Dream chasers on how to do it

Bengalureans who gave up stable jobs and pursued their passions share their stories

It can take immense courage to choose passion over the stability of a 9-to-5. But there are a few who choose to dive off the deep end to chase their dreams.

A recent survey, by Godrej Interio’s ‘Make Space for Life’ survey found Bengalureans are more likely to pursue their passion, with 55 per cent of the respondents claiming that they spend time pursuing their passion. Metrolife spoke to a few Bengalureans who decided to follow their hearts.

Deeksha Ravi, Baker-Entrepreneur

Three years ago, Deeksha Ravi gave her CLAT exam, to fulfil her dream of becoming a lawyer. A series of events, including taking up a job to be able to stay on in the city in the interim period, somehow led her to her passion. “I bought an oven and started baking. I really enjoyed the process, and watching people devour my creations, even more so,” she shares. Six months later, she started ‘Cuckoos Cookies’, a brand that sells delectable desserts.

On passion: “When you are passionate about something, no matter how bad things are, you will find satisfaction in doing it,” says Deeksha.

Biggest challenge: Starting a venture in an area she has no prior from having no experience in, making the necessary investment on her and running a one-woman operation comes with its set of challenges. “For a whole year, I didn’t keep accounts. Looking at it as a business was difficult, but I learnt to bake, manage accounts, handle social media and market my brand and juggle it all,” she says. Dealing with customers with ridiculous requests or looking for a discount can be exhausting. “When you start out, you want to build a customer base. It can be difficult to say no, but it is important to stand your ground,” she adds.

Eben Johnson, Musician-entrepreneur

Eben Johnson is the vocalist/ guitarist with ‘All the Fat Children’ as well as the managing partner at ‘Ben and Flow’, an artiste management company. He started the band while he was still in college as a means to play music and earn a little extra pocket money. He decided to start the artiste management company as a way to become financially independent. “Having to juggle careers is common among those who wish to be musicians. In my case, thankfully, I have only had to juggle things I love,” says Eben.

On passion: “It is a combination of something that you enjoy and have very strong feelings for. If you are passionate about something, you would deepdive to understand all facets and so you would have very strong opinions about it,” he says.

Biggest challenge: Eben paints a rather realistic image and says that pursuing one’s passion is not a rosy path like many make it to be. “Usually, passion is centered around artistic things such as art, food, dance or music. People who try to choose this path are often heavily discouraged in India, because the society at large doesn’t see this as something that pays their bills,” he explains.

Overcoming this hurdle is only the beginning. “Having to choose between what you like and what is considered mainstream is a constant dilemma,” says. Lack of acknowledgement of non-commercial art and the absence of avenues that support it makes it very difficult for independent artistes. “There are many who have taken on Bollywood projects, but are unhappy because they feel like a sellout. But, technically, they are following their passion,” he says.

All is not bleak, he adds. “Things are improving. Gigs pay much better than it used to ten years ago. Even if only a lucky few bands and indie musicians get to perform at festivals, a few years ago, such options didn’t even exist, he says.

Shalini Saraswathi, Blade runner

In 2012, Shalini Saraswathi came down with Rickettsial with morts, a rare bacterial infection. In the months that followed, she had to amputate her four limbs.

After getting prosthetics, she began training under BP Aiyyappa to re-learn basic skills like walking. A year later, she began running. In 2016, she completed her first marathon, the TCS 10K, in two hours and three seconds. Now, she is an accomplished para-athlete who has won the bronze medal in the T44 category and the 100 metres sprint at the 2018 National Para Athletic Championship. She is also a motivational speaker on Firework.

On passion: “It has to bring you joy and happiness. You have to love it enough to do whatever it takes. It is a journey filled with tears, pain, hardwork and failures,” she says.

Biggest challenge: “Starting on this path at 36 — losing weight, dieting, changing your lifestyle and adopting the mindset of an athlete — was not easy,” she says.

Running while wearing blades can be difficult. “They have a lot of rubber inside, which makes your legs sweat, causing them to slide when you run,” she says.

Anup J Kattukaran, Photographer

After beginning his journey as a wedding photographer, Anup J Kattukaran decided to start the award-winning production house, ‘1st December Films’. A certified scuba diver, he now largely focuses on underwater photography.

On passion: “More than doing what you love, passion is about making other people love what you do. Introducing people, especially ones who are afraid of the water, to the ocean gives me such a thrill,” he says.

Biggest challenge: “Developing skill sets takes time. It is important to get the basics right. Over time, you learn more and mature as an artiste,” he says.

Anugraha S Manjunath, Soap maker

Anugraha S Manjunath runs ‘Akira- Essence of Nature’, a company that makes organic soaps. Over the past five years, she has also taught over 2,000 people the art of making organic soaps through her workshops. “I was always fascinated about organic and natural products. I stumbled upon this when I was researching on how to incorporate organic into art,” she says.

On passion: “Something that interests or excites you so much that you want to keep at it. You won’t need any motivation because you have a deeper inspiration from within,” she says.

Biggest challenge: “I had many self doubts at the beginning. At one point, I even lost focus because of this,” she shares. Customer feedback, she says, helped her stay on track.