India TV Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma addressed at length on Saturday about his life during the event, sharing memories of his troubled times and sharing the scenario of success behind the hit Indian TV show Aap Ki Adalat.
India TV Editor-in-Chief and Chairman Rajat Sharma gave special address on 'My Life: My Story' as chief guest on Saturday at a function at Gujarat's Gandhinagar-based National Forensic Science University. The show was also screened in video form during the function.
Recalling the hardships of the early days
Addressing the public, he said that life in television is very different from real life, which is not so glamorous. Recalling his childhood, he said, "When my life began, it was a life of scarcity. There were ten members in my family and all of them shared a 10x10 room in Delhi's Sabji Mandi area. We used to sleep on stacked charpoys, and the roof would leak.".
There were no schools, of a sort. We would attend school in tat-patti houses. At night, there was no electricity, and I would study at the local railway station."
"Once there was a film on Doordarshan on Saturday. I went to watch the second half on Sunday, but neighbors have closed the door. I got sad and returned. My father inquired from me what happened. I informed him that I went to watch a Bhagat Singh film, but they did not open the door. He told me, "You go to someone's house to watch someone else, do something for yourself, so that people watch you on TV".".
On meeting Arun Jaitley
Sharma also spoke about his college life and meeting the then finance minister Arun Jaitley. He said, "I scored well and got admission in Shri Ram College. His hand stayed on my shoulder till he went away."
Rajat Sharma on hard work and determination
Sharma emphasized the point that nothing comes easy in life. "Challenges will come in your life, but you will have to face them with courage," he further added.
He narrated the whole story of making his popular TV show Aap Ki Adalat, elaborating on when the planning began, when the pilot episode was shot, and how the show evolved from a concept to being a brand name.
