Keep your life and bank account dirt free, says Surendra Sharma

From achievers to leaders to the glamorous, in this web series, Outlook Money brings you the views on money matters from some of India’s most influential. Several of the New Year’s resolutions made this year may have been already broken. But who says you need to wait for planetary revolution to make new decisions that can make tomorrow slightly better than today? Inspiration can come from anyone at anytime. These individuals, each a leader in their respective field, talks about their life, both financial and personal, and lets us know what it takes to make it big in this beautifully scary world. We hope their wisdom empowers you to know how to better secure your financial future.

Stay grounded, always

What started as a college hobby turned to be a lifelong passion and profession for Surendra Sharma, India’s most loved comic poet. He was one among the pioneers in the field of Hasya Ras (comic and satirical poetry). In 2013, the Government of India conferred him with Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award.

”In college, we were a group of 5-6 friends and we used to joke around whole day long as we had no other business to do. We even used to target our friends for months and mock them in innovative ways every time. I was the target most of the times. So those were the times when I became tolerant to all those satirical jokes thrashed on me,” he says. Along with his friends, he used to visit ‘kavi sammelans’ and realized that they were funnier than those poets and had the potential to do something with their talent to make jokes. Though he already had a manufacturing business, since he was always slightly inclined towards poetry, he turned it into a full-time profession after 3-4 years.

Talking about staying relevant in these times, he says “One needs to stick to their basic principles and have a clear mindset about their prospective endeavors. To sustain in such an environment, one needs to stick to their near and dear ones. We are tied in such a social system that we prefer to share our lives with all our close ones and in times of distress we share their sorrows.”

“Zindagi mei khoob badhna apna business khoob badhana, apna collar maila karna par kabhi account maila hone mat dena”, he advices the younger generation.” I have never hurt anybody intentionally; this is my most valued possession. Also when I am recognized for my work and people honour me, that has always been an overwhelming experience which is valuable to me,” he says. He is a strong believer in the concept of staying grounded.“Uchaai vo nahi hoti jahan apke paon zameen par na hon. Uchaai vo hoti hai jahan apki depth bhi shamil ho,” he says.

During Surendra Sharma’s shows, it’s hard to not notice that his life with his wife is often the subject. It is no surprise that he considers his marriage, which happened in 1970, as an everlasting impression in his life.

olmdesk@outlookindia.com