(Delhi) “I have a few concepts twirling in my mind, as soon as they crystallize, I shall begin my new book. My last book ‘The Curse of Nalanda’ was released in February 2016. Earlier I worked with Doordarshan, which was the only channel available then. The highest TRP grosser was ‘Saptahiki’ as it provided glimpses of the movie to be shown on Sunday evening and clips of film songs for Chitrahaar. I was lucky to be compering this programme. People still remember Mahabharat serial. I was assigned the interview of its most popular character Krishna; the interview was a huge hit. That was the peak of my career with Doordarshan, as I lost my voice after working there for 13-14 years. I was unable to speak, and used paper and pen to convey what I had to say. Doctors, Homeopaths, Vaid, Hakim, speech therapist were all consulted, but there was no improvement. Someone suggested music therapy, yoga and Pranayam. This suggestion was helpful. I started learning music and slowly my voice started coming back; people are able to understand what I say now, but still at times it goes off completely.
My professional career was over. I used to be a regular child artist with All India Radio, Patna. My voice was my biggest asset right from the beginning; to lose it at the peak of my career was traumatic. Those days if anybody said, “Sorry, what did you say?”, something would stiffen inside me and I would stop talking. I went into a shell, shunned company, and was totally depressed. Gradually, I began reasoning with myself, “Okay fine, one profession is over, but that does not mean the end of life.” I resolved that no matter what, I would continue with my creativity. Creativity has been like life and meditation for me. I started painting, and had a number of successful exhibitions, where a number of my paintings were sold. I understood and felt the pain of handicapped people. I realised that there is a world of pent up emotions inside all of us, waiting to explode. I started penning my thoughts. People have given positive feedback on my books that encourages me to write more. Now I feel comfortable even with my distorted voice. I have been an optimistic person, and God has been very kind to me. If one door closes, the other is sure to open up. If you have faltered, gone through a bad experience or have some serious ailment, your life does not end there. Make disabilities your strength by focusing on areas under your control. If you decide not to stay pessimistic, you will pull through. One thing I strongly believe in is to never run after name, fame and money. True success is in dealing with everyday life situations. If you are able to adjust with your life and people around you, you have achieved tremendous success.”