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.

Varun Kohli, VP revenue, Sieger Solutions, a staunch believer in the Almighty, tells Richa Dubey that God means the world to him.

By Birth you are?
I am from a broadminded Hindu family.

Religion you follow?
There are certain ideals and principles which we thrive on. For me God is in everybody. In fact, for me I see God in my parents. My dad is no more but my mom is still alive.

Your beliefs and places of pilgrimage?
I believe in Vaishnodevi a lot. That does not mean that I do not worship any other God. The other Gods are always there in my mind. I firmly believe that the best thing that God gave me is my family. I do speak to God when I am down and tensed due to pressure. It is religious belief that keeps me going.

Values that you carry?
For me, values of a person are very important. Values come if one fears life, fears God. Fear makes you value everything. I am very honest about it. According to me, God wants one to value before it is given to them. There is a time when he teaches you and he has his own way.

When we are in a trouble we know God will take care of us. Somewhere down the line that prevents you from taking wrong decisions. I think I have a strong bond with the Almighty and I certainly believe that that people who do not believe in God do not understand life. Ultimately he is the Creator.

Positive thinking...
For me Positive thinking comes from God because I know that if I do wrong someday I will have to give answers to somebody, maybe after death.

Karmology...
I believe in Karma. If one does anything wrong it comes back to us. So based on that I am very clear on what I have to do. My only idea is that I intentionally never tried to hurt anybody. This is the biggest gift because that fear of God and interaction with him keeps me going and away from bad things.
To be very honest, I am very blunt and that has landed me into a lot of trouble at times. This is how I am, accept me or reject me.

Are you Destiny's child?
When I am doing great I say wow! I am a destiny's child. At times I say I am not. It's a mixed feeling. So in a way no one is destiny's child. It's like a graph, going up and coming down.
I am a very strong believer of karma and strongly believe in life after death. God is the master, he is playing a game and we all are participants. We have to just play our parts to our best. I still remember once in my class, I planned with my friends to bunk and go to the field to play and as soon as we entered the field something in me dissuaded me from going onto the field. I don't know what it was. Love or fear but that was strange. I had not completed my homework and I knew I was going to get a good bashing from my teacher. That was the first time I realised what happens to you when you do anything wrong. After that I never bunked college.
At the same time my family has always stopped me from doing anything wrong though they have given me freedom. Yet I never touched alcohol or smoked. I have always believed in Karma and it is still attached to me. It is not that I wished to but I did it out of choice.My idea is clear that I should not play around with other's sentiments. I can tell anybody on the face if I like or dislike them. This is the influence that God has.

My mom has always taught me that God exists everywhere. After my college, I was struggling to get a break but I was unable to and then suddenly I met someone at a party who called me the next morning. I met him and as the saying goes, the rest is history.

Shailendra Singh,Joint managing director,Percept Holdings have somebody whom he can relate to and also fundamentals about the Big Boss,in conversation with Nidhi Jain.

By Birth
I am very God fearing,it's quite nice to have somebody one can relate to universally for all issues and more interesting is that He does not talk back.Imagine that we have a living God and He would give us advice,we shall be in deep trouble,so I like the whole packaging of God,if one is sad one can talk to him.I believe temples are great therapy,it's not necessary to connect deeply to God;if one is a good humanbeing,do good deeds, God shall respect.I believe our actions should connect to God ,walking barefoot to 16 temples,is crazy.Once in a while I go to Vaishnodevi,I love running up and down the mountain.I get a kick,just the magic of being there.

Religion
Base of religion came from our parents ,everything embodied,that constituted the model.They never forced us on anything when it came to religion.It was taught that karma decides the fate.During those weak moments if one wants to go to temple and share a moment with statue it is a personal choice,can't go crazy doing pujans,then its becomes an endless journey.

Values
Created by political scenario of a country,it's universal,human beings are equal.They are created and circumstantial,hardcore eg.being... Newzealand went to Pakistan to play series three years ago,shining campaign was on,first day they blasted the bomb in front of the hotel ,they felt Newzies didn't play well.India went 30 days later they won series,not a single bomb blasted,had their Pakwans and guess who won the series--India.Newzealenders were sent home.We think people want to fight or somebody wants to make us fight.Politics and terrorism ensures that religion is an issue.

Belief
Believe in Myself and God.

Rituals
If somebody is doing a ritual I am part of it but I do not self create it though I thoroughly enjoy.My wife does rocking Ganpati,I was the first one to dance from my house to Nariman point.If one is involoved,it's better to make the most of it .We have 320 festivals in Mumbai.It's brilliant platform to release emotions and celeberate.

