Anand Mahindra, the chairman of Mahindra and Mahindra perhaps one of the most successful business magnates in the world. But when asked if he lacked another passion that he could have made a career of, his answer left everyone surprised: he wanted to be a filmmaker!
Sharing a throwback message on Thursday, the billionaire recalled his college days when he was studying film. “Easy to answer that. I wanted to be a filmmaker and I studied cinema in university,” he wrote, posting a black and white photo of himself from the 70s. “My thesis was a film that I done at ’77 Kumbh Mela,” he revealed.
However, he added that the image he shared was not of Kumbh Mela but of a time when he was filming a documentary in a remote village near Indore, Madhya Pradesh. “Anyone old enough to guess what portable 16mm camera I was using?” he posed a question to his followers.
Easy to answer that. I wanted to be a filmmaker and I studied cinema at university. My thesis was a film I made at ’77 Kumbh Mela. But this photo was during the filming of a documentary in a remote village near Indore. Anyone old enough to guess which portable 16mm camera I was using? https://t.co/xmLuuLrv3A pic.twitter.com/oKCddQFyGf
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) January 20, 2022
The rare fact was revealed as he answered questions about his old photo, where he said he too was a backbencher, leaving all elated in line.
Mahindra, who went to study abroad after completing his studies for a degree in film and architecture at Harvard University, graduated magna cum laude in 1977. He then moved on to government administration. business, completing his MBA at Harvard Business School.
When someone jokingly asked if the snap was taken by Mira Nair, the famous Indian filmmaker who is also a Harvard alum, he shared another interesting anecdote. Saying that Nair was her junior in college and belonged to the “same college film department,” Mahindra joked: “She always lied to me that I was ‘sold to the establishment’ when I left cinema behind and went to business school!”
No, but she was only a year younger than me in college in the same college film department. And she always laughed at me saying that I had “sold out to the establishment” when I left the cinema behind me and went to business school! 😀 https://t.co/meW7wqwIQ7
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) January 20, 2022
Mahindra’s post got a lot of talk online, who not only guessed the name of the camera, but also tried to find out what it was shooting in MP.
👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽 https://t.co/sF4j7n3OBC
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) January 20, 2022
When a Twitter user commented that he had to document “Bhil Youth”, asking if he was in Jhabua district shooting during the Bhagoria festival, Mahindra agreed. “Exactly on all counts!! The name of the village was ‘Dahi’,” he added.
Exact on all counts!! The name of the village was “Dahi”. https://t.co/9nFJxPg8PS
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) January 20, 2022
While netizens were thrilled to know about Mahindra’s passion for filmmaking, May urged him to share old works and even encouraged him to follow his heart. “It’s never too late to pursue your dream, why not start it again,” one person commented.
