Vikas Khanna-Truely Humble and ever smiling

Vikas khanna, his ever smiling face, humble attitude and his demeanor enticed all viewers who started watching him in Master Chef India. I started exploring about him; I was surprised to know his struggles and achievements in life. As Vikas says in his own words “Journey from Amritsar to America.” From a normal man with great dreams to Michelin star award winner, the most prestigious award in culinary industry.

Khanna was born in Amritsar in 1971; he was born with misaligned legs and feet. His parents were not ready to digest the fact of their son having a misaligned leg and feet. He underwent an operation when we was 2 weeks old baby. Despite the operation, he was not able to walk properly. Doctors advised him to wear wooden shoes, as it would help in the alignment of his legs. He had to deal with all the pain and agony of his legs throughout his childhood.

As a kid, Vikas spent most of the time at home to avoid bullying from kids for his leg problem. After the school he always spent time with his grandmother in the kitchen watching her cooking. His interest in food started to grow into passion, he started experimenting various cuisine under his grandmother’s guidance. He started to hone his culinary skills day by day

After his graduation, he moved to New York to explore more in the culinary world. He started working in a hotel as a dishwasher to earn his bread and butter. One day he saw a food competition, he decided to be a part of it.  He went ahead and borrowed some money; with that money he was only able to buy things to make Dhokla, an Indian snack. He went ahead and presented it. People were impressed in the way he created Dhokla; this helped him to get the executive chef position at Salaam Bombay Restaurant, New York. His journey of success started there.

Today he is one of the leading chefs on the world. He has worked in many cooking documentaries which have explored many cuisines, cultures across the world. He has advised many top restaurants across the world. He has worked to raise fund with US president Obama. He continues to inspire many people across the world with his humble smile and his yummy culinary skills

Vikas proves that no physical problems in your body can stop you from dreaming, if there is a dream and if there is a will; there will be success for sure that follows you.

Meryl Streep

I was watching a movie named Doubt. The movie is based on John Patrick Shanley's fictional stage play. The movie was nominated for Oscars at the 81st Academy awards. One person in the movie who managed to sweep the entire act , was the Goddess of Acting “Meryl Streep” The only person in the history of world, who had 16 Oscar nominations, 13 for best actress, 3 for supporting actress, 25 Golden globe nominations. She is widely respected across the world for her acting skills.

The journey of such a success was not bed of roses for her. For the first time, when she went for auditioning for a film role she was rejected. One of the top director said "She's ugly. Why did you bring me this thing?". The director never realised the potential future star. Later she got an offer in one of the movie, with her then fiancé Cazale, who was diagnosed with bone cancer. She accepted to do a small role which had no scope for a performance. She did all those just to earn money so that she can help her fiancé medical expenses. She stood with him till his final breath. Later she decided to take acting more seriously to forget all her grief.

As always not all of us get success on first go, even if we get then success has no value. Not everyone in life can be successful. Only few who undergo the pain of Rejections, who stand stronger in this journey become people like Meryl, Amitabh, Naryan Murthy, Indira Noyi and many more people around us :)

Indira Nooyi

Few weeks back, I was surfing channels on the television. I ended up watching an impressive interview. The interviewer asked the guest, what does personal life means to the guest, the guest replied saying “Life means work and work means life”. What an answer. She is ranked third on the 2008 and 2009 list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women, named one of the America's Best Leaders by U.S, proud Indian Mrs.Indra Krishnamoorthy Nooyi.

Indira was born in a conservative family in Chennai. During her childhood, her mother post meal, always asked Indira and her sister, what they would like to become when they grew up. She asked both of them to come up with their ideas and everyday her mother would reward the best idea among them. This made Indira to dream big.

She completed her Bachelor's degree in Physics, Chemistry and Maths from Madras Christian College in 1974. In an era in India where it was considered unseemly for young women to exert themselves, she joined an all-girls' cricket team. She even played guitar in an all-female rock band while studying at Madras Christian College. She completed her Bachelor's degree in Physics, Chemistry and Maths in 1974 and she was a part of 11^th batch of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta in 1976.

Later she worked for 2 years with Johnson and Johnson. Her urge was always to pursue her higher studies in Yale, US. She had little money and no safety net. If she failed, she failed. But her determination was just like a rock. She joined Yale for her post graduation.  She started working as a receptionist from midnight to sunrise to earn money and in the morning she attended her classes as usual.

She was supposed to attend her first job interview out of Yale. She struggled hard to save US$50 to buy herself a western suit. Incidentally, she wasn`t comfortable trying out a formal western outfit and ended up buying trousers that reached down only till her ankles. She was rejected in the interview.  When she tearfully consulted her Career Development Counsellor, she consoled her and asked if she was attending an interview in India what would be she wearing? Indira replied saying “Sari”, the professor advised her to wear a sari and stick to what she was comfortable with and said “if they can’t accept you in a sari, it’s their loss, not yours.”

She wore a sari for her next interview. She got the job and has followed this philosophy for the rest of her career. She`s been herself, never tried to change her basic beliefs, derived strength from her traditions and believed in who she is. As she says, I` m so secure in myself, I don`t have to be American to play in the corporate life. She worked hard and in time was counted as one of the most powerful women in the world by Forbes.

