How did you choose your subjects?
The intention was to get as many people from as varied fields as possible to talk about their life's philosophy. They also had to be known faces because otherwise not many would bother listening to them. Eventually I also decided to stick to people who are achievers in fields independent of the self-help/personal development industry. So with the exception of Shiv Khera, who has become somewhat of an icon in the country, no one is from the personal development field.
What are the challenges you faced while making this documentary?
The hurdles are far from over actually. Of course I faced many failures and disappointments before I got my first interview. Kiran Bedi was the first person who agreed to be interviewed. Between January and May 2008, I couldn't get anyone on camera. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw's office rejected my request over 25 times before giving me an appointment.
With little or no contacts in the media, I relied on the internet to make contact. I also tried reaching out to them through their media managers, who would ask me if I belonged to a media house.
There were times when I would be kept waiting for months before being turned down or would be told on the very day that the appointment was rescheduled to a later date... and then never respond to my calls!
However the one incident that really got me upset was when I was told that the person I wanted to interview was not in the country and would not be available for two weeks.
The very next day the same person was on a news channel in India. I must have been rejected at least a hundred times. But the only thing that has kept me going through this whole thing was the determination to fulfil an extraordinary dream.
How many achievers have you interviewed so far?
I have interviewed 10 well-known achievers from India for this film so far. They include IPS officer, social activist and recipient of the Magsaysay Award, Dr Kiran Bedi, Olympic medal winning wrestler Sushil Kumar, Padma Bhushan awardee Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chief minister of Delhi Sheila Dixit, chairman of Moser Baer Deepak Puri, eminent television presenter Vinod Dua, acclaimed Indian painter Jatin Das, president of NASSCOM Som Mittal, author and motivator Shiv Khera and Miss India Universe 2009 Ekta Chowdhary.
I hope to take the film international and interview well-known personalities overseas too. By involving famous international personalities, the film has the potential to attain mainstream global appeal become extremely commercially successful in the global market.
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