‘When you work for money, it never comes’

Prahlad Kakkar, ad film maker

When I was in school and even in college, I’d be punished for day dreaming. Today, I’m paid obscene amounts of money for just that. You could either work for money, or out of passion. I’ve never concentrated on profit making, since that would happen anyway. So, it’s a catch 22 situation. When you work for money, it never comes to you. When you don’t, it does.

If you consider your profession to be work, then it’s not worth it. It’s the passion that counts. In our field, the business functions very strangely. Only 10 per cent in the business have access to 90 per cent of the work. And you have to be in that 10 per cent. Since the first five or six assignments decide where you fit in, put your body and soul into it. Also, one needs to be particular about details and have a broad vision. In ad films, people notice the lack of details since consumers aren’t fools. I hate falling short of my own expectations. Also, I have never taken myself seriously, which has helped me to stay grounded.

In the advertising world, everyone is pompous and has inflated egos. But once you have an ego, you stop learning. I make a constant effort to learn, be it from my mistakes, my disappointments or even from my juniors.

This field is also known for the rampant stealing of ideas. But I don’t mind my idea being stolen. I would, in fact take it as a compliment. I believe if you can produce one genuine idea, you can produce many more. One needs to be an encyclopedia of trivia, and that comes from reading. In our business two and two always makes 22, and never four. And that comes from ideating.

We need to realise that our mind is a storehouse of the most amazing things. Luck barely has a role to play in one’s success. Luck is nothing but being prepared for an opportunity. Most people miss the opportunity. Some, who grab the opportunity, get lucky. I also take criticism positively. There’s nothing called focus. If you’re passionate about something, you will be focussed.

Source: Times Education.