After her graduation she knew her journey is not rosy, for two reasons; one for being a woman and the second for not being an American. She worked harder and harder to achieve all the success. As she says, if you want to reach the top of a company, you have to start off saying that you have got to work twice as hard as your (male) counterparts. This wonderful attitude has made her the CEO of $25 billion Company in the world.

She has created wonderful extended family, the PepsiCo employees. She writes to the employees often on various topics. It always surrounds on the importance of family, friendship, moral values, and small aspects of life which brings happiness. The letters she writes is always a source of motivation and inspiration to all her employees  

Despite the monumental successes of her career, Indira Nooyi remains a quintessentially Indian woman .She handles her work with the same demeanour as a mother and a wife. She lives in Connecticut.  She has a large puja room where a diya is lit and the inviting air of incense always greets. She is a big fan of Carnatic music, which plays 18 hours a day in her home which relaxes her.

As she always says, true success is being happy with yourself, being fulfilled. And that comes from devoting your time, your life, to doing what you love the most. Nooyi has always seen the world through the prism of her faith and beliefs which has been a guiding light in her life.

One of the most impressive women, as always said women of substance and great inspiration to all of us.

David Seidler

Today, I was watching the live telecast of Oscars. I always appreciate the elegance and the class with which they conduct the event. It’s simply riveting and engrossing. Last week I got a chance to watch The King’s Speech, what a master piece it is! The movie really touched me, I just hoped the movie should win the Best Picture award and finally it did!! The story is based on the real life incidents of King George V1, his stutter, Lionel Logue, his therapist.

Mr. David Seidler, currently diagnosed with throat cancer, won the academy award for the screenplay of this movie. David, when he was a kid was staying in London. Their apartment was bombed during the Blitz in World War II. After the incident, the family decided to move to US. The ship they sailed on was a member of a convoy of three ships; on the way one of these, carrying Italian prisoners-of-war from North Africa, was sunk by German U-boats. Due to all such shocking incidents Seidler developed a stammer before he celebrated his third birthday. When he was a teenager he was embarrassed about stammering and always appeared quite.

There were many therapies which he tried, but nothing worked in favor of him. One day he had a breakthrough. He decided to make his voice heard. He started working harder on it. He started using naughty and foul words to vent out the frustration, used many tongue twisters, worked on his breathing techniques. He worked harder and he was able to get out of the problem. His role model was King George V1, who also suffered from the problem of stammering. During his tenure as a king, he was supposed to make many public speeches. But unfortunately his stammering was a big problem for him. The Royal Highness worked harder and harder with the help of his therapist Lionel Logue to come out of the stammering problem. Later on King George V1 addressed the world on many occasions without stammering.

King George V1 left a strong footprint on David’s life. As he grew older he decided to write and his first work was The Adventures of a Penny about a penny's travel from hand to hand. In an interview David recalled George VI as a childhood hero, who gave him hope as he listened to his wartime speeches as a child, encouraged by his parents, "David, he was a much worse stutterer than you, and listen to him now. He's not perfect. But he can give these magnificent, stirring addresses that rallied the free world." they would say.

In 2005, Seidler was diagnosed for bone cancer. This was the time when he thought I should give back something before it’s too late. He decided to tell the world about his hero. He researched a lot both about the King and the therapist. He wrote a story initially, later modified it to stage play to focus on the essential relationship between the King and Logue. After he had completed it, he decided he quite liked it and sent it to a few people for feedback. Later it reached Tom Hooper's mother. She called Tom and said she has found a wonderful story which can become his next film. The rest is history now. Tom Hooper also received the best director award for it. The movie faced the budget problem and it was just shot in less then $14 million, but it ended up being the biggest gross earner of the year.

When I read about David, his life, his stammer and the current health status, I felt biggest spark in my heart. I have tremendous respect for him. The life is only for those people like him, who never bend down, who fight harder challenging everything. I read this somewhere though I don’t remember where “Remember don’t ever make your physical problem as weakness, instead try looking for the way to overcome it, else just make that as your strength.”.

David, you are IMPECABBLE

Everyday Inspirational video

Pankaj Bhadouria- First Master Chef India

Food is the most important essence of life.  First thing every human being wants in his life is to earn his bread and butter. This is the most important luxury of life. However, our taste bud always craves to taste something different. This leads to unique creativity and invention in our kitchen

Food competitions are new concept in India; People never competed or saw such competition where people compete against their culinary skills to discover tasty yummy food. One such competition lately started was Master Chef India, an inspiration from West.

The show was so engrossing; it showed how creative food can be, people started creating so many different combinations of food using various ingredients. Some ingredients were combined in such a unique way; No one could ever imagine these combinations were ever possible.  People from various arenas participated in the competition. It was so thrilling to see people with various professions coming forward to fight for their passion

Pankaj Bhadouria, teacher from Lucknow wanted to participate in the show. She went and asked her headmaster to provide her leave, so she can participate in the show. The headmaster laughed and said“Please don’t be crazy, go ahead and take your class. Forget this show and all. If you still want leave, go ahead and give your resignation”. Pankaj thought for a moment, it was a basic challenge of life; it was a choice between the livelihood and passion. She chooses her Passion. She thought “if I don’t make my mind now,  I will never be able to do this in my life time”

Throughout her show she was unique with her skills; she created so many dishes and won appreciation from judges day after day. She kept on fighting for her passion and she became the first master chef of India. 

She inspires millions of us to follow our dreams, listen to our heart and give an opportunity to follow our passion, who knows our passion might become the true inspiration of our lives.