me connect with them (it could be different for others). There are so many people who may not have been leaders by definition but they’ve become a part of me and have helped me knit my leadership qualities with their innate goodness, unique traits and large hearts. One common thread between these people is their ability to stay connected with their roots, which has also been the underlying thought, embedded in all the work I have done in my life, and I continue to do even now. Today, as I surge ahead towards an exciting journey, filled with new and challenging projects, I hardly remember a moment when I stopped being positive. It’s not as if things didn’t go wrong with me or the work I did. But one always moved positively to find solutions — a leadership trait I get from people like Ratan Tata and Suresh Krishna. 

As a creative person, I try and use my abilities for a larger goal, but without consciously trying to do good. I make movies and documentaries that make me happy. In turn, when that work touches lives and fills hope into people’s hearts, I feel like a winner; I see that film as my contribution to making the world around me better, and more liv

eable. There have been numerous moments of darkness in my journey — something didn’t go as planned on a set, some location didn’t work out, some technician dropped out at the 11th hour or a film didn’t shape up as one had desired. In a single moment, everything crumbles, but one doesn’t stop without finishing the work on hand. Even in terrible moments, something tugs at my mind and heart, and I can find a solution on the go. I think it has a lot to do with openly embracing what comes my way, and keep trying — a quality that I have imbibed from some of the finest leaders that I have had the pleasure of knowing from close quarters — leaders like Suresh Krishna. I’m reminded of a poem by the late Harivanshrai Bachchan. It goes as, ‘Need ka nirmaaan phir phir…’ It’s about rebuilding each time you crumble, lifting yourself out of failures and continuously striving for what you think is worthy of your time and patience. It underlines my belief that leaders exist everywhere, and they all seem to think alike!