Ashutosh, business head, Sahara Filmy never had any direction in his life, never carried a surname and always dreaded not being wanted. As we spoke over a breakfast of beans on toast and cranberry juice, Nidhi Jain and Ashutosh one-on-one, he disclosed more and more and I discovered his intensity to achieve.

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.
- Anais Nin

Let me introduce you .........
Born on April 21, Ashutosh is a Pandit. He never had a surname in his passport. Sometimes his wife Amita Pandey's surname was added to his. His side of family -- father, sister, brother -- all were in the field of human resource development. Directionless, Ashutosh has slogged much more as he didn't plan. He never got to know girls as he didn't feel the need to, but always wanted to marry a South Indian girl because of the culture with music, values. Now the only stress busters in his life and complete fun are his kids Adveth, Aadya.

Explore the real me.............
"Ashutosh believes things surroundings are modes of living, though community exists, he can survive without them."

He wants his kids to be alien to religion, though his grandfather was a pujari, quite educated, he feels that to people religion is ritual. He, in his life span, has never visited a temple, though he does reads book on religion and owns 50 books on Islam.

On the health front he is a health freak and has been gymming for 8-10 years now. Cricket, football, chess, badminton remain his favourite sports, that categorise him as an outdoors person.

Ashutosh's favourite destination is Panchgani, Wai.

He likes books on management, religion but strongly dislikes fiction.

He hates horror, suspense movies but loves comedy, action and all time classics. Nothing to beat movies like Pather Panchali, Sholay, Sound of Music.

He is a Quiz/puzzle solver, would like to know about everything, is totally information crazy.

When it comes to the kind of music to select, he prefers pre-70's Hindi music, Ghazals, Qawallis, and songs sung by Kailash Kher. Lately, the music of Omkara caught his fancy.

His favourite actors are Big B, Naseerudin Shah, Om Puri, Smita Patil, Anupam Kher, and always appreciated the beauty of Aishwaria, Nargis and Madhuri Dixit.

Living on earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun every year.
- Unknown

U turn of my life..............
I always thought that electronics was a happening career. After completing MBA and during campus placement Zee came. He started as an executive assistant to the MD in Zee, which was an extension of the MBA. Events, cable distribution, he also headed Zeenext.com.

One thing he learnt was that having a passion for products is wrong, rather it should be process centric passion. No one has a bigger picture/idea unless executed, whether it's management trainee or VP.

Tension should not be taken to attain professional goals but effort should be made to keep professional relationships.

To him "Unplanned things seems to attract" as he doesn't like routine. For him a regimented life cannot be creative.