Alumni Highlights

“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort”

– Franklin D. Roosevelt

To make a documentary movie is one of the most challenging and rewarding endeavors one can ever be involved in.

Sanjay Dongre (PGP 1994, an alumnus of IIMB) has given us an opportunity to view his latest Heritage film “Raigad ” which has entirely been shot, directed and produced by him.

As well said by Nelson Mandela that “our rich & varied cultural heritage has a profound power to build our nation.”

Few lines about the film “Raigad” and its maker:

At some point of time in his life, in the ancient period, Sanjay was busy launching mutual fund products both for the domestic market and for the global markets. As COO at the Motilal Oswal AMC, he used to set up offshore funds, launch ETFs etc..! For some time he worked in the global markets as Business Head for a KPO Vertical at State Street Syntel. And of course, long before some time at the beginning of medieval history, he had completed his PGP course from IIM B.

Heritage fascinates him. He uses different media to narrate these stories. His exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery narrated the Vijayanagar story, as he showcased some intriguing visuals from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hampi. Then he wrote a couple of books on varied Heritage subjects, which are available on Amazon.

The next was a short film on Yeshwant Holkar, the man also known as the Napoleon of India, followed by an intellectually oriented documentary on our Beliefs set against the backdrop of Jejuri. He is keen to do his bit to spread an enhanced awareness of our rich and diverse heritage. At the dawn of modern history, he changed course. Wrote and published a fictional romantic thriller. Then he picked up the camera, did a dream debut exhibition at the Holy Grail of still visual artists, the Jehangir Art Gallery. It is actually a Trilogy, of Forts, which together narrate the story of Shivaji’s March to Swarajya. The Fort Trilogy is a heartfelt homage to my favorite King and national hero.

“There are many perspectives to get to know his journey, and I think the best would be to follow the route he had taken, from #Tornagad to #Rajgad and finally #Raigad.”

What we preserve and pass on to the next generation is far more important than what we create for we are but Trustees of what our ancestors had bequeathed us. This Trusteeship most of the time remains in immaterial form, very intangible as signified in the all-encompassing term, “culture.” Sometimes these cultural aspects manifest itself in material things, like buildings, stones and so and so.

Now stones in itself do not mean anything. Marbles and masons had existed for ages, but it required the strategic vision of a Shahjahan to see the monumental possibility of what would eventually become the seventh wonder.
These wonderful monuments, some of them are extremely beautiful in the traditional sense, like the white mausoleum, while some are obscenely beautiful in a noir monochromatic way like Hampi, but all have a story. It is not just entertainment, but education too.

So while Shahjahan visualized the possibility of a Tajmahal through all the marble lying around the country, at the same time another man, not very far off, also gazed through all the dark marbles of discontent strewn across the Deccan and what did he see? The monumental possibility of a beautiful Maratha Swarajya! Different men in different conditions, one busy glorifying a large Empire, the other making an attempt to start one, conjoined by time!
Once the Vision was in place, Shivaji formulated his strategy and worked towards it. While he was himself not much educated formally, yet there is so much to learn from him on Strategy, Leadership, Diplomacy and Military Warfare. His men were loyal enough to die for him, and today talent retention is a strategic challenge for most CEOs. Are conditions really different as most may contend?

It was a time when multilateral non-linear thinking across time and space was the key. The modern day overemphasis on logical analytical thinking has blunted our vision. It has its advantages, but not in the corner office when formulating strategies for a chaotic future. Most of the time, we simply fail to see the big picture. Leaders of yore were free of these modern curses. Out of the Box was the norm.

“So when I decided to narrate the story of Shivaji, the best way was to do it from the perspective of his forts. March to Swarajya is a Trilogy of Forts comprising of First Strike at Tornagad, Great Escape to Rajgad and Coronation at Raigad.”

While at a broader level the objective is to enhance the general awareness of our rich heritage, at a tactical level, the objective is to increase the footfalls at our historic forts. As more people come, the infrastructure would improve, which in turn, well it can be a virtuous cycle.

Of course there are many more forts, that he acquired on the way, prominent being #Pratapgad, #Panhalgad #Sinhgad, but essentially the forts, or rather the ruins of the erstwhile forts narrate a chivalrous story of a young boy who had proclaimed Swarajya at the age of 16 and went about to achieve it. Come what may, as they say, greatness is not about discovering it, but achieving it. It took a few decades of sustained struggle but he realized the dreams of a large population that had been suppressed for a long period.

Come what may, as they say, greatness is not about discovering it, but achieving it. It took a few decades of sustained struggle but he realized the dreams of a large population that had been suppressed for a long period. Besides the primary objective of creating an enhanced awareness of our heritage, it is also intended to create an interest amongst people to visit these forts that desperately need attention. Most of them are in a bad state and if only people start visiting, things will improve.”While we work for a stronger India, the GenNext should also not be denied its rightful cultural roots.”

