“FAILURE BUILDS CHARACTER, IS A GREAT MOTIVATOR AND THE BEST REALITY CHECK”

Anuja Chauhan, 47 Author, Bengaluru

WRITER and advertiser Anuja Chauhan with titles such as The Zoya Factor, Those Pricey Thakur

Girls and more recently Baaz, on how to combat failure, her journey so far and what she’s learnt.

What does success mean to you?

It means being proud of and satisfied with the work I set out to do. It’s a deeply personal thing. If something I’m personally unsatisfied with gets applauded or feted, to me that is not success.

Tell us about your journey to success.

It has been really exciting. There wasn’t much formal learning as I don’t have a degree in advertising, literature, journalism or filmmaking but the informal, on-the-job learning has been tremendous. I’ve had to learn how to write scripts from advertising filmmakers such as Prahlad Kakkar, marketing from interactions with my clients at Pepsi and Nestle, and how to write books simply from reading. Advertising helped me grow a thick skin, not to take criticism personally, and to bounce back easily and non-cynically from repeated setbacks. My regular column at The Week magazine, and the feedback I get from it, has helped keep me grounded.

There’s been a lot of juggling and a lot of guilt but I’ve learnt that quality time is the best kind of time. An hour spent writing in a fully charged, focussed manner will yield more dividends than ten hours of mechanical slogging. And that one all-nighter of hot chocolate and cuddling and conversation can keep you connected better with your children than a month of carefully packed tiffin boxes and school pickups. I’m a control freak with a very high opinion of myself (to the point of obnoxiousness, really!) and team building has been a constant struggle for me. I’ve had to work hard at learning to consider other people’s points of view. But I’ve figured that being a good listener enriches your writing, so I (try to) do that now. Finally, I’ve learnt not to make excuses and straight up take the blame for my screw-ups. It’s much simpler, less delusional, and more constructive that way.

What does failure mean to you? What advice do you have for women dealing with it?

Failure builds character, is a great motivator and the is best kind of reality check. It also, generally, causes me to lose weight, so that’s a silver lining right there.

What is your formula for success?

First of all, pick something you’ve got a natural flair for and enjoy doing. That’s vital. Secondly, remember that the core of everything is hard work and homework. If you’ve got that done, you will exude confidence. People will see that in your eyes and will entrust you with responsibility. And because you’re a hard worker who does their homework, that will naturally lead to success.

Is it harder for a woman in the country to be successful?

If we consider just the workplace, then I think it is pretty much even-stevens. I feel men and women have an equal shot at success—at least in the fields I’ve worked in. But unfortunately, society’s definition of ‘success’ is different for women and men. In India, you’re not considered a successful woman unless your glittering career is backed up by a husband and children. If it isn’t, you’re just considered a rather sad case and a cautionary tale for ambitious young women, about how if they focus too much on work they’re going to end up lonely and unloved.