 |
Ashwani Dhir
Garima Productions
Gregarious,
god fearing and genuine. Three words which
perhaps describe writer producer Ashwani
Dhir in a nutshell. Wearing a warm smile,
Dhir greets us with a firm handshake as
we settle down for a tête-à-tête
in his simple but elegant drawing room.
His homely-looking apartment situated
at Goregaon (a suburb in Mumbai) is done
up well and what really stands out against
the dull purple walls are the huge photographs
of his daughter Garima.
"My life revolves around my daughter.
Not just that, she has also proved to
be very lucky for me. I have prospered
only after her birth. Before that life
was a struggle." As the doting father
continues to help his daughter finish
off with her days homework, the tea and
the cookies arrive.
There's a telltale frankness about the
man, as he gets down to telling us the
story of his life and how he managed to
get where he is today. At the beginning
of the conversation, he declares, "I
am not really comfortable in English.
When I came to Mumbai, I used to get an
inferiority complex. But then that's when
I decided to turn the negative into a
positive. Over a period of time, because
of my strong command over the language,
people on the sets started consulting
me for writing their dialogues. And till
date, I refuse to speak in English."
And so, over a cup of tea, in shuddh
Hindi, interspersed with some couplets
and interesting anecdotes Dhir tells us
the story of his life.
The
journey from Kanpur to Mumbai
"I came to Mumbai to make it
in the television industry. I knew no
one here, so it was either make or break.
I tried the film line and worked on two
films (Farishte and Tehelka) with
Anil Sharma. But somehow, money never
came in and it was a matter of survival
for me. So, I moved on to television and
started work as Assistant Director on
Thoda sa Aasman with Deepti Naval.
I realised that television is regular
and good money. So, I stuck to the medium
and as fate would have it, I got into
satire writing. Earlier on I used to write
for myself. And later the big break came
when I got to write Office Office
where I could express the common man's
angst and struggle. I strongly believe
the real awe inspiring stories come from
the middle class people. I seek inspiration
from everyday situations.
Again it was fate or providence that I
moved on from a writer to a producer.
The first break was when I produced Ram
Khilawan CM which got into controversy
and had to be pulled off air. Later, the
big break was Public Hai Sab Jaanti
Ha. Currently, I am producing Chamca
in Chief on SabTV.
On
values in life
The city provides equal opportunities
for women as well as men and treats them
at par, which is wonderful," says
the 37-year-old writer. However, I believe
there has to be a good mix of our old
values along with the new order. "It's
like have a drink, but you should know
your limits. At media parties one often
gets to see people crossing their limits
after a few drinks. Also, I feel there
should be a certain decorum in the way
we use language. I feel language need
to be respected and I strongly detest
the use of foul and lose language"
Life is a journey
of faith
"I
strongly believe there's a power above
which controls our lives. And it's really
the fear of the future which drives us
towards faith and prayers,"he says.Reminiscing
about his struggling days, Dhir says "there
was a time in my life when I didn't have
a roof over my head. It was during that
phase, that I happened to tag along with
a relative of mine to Shirdi . Just after
the visit, I managed to wriggle out of
all my problems. It was like a miracle
in my life and I soon realised the power
of prayer. Since then Dhir has become
a great follower of Sai Baba and
visits Shirdi at least once a month.
"There
were times during my lean phase, when
I didn't even have the money to buy two
tickets for a journey to Shirdi. Then,
just one of us either me or my wife would
go for the darshan. But
today life has changed. Dhir lives life
on his own terms, owns a swanky apartment
and drives a Honda City.
"I've got more than I had asked for
and I am very happy with what I have got,"
says the contented man who makes it a
point to celebrate almost all the festivals.
He reveals further, "Though I am
a Punjabi myself, I've adopted many things
from Maharashtra. So, be it the Ganesh
festival or the nine day Navratri,
we definitely celebrate it with a lot
of gusto.
I
am currently on a Anjali Mukherjee Diet
The conversation now switches on to
certain lighter issues in life. We chat
about his regular diet habits, mobile
phones amongst other things. He tells
us that for the last few months he has
been on a strict diet.
He says,"I am following the Anjali
Mukherjee diet presently and have lost
more than 12 kgs. I follow the diet strictly
except that I've a weakness for sweets.
And sometimes, when I can't control, I
give in. Losing weight has other advantages
from the fact that I feel lighter and
healthier.
And what about gizmos and gadgets? He
says, "I feel a mobile phone is a
necessary devil which does not allow you
any peace of mind. Now, people can contact
you anywhere anytime and intrude on your
privacy. So, one is forced to talk or
else switch it off and then face a volley
of questions from friends and family.
I am sure, this is one device which will
be responsible for many divorces in the
country," he says on a lighter note.
Just then his phone rings. And it's time
to leave.
Pics
By: VICKY AHUJA
Click
for My Life Archives
