'Let me entertain you'

MY BIG IDEA/MANUN THAKUR

Manun Thakur parties hard like any other 25-year-old. But there's one difference between Thakur and his peers "" today his event management-cum-production company Entertainment Workx, clocks more than Rs 2 crore per annum and has just pulled off a showbiz coup by hosting the first Filmstars Night in Lahore.

"It was in my first year in college that I realised that I wasn't doing anything with my life. Fortunately, I had the insight to pick up some job experience on the run, through family friend Shailendra Singh, the CEO of Percept D'Mark.

It was obvious by then that the entertainment industry was all set to hit the big league. Armed with my experience in event management, I went to Boston in 1998 to do a course in celebrity and event management, which literally opened my eyes.

I wanted to do something on my own. But I had only Rs 30,000 and I used it to open Entertainment Workx. I shared my brother's office cabin and went around looking for work.

Unlike most other people, I must admit it was pretty easy for me, despite the fact, that some of my friends, whom I partnered, developed cold feet. Six months down, I was already doing events and product launches for companies like Schneider Electric. And the following year, we hit the big time.

While we continued to do events for high profile clients like Airtel, I decided to get into the tinsel world. On an average we did two big concerts every year, which have been the big money earners. A single big Bollywood extravaganza would clock more than a crore and a half.

But I have turned down jobs like organising weddings which could have made us richer by as much as Rs 60 lakh.

I have also tied up with international celebrity management firm Celebrity Access, and am working with them to bring pop and rock artists to India. The international exposure has taken us to Rio de Janeiro, where we recently organised the Latin American Defence Exhibition.

Events apart, I also moved into television and film production. The first film to be directed by Jagit Desai, Farah Khan's assistant, is all set to hit the screens later this year. With music videos being in the news, and the next hot avenue for showcasing talent, we have been producing them as well.

Up next is a remix album that I want to produce by DJ Rummy, a friend and DJ at the capital's nightclub Capitol. Also on the cards are various television serials. I have just completed a pilot episode of a reality TV show about celebrities and hope to get it on air pretty soon.

There have been hiccups like the time the stage collapsed just an hour before rock band Silk Route were about to perform.

Ours is a fun young company, with the average age of around 23. The office in Delhi is well-equipped with a basketball ring, a table tennis board and Playstations to keep energy levels high. And every second Saturday we have a barbeque in office.

After working a full day I get back home to pursue an online MBA at the University of Phoenix. I need to stay abreast of international trends, especially now that I intend to take Entertainment Workx to Dubai, London and New York, in the next five years, and take revenues up to Rs 25 crore.

Planning is always important in our business. And we always have a backup plan. Just in case a celebrity misses a flight, only then do we inform him/her of the alternate travel plan, so as to not create any time lag for the main event.

And amongst the many experiences I've had, nothing matches up to the huge preparations that are underway for the event that was held this Thursday in Lahore.

Rehearsals featuring stars like Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty and singers Shaan and Sunidhi Chauhan have been on for the last four months, and the tremendous response we have received for the event will result in the event, staged at the Royal Palm and Country Club, being repeated for the next three years.

And once I'm through with my quota of excitement, I hope I'll be able to retire at 45 and sit back and enjoy the laurels I have earned for myself."