Somewhere in the middle of producing Avyaan, a journalist asked me a question I havebeen turning over ever since: “As a businessman, what right do you have to make a filmabout Indian spirituality and culture?” It was not asked unkindly. It was a fair question, and I think it deserves a…
A few months into producing Avyaan, one of our younger crew members asked me, half-joking, how a textiles-and-jewelry businessman ends up making creative calls on a film set. I laughed because I had asked myself some version of that question many times.But the longer I sat with it, the more I…
On the morning we began shooting Avyaan, the first thing that happened was not a camerarehearsal or a lighting check. It was a puja. Pandit Sourav Banerjee led us through therituals on the banks of the Ganga, and only after that ceremony was complete did theproduction formally begin. I have been…
A few months ago, I found myself on stage at a We-Women Network event in Bangkok,organised in collaboration with BangkokScoop, sitting alongside leaders from acrossindustries for a global panel on equality and inclusion. The evening was not built aroundfilm. It was built around women’s leadership, philanthropy, and the kind of dialogue…
On the morning of November 18, 2024, I stood on the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi as Pandit Sourav Banerjee guided us through the opening puja ceremony for Avyaan. The fire was lit. Themantras were spoken. The river moved, as it always does, indifferent to everything except thepermanence of its…
People who have known me as a businessman for many years sometimes raise an eyebrow whenthey hear I am now producing films. I understand that reaction. For most of my adult life, myworld has been trade, commerce, and community work — not film sets. And yet, looking back atthe road from…
The question I get asked most often these days is a simple one: Why film? Not how — people are curious about the process, the crew, the logistics of making a film — butwhy. Why, after four decades as a businessman and philanthropist, did I decide to produce a film?Why this…
I am grateful to Dr. Sophana Srichampa for the kind invitation to attend the 2nd International Conference on “Situating Indian Diaspora in Asia” at Mahidol University, Thailand — an event that brought together scholars, researchers, and thought leaders for a truly enriching dialogue on one of the most compelling chapters of…
It was a genuine pleasure to attend the Certificate Presentation Ceremony for Term 2/2025 at the Thai-Bharat Cultural Lodge (TBCL), Thailand — an evening that beautifully captured the spirit of cultural exchange and the enduring bond between India and Thailand. Around 40 students were felicitated for successfully completing Hindi language courses…
I am delighted to share the first official poster for my upcoming film, Avyaan — A True Journey. This poster offers a glimpse into the world we have been building over the past year — a story of music, passion, strength, and self-discovery set against the timeless backdrop of Varanasi. The…