Himmanshoo Malhotra Interview: We all are just foolishly running around following others

Actor Himmanshoo Malhotra has learnt a new way of looking at life and is keen on sharing his new perspective with others as well. The actor has recently started conducting interactive sessions called ‘Share and Grow’ focusing on the lives and experiences of others. In a candid discussion, he talks about the thought process behind this initiative.

Please elaborate on the social initiative that you have taken up.

It’s called Share and Grow. The moment I mention the name, everyone confuses it with long, boring sessions of motivational speaking, inspirational lectures, guest lectures and celebrity lectures, but it is not that.

To make it very clear, I am actually not interested in all this. What I am interested is in sharing and growing. The idea here is to share my thoughts, my experiences, my conditioning, my growing up years with people and in turn, requesting people to share theirs as well. I feel that’s the only way an artist and a human being eventually grows. It helps in gathering all beautiful experiences of life from every nook and corner of the country, meeting varied people with different financial, emotional, spiritual and social backgrounds, different conditioning, different cultures, caste, creed and religions. Hence, I thought why not do something about it and start an initiative to share which helps one grow more and in turn empower others to grow more. The sessions are more like sitting with family, friends and relatives and discussing things informally.

What prompted you to take it up?

A couple of incidents in life actually prompted me to go in this direction. The major eye opener was in Nach Baliye Season 7 where, in one of the episodes, I said a sentence and, on the basis of that one sentence spoken on stage in that one moment, I got numerous messages by people saying that one sentence truly changed their lives and thinking and helped them in transforming their relationships. Hence, I thought why not take it further and start something, maybe a platform where all of us can come and share all our experiences of life with others. We never know which sentence spoken in the middle of those talks will transform someone else's life.

What is so special about it?

Everything indeed is super special about Share and Grow because I feel everyone deep inside their hearts needs to know their true calling. We all are just foolishly running around following others. We need to realise our own true potential, which we miss most of the times, looking at other people's lives and wanting to be like them. That has become our only guidelines for success. Hence Share and Grow comes as a relief in the middle of all that we are doing and helps us in guiding us towards our true potential and understanding our lives from a deeper perspective through our own experiences and of course, that of others. I herein feel that I have found my true calling, maybe through this initiative, people will find theirs.

You already have addressed few colleges in Delhi…share your experience in detail.

It was indeed a beautiful experience conducting our sessions in Delhi in Jagannath Institute of management studies, my school Kulachi Hans Raj Modern School and a professional corporate institute AAIPS' Naik Wealth Pvt. Ltd. Delhi Public School, Mrs. India International contestants, Calcutta Swimming Club, Adarsh World School, Delhi also had amazing sessions.

People belonging to various age groups starting from 15-55 years participated in these sessions and spoke about their respective lives and experiences that were so enriching. Few people even came up after the session and said that this was a life-changing experience for them. To open up like this, to listen to everyone's experiences, to understand someone else's life beyond us, is an eye-opener. By doing this, people feel that they themselves have gained a deep insight into their respective lives, which they weren’t completely aware of. So, when something like this happens, we know God has guided us to the right path.

Is there anyone specifically the reason behind Share and Grow initiative?

Yes, of course, my wife Amruta Khanvilkar, she stands behind Share and Grow. It’s her idea and she only pushed me to start it. I feel she knows me so deeply and clearly understands that this is where I truly belong. She had been pushing me to do this since last year but because of my work commitments, I couldn't take the plunge. As I always say things happen when they are meant to happen and fortunately this becomes the right time for it. Amruta's idea to start something like this has truly become super special and super close to my heart. Also, we have been wanting to travel with ‘Share and Grow’ throughout the country in order to meet people belonging to varied backgrounds and gain insights into their respective lives.

What is Share and Grow initiative’s vision?

Our vision is to extend this interactive platform to a varied and large group of people of any age group to come and share their life experiences and empower themselves and others in the journey of life. We are hoping to reach out to millions of people pan India and across the globe so that we are able to touch their lives and help them grow along with us.