Offbeat: Mitrajit Bhattacharya – Traveller extraordinaire

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. 

Chitralekha Group President & Publisher Mitrajit Bhattacharya’s initiation into media was purely accidental. A casual chat at the ABP Group in Kolkata led Bhattacharya to change tracks from a flourishing career in marketing to the world of media. But there’s more to him than running companies. Bhattacharya has authored books like ‘Life Money Can’t Buy’ and ‘Grand Hours’, is a guest columnist with several publications and TV channels and is quite an authority on watches, which has led him to set up his co-owned consultancy, The Horologists. 

How were you as a child and which childhood trait do you still possess?
I have had a great childhood. Studies, sports, music, elocution, debates, quizzing – we were immersed in all that stuff. TV was just making inroads into Indian homes; I still remember catching the famous 1983 WC win of India on radio. Google was still many years away; we had to learn everything the hard way. But I still rattle off capital and currency of most countries even today. It’s just that USSR has become many countries now and many currencies of Western Europe have become Euro.

Another constant factor in my life has been travel. My father was with the Railways and we have seen every nook and corner of India by train. Even now I travel a lot, may not be so much by train. But the joy of seeing a new place still remains the same. I like to sit and have coffee with locals when I travel. Never knew I would write a book one day on my cherished experiences woven around my travels. ‘Life Money Can’t Buy’ eventually got launched in India by Shabana Azmi and in Mauritius by Foreign Minister Arvin Boolell. Now I write along with my travel...

Which superhero did you look up to as a kid and why? Which superhero power you wish you possessed?
Tarzan, Superman and Spiderman. I just loved them, but never wanted any of their powers.

What is your biggest fear and how do you face it?
Roller-coasters and I face it by not riding them.

A skill you possess that no one knows about?
Let me think...

What would one find in your playlist?
My playlist changes quite often. I am quite versatile about my taste in music, from Latino to Soul, Bollywood to Pop. I often pick up songs from airlines’ playlists.

Your go-to activity to relax?
Watch a movie, eat out or spend time with friends. And I rush to Goa whenever I can.

What is the greatest lesson that you have learnt from life so far?
Remember your roots. Also remember there will always be someone better and more successful than you are. So stay humble. 

And there is no expiry date for learning. So don’t stop pushing yourself. 

There are no short-cuts to long term success and happiness. 

And being loved is far more important than being rich.

A social cause that you are most passionate about?
Education for all. 

What’s the one thing you would like to change about yourself?
Procrastination. I guess it’s too late now to change and I derive some kind of kick pushing things to the last minute.

If not President & Publisher at Chitralekha what would you have been?
A Bollywood movie producer.