BUSINESS MANDATE
fountainhead of excellence
1 MAY 2022
36
MAY 2022
BUSINESS MANDATE
fountainhead of excellence
A narrative of personal journey in trying times. Read about Ms Meena Chabria's struggles as she worked to raise her children and keep ambition flying.
E
ach day is a great opportunity to try something
whatever he could earn and we managed to get our
new and push oneself into areas that test
food out of that. My father was a big inspiration for
individual capacity, thus paving the way for
me. His thought process was to get the girls up, at any
growth, both in personal and professional lives. But very
cost. He would always push us to do only the things
often, human beings get bogged down by challenges
that we loved for. He never told us to study or be a part
that seem much bigger than they actually are. Self-
of sports or any such thing. My success belongs to my
doubt, self-pity and lack of confidence to overcome the
parents. They made me to take important decisions in
challenges inhibit growth. Those who successfully
life. I follow their parenting style and leadership in my
circumvent personal challenges through planning,
team. I push my people and say, "You decide what is
dedication and hard work accomplish such targets
good for you." My dad used to cycle every day 20
which seemed impossible in the beginning.
kilometres up and down, just to give his two girls hot lunch. That is where my love for cooking and making some good food for my children later on, began. After
Part 1: Childhood @ Coimbatore
12 years, we had my brother.
I have divided my story in parts. I was born in
We grew up in a very tough situation and on many
Coimbatore. My father was a tailor and mother, a
days, we used to wait for the food served by our
housewife. I have two siblings. My sister is working in
neighbour, after their pooja rituals. Yet, I don't have
a school and my brother is working in The Hindu
many
newspaper. We belong to the most middle-class family.
remembrances of my age before marriage. We were one
It was just that the father cat learned to bring
dislikes,
many
opinions
or
many
bad
happy family.
BUSINESS MANDATE
fountainhead of excellence
37 MAY 2022
Part‐2: Into the Wilderness
toilets, in Choolaimedu, Chennai for a rent of Rs.1500..
I got married at the age of 16, not knowing
There was a small construction going on and there
anything, to a guy 12 years elder to me. He was one of
was a fight between a husband and wife every day. She
the most amazing men I have ever met in my life but I
had given birth to four daughters and she did not have
didn't find love in him. We had some issues and we got
a son. Listening to her, I asked her if she could take
separated. My son was 21 days old and I asked him a
care of my son when I was away for my work and told
question for which he didn't have an answer. I sensed
her I would pay 500 rupees a month to her. She agreed
the marriage would not work. In the middle of the
and took extremely good care of my son. It was very
night, with my two year old daughter and 21 day old
overwhelming and my son was never ready to part from
son, I left my home. From there, my new life began and
her in the evenings. Now I could trust someone in life.
I didn't know what to do, with no money and no job and pushed into the society.
Then I got my second job which was wiping the legs of children in a preschool. Gradually, the principal of
The first job I found for me was being a helper to
the school saw me and one day asked me if I could
an old woman who didn't have eyesight. I had to give
teach the kids. I started teaching the Pre-KG kids. In
her bath and take her to the wash room. I got 6000
parallel, I did my teachers' training. I got a job in Sindhi
rupees a month and enjoyed doing the nannyship for
Model School but couldn't continue it. After three
some time. It was very inspiring doing something to
months, I quit the job and went for an autism clinic to
take care of my children and meet my ends. But taking
be a helper for autistic kids. I did a job there for one
care of my children while I was away was a challenge.
year until I found my first professional breakthrough
So I shifted to a small 1BHK apartment with common
called Shiamak Davar’s dance class.
38
MAY 2022
BUSINESS MANDATE
fountainhead of excellence
Part 3: A Bumper in the Offing I went to drop my daughter for her dance class and
My CV had hardly any worthy details, except my salary
I saw a board where it was written that call centre employees were required at Rs 12,000 salary and with
expectation of Rs 28K. They
flexible timings. It was like a bumper for me. I casually
hired me as a Manager
applied and got the job. After two weeks, I got a call
Marketing for Inox and I began
from Shiamak Davar, the owner himself.
the first corporate world job over there.
He was having a test drive of how the call centre was going on. He told me that I spoke very well and asked for my number. I thought he was joking. After the call, he promoted me as an assistant manager for Chennai, for handling his dance classes. That was 10% growth of my career.
