Note to readers: While we accept the reality of the coronavirus, it is important to be optimistic. We must believe that there will be a day when the disease will no longer be the all-destroying scourge it is today. And when that day comes, we will be able to enjoy life, maybe with a few adjustments, the way we did before COVID-19. To that end, we are starting ‘If Covid Vanished ...’, a series of interviews with corporate heads and achievers, where we ask them where they’d like to travel or eat, who’d they like to meet, and so on, if the world became Corona-mukt.
The present may not be particularly rosy, not even for someone in the business of flowers and gifting. But the future could still be. And when the world is fortified against COVID-19 and its variants, Vikaas Gutgutia, whose Ferns N Petals reportedly earned revenue of Rs 500 crore in 2019-20, would love to resume literary evenings and learn golf.
Excerpts from an interaction with the Delhi-based Gutgutia:
If COVID went away or became easily manageable, which city would you like to travel to first and why?
The impact of the crisis will be enduring, continuing long even after restrictions are eased. I am waiting for the right time to visit Mumbai to take the business to new heights and make new connections.
Which restaurant/ bar would you go to first and why?
I prefer simple home-cooked meals and sometimes eat out to satiate a craving for Chinese, which is very rare. But I have been missing the aroma and taste of authentic north Indian food that you get on highway dhabas. Possibly, on my next road trip, I would stop by a typical dhaba for guilt-free indulgence, given the COVID situation is in control.
Which famous stranger would you like to invite home and talk to and why?
Anupam Kher. He has a magical persona and his life story is inspirational. Even after such a brilliant acting career, he has never forgotten his roots.
I’m longing to restart the tradition of hosting baithaks, soulful evenings where people recite poems, shayari and sing to express various emotions of life.
What group activity would you like to participate in?
Going out with friends to a restaurant and maybe on holidays to any scenic destination in India.
What new skill would you like to learn?
Definitely golfing. It’s an amazing sport to enjoy and learn new strategies that one can carry through for self-growth.
The first song that comes to mind when you think of a COVID-free world.
I came across this beautiful song, Tinka Tinka, from the movie Karam. I often listen to it on a loop. Otherwise, evergreen Hindi classics are always on my mind.
What bad habit will you work on eliminating in a world that is open again?
One bad habit that I want to give up is a smoke before bedtime.
What will you do with your masks?
Make a collage of the collection of masks and mount it on a wall.
What would your motto be for life after the pandemic?
Rise and shine like never before.
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