Mazhar Nadiadwala, MD, Dome Entertainment talks about his love for roads which eventually helped him develop a deep fondness for cycling. He also talks about the lessons he has learnt from the activity and how he applies them to life
BY MAZHAR NADIADWALA
MD, Dome Entertainment
Throughout my career in the film industry, one thing that has consistently remained close to my heart is cycling. Somewhere deep down, I had an inborn love for taking to the road, which helped spark the flames of passion for it in my later years. When I was very young, I used to ride one of my favourite bicycles around town all the time. With time, my fondness for cycling only grew. Nowadays, I often head out for a ride, covering as many as 100 km at a time, leaving everything else behind.
There are a number of cycling groups in the country, and while I don’t belong to any of them, I often join up with them and head off on a trip. I’ve been cycling with a group from Bandra for quite a while and also with Faizal, a popular cyclist in these circles. He is quite well known, because of his earlier days as a stunt cyclist. Whenever I find time, I try and join up with these groups, to refuel my love for cycling. I once rode all the way from Dombivli to Mumbai, but the ride that had made a particular impact on me was the time when I rode from Mumbai to Madh Island and back. It was around four months back, and we were a group of 12 people, riding alongside each other. We had left early in the morning, and the whole group joined in for a quick roadside breakfast, after which we set off for our destination. We reached the beach and spent a few hours taking in the beautiful sight of the ocean, rejuvenating ourselves... then we headed back for Bandra.
Bicycling, for me, is not just about the immense health benefits but also about the incredible feeling of freedom and peace that it brings with it. It has also taught me a lot, which I have actually come to apply in my life, as well as business. The learning stage of bicycling is like life itself. At first, you have to find your balance, discover your strengths and weaknesses, and how to overcome the latter and pick up speed. It is only when you complete the learning stage that you start riding comfortably and confidently, discovering more and more about yourself. It has also taught me, that no matter how comfortable I am, I must always make an effort to learn from everything around me and stay alert, instead of shutting myself off from the world and speeding through life. At times, while having to manoeuvre your way out of a tough situation, or taking a minute to appreciate the beauty of everything around you, you discover new facets to your own being that you never even knew about. In business, this combination of alertness, quick thinking, and observation is key to achieving the success that we desire.
Remote-controlled car rallies are yet another thing that I am extremely fond of. RC cars, however, are not the same thing as the toys we used to play with in our childhood, but are part of a professional sport, with the cars reaching speeds close to regular race cars. I have a remote- controlled car that actually has the ability to cross 200 kmph! However, the sport is not yet as well developed as it should have been in India, and right now, rallyists get together at a track in Parel and take part in races. With the kind of gear required and professional grade machinery that these cars must have, the lack of appropriate facilities in the country hasn’t allowed the sport’s popularity to rise very much. People who are professionally interested in the sport even head to places like Aamby Valley, where road shows and trips are organized. I have also joined up with a number of organizers to try and increase awareness about the sport, and Dome @ NSCI has the perfect stage and structure to organize events like these. In the years to come, RC racing and rallies are sure to grow massively in popularity and a lot of enthusiasts will be joining in, to take part in this exhilarating sport.
@ FEEDBACK mazharnadiadwala@domeindia.com
