National Award-winning filmmaker Manish Mundra says his father always considered self-employment better than doing jobs for others.
My father had a big influence on my life. It was only through him that I developed my understanding of business. I have seen my father doing business since childhood. I tried to understand the nitty-gritty of it by just observing him very closely. He not only taught what to do to be successful, but he also taught what not to do.
My father gave some guru mantras which I always kept in mind. He said if you want to achieve greater heights in life, then you have to leave your birthplace. He himself left his home, his ancestral land in Rajasthan, and went all the way to Deoghar, Jharkhand. He started his business from scratch and went on to achieve considerable success there.
Dad taught me that success cannot be achieved without taking bold decisions: Courage has a big contribution in making a man great, cowards fail or live an average life, the world will question your bold moves but you have to trust your instincts and this is what separates the winners from the crowd. He taught me to have faith in myself. He said you have to listen to your voice. He said one who listens to his voice in the noise of the world reaches the top.
My father always considered self-employment better than doing jobs for others. He believed that by doing jobs for others, you just compromise, follow orders, and follow the herd. The opportunity to lead and bring about change is available only through self-employment. I tried to follow my father's advice, but due to lack of resources, I had to take up a job. I am still doing one today. But I have created self-employment for myself alongside my job and added value to my life.
I remember one particular incident. When I was going to join my job, my father asked me why I am going for such a job. He used to give that much salary to the employees of his business at the time. Dad said if you want to do something, do something that can make you feel that you are devoting your life to some great purpose. I always remember that.
I also learned from my father's mistakes. To increase the business, my father took many such decisions which caused him loss. Taking a risk based on mere speculation can backfire. Also, my father did not pay attention towards savings. As a result, we did not have money when the need arose. This taught me a lesson and I learnt to save from an early age. I invested in the right place which gave me a huge profit in the future.
Dad taught me that a person gets respect according to his financial status in society. If you have money, then you will be respected, welcomed, and felicitated. If you are poor, then everyone will turn away from you. That's why we should respect time and accept time in every situation.
Dad believed a lot in luck. He used to say that you cannot fight against fate. That's why he would say, “Do your work, but don't think of fighting against fate.”
(As told to Giridhar Jha)