Offbeat: Josy Paul – The cloud chaser with propensity towards water

In our constant endeavour to give our readers content that is a little ‘hatke’ from the trade media norm, Adgully has been coming out with Special sections like The W-Suite, Ad Land’s Young Guns, Spirit W and more. Our latest offering is ‘Offbeat’. 

Our weekly series ‘Offbeat’ seeks to present the lesser known facets of our very well-known industry leaders. We present, in the industry leaders’ own words, an interesting read on areas that are not usually highlighted in regular media coverage – be it about their childhood days, secret skills that they possess, how they unwind from their hectic schedules, and much more. 

Josy Paul, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India, needs no introduction. Over the years, Paul has a formidable body of work, including the much awarded and applauded Ariel – Share the Load and Whisper – Touch the Pickle. With his quintessential cap, Paul has never shied away from taking a different route from conventional advertising, challenging the usual norms. 

How were you as a child and which childhood trait do you still possess?
When I was a child, I was frightened of dark clouds. I was so afraid of these brooding dense clouds that as I grew up, I chased them all the way to the top of the mountain just to see what happens when they touch the sky. I soon realised there was nothing to fear. They make the mountain more beautiful. 

I still chase clouds, especially during the monsoons. I love the rain. When it pours, I feel more connected and I see more clearly. 

Which superhero did you look up to as a kid and why? Which superhero power you wish you possessed?
Your life is a sum of all the superheroes you spent time with. As a child they were the stories of Arjuna and Karna. The Knights of the Round Table, Sir Galahad and the Holy Grail. Ram, Laxman, Hanuman, Yudhishthira and Amar Chitra Katha. Jesus, Gandhi and Mandela. And as I grew up, they were Heisenberg, Einstein, Mohammad Ali, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd and Amitabh Bachchan. Fr. Gordon Daniels, Dominic Fernandes and my friends from St Xavier’s College. And then Suresh Mullick, Mani Ayer, Neville D’Souza, Kersy Katrak, Alyque Padamsee, Steve Jobs, Piyush Pandey, Ranjan Kapur, David Lubars, Andrew Robertson, Chris Thomas and Ajai Jhala. They are all my superheroes. I stole generous bits from all of them and turned them into gifts that never stop giving. 

What is your biggest fear and how do you face it?
Darkness frightens and fascinates me. When I was a young writer at Ogilvy, we formed a hiking group called ‘The club of the ghost who walks’. We used to trek at night in total darkness. It was the thrill of fear. Darkness was both an enemy and a friend. I’ve come to realise that the only way out of fear is through it. Face it, embrace it, lose it. 

Also Read: Offbeat: With Ramesh Narayan, journalism’s loss is advertising’s gain

A skill you possess that no one knows about?
I hear things that people are not saying. Like what they don’t tell you in research groups or on Facebook or WhatsApp or in general conversation. It’s the silence between the words. I am a reluctant voy’ear'. Not sure if it’s a skill, or a problem that I have. I need help. 

What would one find in your playlist?
There is a song I have played religiously every day for the last 25 years. It’s called “Shine on you crazy diamond" by Pink Floyd. It’s from their album ‘Wish you were here’. It’s a faraway song full of love and devotion for a lost friend. I play it every morning. It gives me the energy to search for lost ideas. Like every day is a new day to find something you might have left behind. It’s more than a song on a playlist. It’s a spiritual quest for the unknown. 

Your go-to activity to relax?
It’s not one thing. It’s a bit of everything. A run, a walk, the rains, a drink, youtube, netflix, friends, family, the doctor, work, work, work. I relax when i work. It feels so purposeful. Purpose is peace. 

What is the greatest lesson that you have learnt from life so far?
In life there is no security, only opportunity. 

Also Read: Offbeat: Kartik Iyer – The Professor X who wants to fight over-consumption

A social cause that you are most passionate about?
I’m trying to understand the role of intuition in a world gone crazy on data. I try telling people that data is fact but intuition is truth, and that you’ve got to separate the fact from the truth. I’m also trying to push for greater empathy in our work. And to make empathy a universal currency like dollars and pounds and euros. 

What’s the one thing you would like to change about yourself?
I really don’t know. 

If not Chairman at BBDO India what would you have been?
I would like to be water!