Visually challenged aspirant melts panel's resistance by pitching them the many virtues of the Bollywood superstar
It is one thing to get into the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) and it's another to sell a celebrity to grab a seat at one of the most important management institutes in the country. But for a visually challenged applicant, the whole process from applying to getting through to IIMB has been a fun-filled adventure. He was asked to sell Salman Khan in his personal interview at the institute, which he aced with aplomb.
Ahead of starting his classes at the institute on Monday (June 16) for the postgraduate programme, Gaurav Chandravanshi, who is 100 per cent blind in one eye and 80 per cent blind in another, gave Bangalore Mirror an account of all that happened during his adventurous journey to the institute. He said, "I went through the usual process of sitting for CAT and got a 92 percentile. While I got calls from various colleges, my heart was set on IIMB. They called me for the interview on March 12 which took place at IIMB itself. I was told that interviewers asked subject-specific questions, besides those on general knowledge. But nothing can prepare you enough for these interviews."
Gaurav had been doing his MSc in Physics at Indian Institute of Scientific Education and Research (IISER), Pune, as part of its 5-year BS-MS dual degree programme, when he applied to IIMB. "There were three interviewers and since I am from a science background, the first question they asked me was why I wanted to do an MBA. I told them I wanted to promote science across the country. They called my bluff and asked me the real reason," he chuckled.
Gaurav explained that since he was visually challenged, his parents, both teachers at Kendriya Vidyalaya in Chennai, had mapped out his career for him. "My father wanted me to study science, do a PhD in science, and then teach. But after joining IISER, I realised I wanted to do something on my own too. While I was telling them how much I wanted to do an MBA, one of the panelists spotted that I was wearing a 'Being Human' (charity NGO run by Salman) T-shirt in the passport-size photograph I had provided in my application. They asked me about it and I told them how much I admired Salman Khan. To that, one of them remarked how no one admits it. So they laughed and asked me to convince them about Salman's qualities," Gaurav explained. Gaurav spent the next half an hour selling Salman to the panel, highlighting his qualities and explaining what made him tick. He said, "I started by telling them how charismatic Salman really is. Also, he is not afraid to speak his mind on controversial subjects. He is a true star with millions of fans watching every movie he makes, thus ensuring they turn box-office hits. I must admit that the interviewers remained pretty impassive but I was pretty determined to sell Salman to get my seat at the institute. I have long since dreamt of joining the institute and there was nothing in the world that could deter me from doing so," said the diehard Sallu fan.
No wonder then that he takes inspiration from the Dabangg hero's famous line: "Ek baar jo maine commitment kar di toh main khud ki bhi nahi sunta (Once I've given a commitment, then I won't listen to even my own arguments against it)."
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Though Gaurav thought the interview went well, he admitted to being anxious while waiting for the results, perhaps in the same frame of mind Sallu would be in while waiting for the release of his latest flick. But as luck would have it, when the results were declared on May 12, Gaurav was thrilled to find his name in the list.
What piqued his curiosity was the fact that during the interview, one of the panelists had asked him to watch the 1971 film Guddi. He says, "After watching the film, I realised why he wanted me to do so. The film shows the difference between reel and real life." Since the IIMB results were declared, Gaurav has crossed another landmark as well. He completed his BS-MS course at IISER, and his convocation got over on Sunday, just a day before classes begin at IIMB.
He was also happy to get encouraging calls from the institute. "Ever since my place in the institute was confirmed, I have been getting calls from professors and senior students. Since I had apprehensions about not being able to see slides and presentations in class, I was informed that most professors gave their presentation files a day before and that we were allowed to carry our laptops to class as well. It will obviously be a challenge, but I am looking forward to it," he said. His family, though, isn't surprised. His older sister Kavyanjali Yadav, who is a PR professional, said: "I always knew he was capable of doing great things and we are used to seeing him achieving the best at whatever he does."