Part 5: A Giant Leap One day, in 2009, two people came to Inox to see
My kids joined in DAV school and both grew up
how the property was working. They were the CEO and
being independent, with the sister taking care of the
Senior Vice President of PVR. I met Gautam and Shalu,
brother. After 6 months, I organized a very good
who are now the CEO and Vice President of PVR. They
fashion and dance show and we did very well. I was
asked me if I could come for an interview the next day.
promoted as a city manager.
I went and they recruited me for their Ampa mall,
Part 4: A Knock at INOX
which was upcoming then, at a salary of 60K per month.
During one of the promotions for the fashion and dance show, I went to INOX. There I met actor Lakshmi Narayanan who does a lot of movie roles. He was there in the lobby and we became friends. He said he was quitting his job and taking up a movie portfolio. I asked him if he could help me out with a better paying job. He took me to the Inox manager. My CV had hardly any worthy details, except my salary expectation of Rs 28K. They hired me as a Manager Marketing for Inox and I began the first corporate world job over there.
it was in PVR. In the last 13 years, I have never gone for any interview, seeking any job. The strength of PVR is its no-gossip environment and that was the best for me, being a single parent. PVR respects people for their work. Gautam became my boss, friend, mentor and godfather. My life really changed. PVR is a great organization and has given me a great career. I am a living example
I worked with them for two years and it was a good journey. All my learnings in processes, systems, man management and return on investment began from there. I had the most glamorous and most skilful learning days of my life through Inox.
If you ask me where my life changed, I will tell you
to say that if you give hundred percent, you will get hundred percent but if you go far and give 500%, you will get 1000% in return. I can proudly tell people that out of my 13 years of working, I got 17 years of incentives. I have delivered more numbers and got more numbers. Year on year, I started growing in my
BUSINESS MANDATE
fountainhead of excellence
39 MAY 2022
Do I think there is something
them. We need to see the perspective, our objective
called work‐life balance?
and goal. Do I think there is something called work-life
Unfortunately, for me, ‘No.’ My
balance? Unfortunately, for me, ‘No.’ My job is not a 10
job is not a 10 to 6 job, but a 24
to 6 job, but a 24 x 7 job. Does reading or upskilling
x 7 job.
help me? Yes, very much. That is where I began the next chapter of my life, during the Covid time. I enjoy my work. I have a glamorous job of being there for every movie, attending FDFS (First Day, First Show) and
career and in my life. First, I was given Chennai as my zone for three years. Then they gave me Hyderabad, Cochin, the whole of South and Sri Lanka, one after the other. I handle more than 50% of the screens in my
meeting movie stars.
Part 6: Turmoil The wheels of the bus were just on the track and it was like a dream for a little girl who is a tailor's
kitty, in the entire geographical description. In PVR, it has been a beautiful experience with beautiful people, always learning and having the hunger to do something, so my children can get better. My daughter is just completing a commercial pilot course. She had movie offers but declined them and wanted to become a pilot. I agreed, on the condition that I could fund her but she must manage all her work—applying for the course, attending interviews, joining, etc., as I had very little time to help her out.
daughter. Come March 2020 and Covid upset everything. The cinema shooting stopped. The company had to go through a real turmoil. It was heart-breaking to the core. Two weeks before Covid, my daughter had to leave for New Zealand for her pilot course. We got her an educational loan from a bank but I had to fund 30 to 40% of the expenses. I gave her my entire reserves. Everything was good for the first 6 months. In the seventh month, I called the bank to transfer her loan amount but the bank wanted my salary slip to
My son is 18 years old—young, handsome and 6.2
revalidate the loan. The salaries were gone and I could
tall and has joined the St Joseph’s School of Commerce
not produce the slips. Of course, PVR took care of the
in Bengaluru. Both my children have been taught to be
employees very well. The loan was refused by the bank.
independent. I think this speaks volumes about a
I somehow managed to withdraw from my PF account
woman, raising two children on her own, with so many
and I paid her fees.
professional and personal challenges that she can ever go through. That is a perspective. A 6 for me could be a 9 for you.
Then came the U-turn of my life. I wanted to do
In this journey of mine, was my job tough? Yes, sometimes. Is a corporate job easy? Yes, but it depends on what kind of line you are drawing with whom and what kind of aim you have. Are there any issues with the office, team and bosses? There will be and there is no escape from them, but we need to work around 40
MAY 2022
Part 7: Meena 2.0 something more, during the Covid lockdown days. I enrolled for one course after the other. I graduated out of IIM and ISB. I am now doing one in UCLA and MICA (Mudra Institute of Communications and Advertising). These, I am sure, will lead me to the launch of Meena 2.0.
BUSINESS MANDATE
fountainhead of excellence