Spiritual guidance
Our spiritual guidance comes from our destiny,there are always two doors to walk through.

Positive thinking
Fully charged,only positive no negatives around.

Are you Destiny's child?
It has been rags to riches story,everything I dreamt of ,is done.I am in a comfort zone and satisfied.Now,it is is as good as it gets.

I am not an early riser
My day normally begins at around 8 am in the morning. After which I devote about ten minutes for my pooja and rituals. I read the Hanuman Chalisa(which is one of the most sacred books in Hindu mythology and describes the devotion of Lord Hanuman towards Sri Rama)and put Jal over Shivji. I normally stick to a very light breakfast. It's just a glass of milk with a slice of bread or some fruits.

I have a sweet tooth
I am not much of a foodie. I mostly stick to home food. Lunch is mostly some roti and sabzi or sometimes it could just be a sandwich. On a rating scale, I prefer Indian to Continental food. I freak out on Paneer and Chaat and also love to gorge on sweets. Occasionally, we dine out at the Mingyang at Taj Lands End, Thai Pavillion at President, and The Pizzahut at Link road.

Traveling is mostly for work
A few years I had all the time in the world for travel. But, nowadays traveling is mostly for work. Somehow, one doesn't really have the time to travel. Of all the places I've been till date, I love Greece. Apart from what it stands for historically, I also loved the place from a tourist angle.

I love to collect artefacts

I remember since the time I was in my seventh grade, I had cultivated a hobby of collecting antiques. Years back, I also used to collect old big locks, utensils, antique furniture and now artefacts. Whenever, I travel I always make it a point to pick up an antique for myself. I love shopping for shoes, watches and belts.
 

Music
Music is a great stress buster for me. I love to listen to old Hindi songs as well as western music. Some of my all-time favourites are Madonna, Michael Jackson, Cliff Richard and Boney M.

A quiet dinner for me
I am a family person. I don't love to party much. My idea of a great evening is a quiet dinner with my family.

Reading is not my cup of tea
All that I can ever read are newspapers and magazines. I am not the type who can read fat books and novels. It's just not my cup of tea.

Gizmos and Gadgets
I am not too much into trying out new gizmos and gadgets. I stick to my Nokia 6681 and my laptop.

My Favourite Car
I drive the Chevrolet Optra, and I am quite happy with it. But my next purchase for sure is going to be the Mitsubishi Endeavor SUV because of its well proposed shape.

Religion
I believe in Hanumanji and Shivji a lot and that is because my family has always had faith in them. I don't really believe in fasting much but Maha Shivratri and Hanuman Jayanti are two days in a year when I religiously fast. I go to the Shiv Mandir on Mondays and Hanuman Mandir on Tuesdays.

Relaxing Mantra
I don't really consider my work stressful, but that's because I forget work as soon as I am back home. Watching my 8 year old son play makes me forget everything. After an extremely busy day at work, I sometimes love to go for a long drive or a walk with my family at night.

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.

Director and COO of Graphiti Multimedia, Munjal Shroff tells Nidhi Jain, how a person grows with changing times without changing the basic nature incorporated in the beginning.

By Birth
My belief in GOD has not really changed much, though I have been through tough circumstances, desperate situations. I knew that it was part of learning personally and professionally and knew things would work out.

Values & Belief
I have been fortunate to be born in a family which is culturally very strong. Our family tradition is 120 years old. The customs, traditions I grew up enjoying was a great way of bonding. Belief is a personal choice, though I don't personally don't exercise it and some make it a big issue, values shouldn't change. To a large extent, mine have remained the same. I guess it has a lot to do with upbringing, though there are values which change with personal experiences. Extreme conditions do question our values. I don't have any regrets on the decisions I have made.
Rituals
I believe in Lord Ganesha. Trained by my grandfather, Navin Shroff, I know my customs/rituals better than my father and my father acknowledges that. Our rituals give us identity. We have antique toys, chariots, which I want to and pass on to my kids and I want this tradition to continue forever.

Divine visit
I go to Mahalaxmi temple in Mumbai. My main deity is in a temple in Udaipur.

Spiritual guidance
My grandfather, to an extent, who was always detached from worries, and took life in his stride and is a very calm, composed, spiritual person.

Positive thinking
I believe in light at the end of the tunnel as things have a mysterious ways of coming back to us.

Relaxing spiritually
With wife and kids and also the latter are a huge source of entertainment.

Are you Destiny's child?
It wasn't a smooth ride after having close calls but I know deep down that things will work out.