“While we work for a stronger India, the GenNext should also not be denied its rightful cultural roots.”

So enjoy the film!

“Yoga off the mat!”

The word ‘yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’, Yoga means the union of the individual consciousness or soul. Yoga is roughly 5000 year old Indian body of knowledge. It is a package for happy and peaceful living. It is more than just a physical workout.

In this month’s feature let me introduce to you Kranthi Kiran, PGP 2006-2008, a yoga enthusiast and currently leading the project management office – Asia Pacific region of Kluber Lubrication India Private Limited (Freudenberg group) where he shares his much inspiring story behind creating a peaceful life where he has been successful in radiating a calm energy and has also inspired people to live a life in motion through various workshops, to live a life that leads with wellness instead of ego, from yoga to fitness to style to active travel.

So, how do you achieve that?

KK: My daily Yoga Practice- On the mat and the principles applied off the mat. Yoga helps me in keeping my body active and stilling my mind. It helps me in bringing clarity to my everyday activities, being a witness and seeing things as they are not as you want them to be. To respond and not to react. And using breath as a tool, Yoga brings awareness and allows me to slow down and be in the now all the time. In fact, our thoughts are the heaviest objects that we carry in our body. And every thought we carry in our mind and every unresolved emotion we hold in our heart manifest in our physical body, in the way we sit and walk and the practice of Yoga allows me to be aware and take immediate actions to free myself of them.

According to you, what are the various aspects of Yoga?

KK : Yogic philosophy has eight limbs ( ashtanga ) – Yama ( social conduct ) , Niyama ( personal discipline ) , Asana ( postures ) , Pranayama ( breath control ) , Prathyahara ( Sense withdrawal ) , Dhaarana ( Concentration ), Dhyaana ( Meditation ) and Samadhi ( state of ultimate bliss ) and one is incomplete without the other. For me, Yama and Niyama are the principles I apply every moment and I believe they are the most important aspects of Yoga. However, all limbs must be combined and integrated so as to develop a holistic practice. The practice encourages one to start from the external Yama with emphasis on social interactions, then moves to your Niyama in life with respect to your self-inquiry and discipline. Then, we head to asana, the physical practice carrying absolutely no thought or rather being aware of these thoughts and arresting them. The practice of Pranayama works on slowing down our breath and allows us to experience the beautiful connection between our gross body (sthula kaya) and subtle mind (sukshma kaya). Prathyahara teaches us to not let senses control our decision making process and instead urges us to master them.

What does Yoga mean to you?

KK: Yoga, for me is a lifestyle. Yoga is a path I have chosen to bring unity in all dimensions of life activities – in my manas (mind), vaacha (speech) and Karmana (action). I continue to walk on the path of Bhakti ( love and devotion to my ultimate purpose ), of Gnana ( wisdom ), of Karma ( service ) and of Raja ( self-realization ).

How do you define the practice of Yoga?

KK: The practice of Yoga is a mater of intense personal discipline and requires one to get their priorities right in Life. One must constantly seek for new ways of seeing this world and be open to embrace all that Life has to offer. This can only be achieved when we still our minds. Yoga for me is not limited to what I practice on the mat. That us just my preparation. Instead, Yoga for me is more about what happens off the mat and how I apply these principles in the real world, in my every social interaction and in my every activity. Yoga is about living life consciously and with full awareness. To participate in this world in all ways and yet remain detached (vairagya) to the outcomes is my endeavor.

How does the practice of Yoga help us in the current age?

KK: We are living in a hyper connected world and are constantly being fed with new bytes of information every moment. Our minds are always occupied and don’t really have time to reflect upon the information that is coming our way. The practice of Yoga enables one to slow down, bring focus to life and enable charity of thought so that we choose the information that we really are looking for and not be distracted. The practice if Yoga allows to gain mastery over mind, body and senses using breath as a tool.

The practice of Yoga helps us to develop the right posture, through integrating breath and body awareness in our every movement. The practice of Yoga also helps us to connect deeply with our bodies and this awareness allows to feed only when we really need and thereby causing weight loss as well. We must allow every cell in our body to breathe and move and this is what regular Yoga practice can greatly help.

What are the reasons for practicing Yoga everyday?

KK: Mind Expansion. By always seeking new experiences, I have made my mind function at its best all times in all situations. To find peace amidst chaos. Yoga for me is about transcending both body and mind and living in a world of no opposites! Where every path and any path is my path as well and also to participate in life and yet be unaffected by it!

Few sneak peeks : To Know more To know more about his journey in details, I am attaching the link to his blog here so it could be shared with the readers as well.