Admirations
- Admirations
Admirations
For me, admiration is neither emulation nor hero worship. It is rather a game of selected reductionism that allows one to assimilate, the most eccentric qualities from personas, who have done something truly remarkable. Below are some of my favorite figures from the pages of reality, whose rather non-conformist perspective I have tried to imbibe a bit.

William Shakespeare
English playwright
“Boldness be my friend.” – William Shakespeare
Many say English is a delicate construct of emotions, passions, and phenomena all emanating from a stormy island filled with lores and legends unparalleled. If such is indeed the case, then William Shakespeare can definitely be considered that one genius, who alchemized a tongue, from mere words to endless pathos. He was a romanticist before the romantics, a Machiavellian before Niccolo Machiavelli, and a dreamer before William Wordsworth. Whatever he wrote mirrored the eccentricity and timelessness of the human heart, and whatever he thought reflected the absurd uncertainties of the human mind.
“Never stop trying & always find an opportunity in the crisis.” – Sajjan Jindal
As Chairman and Managing Director, of the JSW Group, Sajjan Jindal is one of India’s most dynamic and transformative industrialists who believes in making a positive impact on society at large. His clarity of thought and painstaking hustle towards making India’s infrastructure truly world-class is commendable. Many recognise him as one of the pioneers, when it comes to private players, operating in the broader infrastructure space.

Sajjan Jindal
Industrialist

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Former President of India & Scientist
“To become ‘unique,’ the challenge is to fight the hardest battle which anyone can imagine until you reach your destination.” – Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
If dreaming up the impossible and then accomplishing it was actually a sport, then Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam would probably sweep through all the accolades. Pioneering scientist, thinker, envisioner, and former President of India, Dr. Kalam epitomized humility, courage, and sagacity in his thoughts and actions, inspiring the entire nation and beyond to rise above the ‘average’ and create an impact that is truly transcendental. He empowered us to not just reach for the stars but exceed them to create something truly path-breaking in whatever we do.
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” – Mother Teresa
If there was ever a human form of compassion, then Mother Teresa would probably be its closest resemblance. Because, throughout her inspirational life, she only showered love, hope, and kindness towards others. Her inner peace radiated off to others, as she epitomised the need for all of us to be considerate and caring towards others. Her goal in life, till her dying moments, was to bring succour to those in trouble, and she never ever deviated from that. It’s a learning, that all of us can definitely imbibe, in bits and pieces.

Mother Teresa
Nun, Missionary & Teacher

Hafeez Contractor
Architect
“Be different, think faster, and act fastest.” – Hafeez Contractor
Panache in stone, pizzazz in steel, that’s one way to describe the beautiful creations of Hafeez Contractor, one of India’s leading architects and an accomplished practitioner of flamboyance, which is opulently poetic. From bold colours to sharp curves, Hafeez Contractor loves to add a bit of drama and grandeur to all his projects, creating monuments that perfectly convey the larger-than-life emotions of Bollywoodly bullish Mumbai. His excess is not lurid but sublimely confident.
“To be successful, you have to have a combination of modernity and timelessness.” – Bernard Arnault
Eccentric, eclectic, passionate, and bold. All these attributes perfectly sum up the Machiavellian yet benevolent persona of Bernard Arnault, builder of the world’s largest luxury goods empire, LVMH. Bernard Arnault has always been a maverick, for whom taking risks and envisioning the unexpected is nothing more than just another day in the office. A firm believer in the organic intersectionality between the precise and the flamboyant, for Bernard Arnault, there is romance in the brutalist and meaning in the bling. His art collection is like a kaleidoscope of inspirations, with rather Warholian interludes.

Bernard Arnault
Entrepreneur

Kiefer Sutherland
Actor
“I do believe very strongly that all of us and all of the other things in the context of our planet with Mother Nature, all of these things absolutely have a profound effect.” – Kiefer Sutherland
Acting, in its very essence, is quintessentially lucid, banal, and human. This has been beautifully encapsulated by Keifer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland, or Keifer Sutherland, as he is more commonly known, an underrated genius who has moved many an audience from the giant screen to the Ubiquitous TV with soul-stirring performances that compel most of us to sit up and take notice. His singing prowess is equally matchless—a crescendo of deep pathos that is best fit to be enjoyed on a boorish monsoon afternoon.