On my pinboard - Ranjit Barot

Cinema
‘La La Land’

“I am a big-time movie junkie. One of my recent favourites is ‘La La Land’. They don’t make movies like this anymore! What caught my attention was the fact that people who grew up in that age felt nostalgic and could relate to it. It had so much grace and that era was portrayed very well. However, I don’t have too many favourites like that. I watch movies that suit my mood. Sometimes, I watch a series of ‘Bond’ films or something like ‘Doctor Zhivago’. I am finicky like that.”

Food
‘Dal chawal’

“I like my ‘dal’, ‘chawal’, ‘papad’ and fried fish. My wife is from the South so I also have an inclination towards that cuisine. I even relish some simple egg fried rice with stir-fry. I prefer all these homemade and thankfully, I get it whenever I have my cravings. It brings back memories for me as my mother and aunt used to make all this for me. Top the dal chawal combination with some ‘ghee’ and pickle and I am a happy man.”


Travel
London

“I travel a lot for work but it doesn’t feel like work, to be honest. I get to play music around the world! Each journey is an adventure. However, I have a soft corner for London as I grew up there till the age of 10. I still have family there whom I visit whenever I am there. I love going to Chinatown for the food. I also like going to St Christopher’s Place on Oxford Street, enjoy a bottle of wine and relax. In India, I love going to Kerala, Mangaluru and Rajasthan. It’s fun to be a local tourist, visit the temples, enjoy the local food and spend time with family.”

Musician
Zakir Hussain

“Zakir Hussain and John McLaughlin have been very inspiring and they have been great mentors to me. A R Rahman is also a very close friend of mine — I love collaborating with him for work. All three of them are humble and graceful human beings and I’ve had only good times with them. There was a point when I wasn’t drumming anymore. I called up Zakir Hussain one day to get tickets for his show and he asked me to perform with him. I was shocked to hear that but it was a turning point in my career. I was very nervous; however, it was a great night and I am thankful to him for that opportunity.”

Author
Ian McDonald

“Ian McDonald is not a well-known writer but he is amazing. His book, ‘River of Gods’, is one of my favourites as the storyline is set in India in the future. It is so rooted to our country; it is futuristic and marries science with technology. He has written about the aspects of spiritual evolution and how everything is relevant over the year. He has woven a very good story into the book.” 

Inspiration
T S Bhat

“My father-in-law, T S Bhat, is 86 years old and is my constant source of inspiration. He is really selfless and very well-connected with his children. He is a magnificent human being who has worked very hard in life. His daily actions and words are impeccable. I would be honoured if I could get a small fraction of his wisdom.”