I did feel bad when I lost; I thought I would get angry but I was calm---Rajeev Jain
As someone who wears his heart on his sleeve and is the go-to man for many in the industry, Rajeev Jain, MD Rashi Entertainment is back where he belongs---headlines.
In this tell-all interview with EE, Jain spoke about the recent EEMA elections, his take on the ongoing crisis faced by the industry and more.
EDITED EXCERPTS
Now that you have gone through an election and you did not win, how would you call that experience?
I have always said that I am a worker of EEMA and I have never loved or cared about my designation. When EEMA was started by a couple of friends we had a vision and we wanted to take this vision forward. I have learned a lot from this election. This is one of the best NECs that EEMA has right now.
Also if anybody at this position comes uncontested they are bound not to deliver. So as a worker of EEMA, I thought why not make this election interesting and I decided to contest. Now, all the politics has been done away with. I will always be standing with them as an EEMA worker.
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Do you think elections also reveal your friends and enemies?
There was no competition, it was only collaboration. Everybody loves me, there is no doubt about it. This was my first experience of contesting an election and we fought the election very gracefully and in all this the clear winner has been EEMA.
Did you feel bad when you lost? Has the loss made you bitter in any way?
I remember I was sitting with my family when they announced the results. In life you should know about both winning and losing. I will put it on record that my younger son has always seen me winning in everything for the last 15 years.
When we all were sitting in the drawing room and the result was announced, he saw my face and he had a big learning in his life-- that a person can lose sometimes. I did feel bad when I lost. I thought I would get angry but I was calm.
After seeing the committee I felt really happy. It is an impressive committee and definitely raises the expectations.
You have worked with all the four past Presidents of EEMA. Tell us one special thing that you admire in each of them?
Michael Menezes was a strict administrator and he always knew what he wanted. As far as Brian Tellis is concerned, he is an amazing speaker. I have not seen a better speaker than Brian. He has served EEMA for four years and has passed through all the pressures of it.
Sabbas Joseph has been my lifeline for many years’ now and he is very passionate about EEMA. Sanjoy Roy is a highly popular person and. is admired by the entire industry.
In your view, why are women under-represented in EEMA, we again saw very few women leaders contesting this time?
This is one big issue that EEMA is trying to address. We have women leaders like Sushma Gaikwad, Poonam Lal, Tabassum Modi and a lot many. Aarti Mattoo won for the first time and has become the Vice President, but EEMA should nominate two to three people in NEC who should have the voting rights. This will at least ensure some gender balance in leadership positions.
The events industry has seen massive loss of revenue over the past almost 5 months now, do you see any green shoots of recovery anytime soon?
I know many event companies that have shut shop because of revenue loss.They do not have a war chest or sustenance power. At this stage, the ones that can cut down on spends will survive. I have said this before too that there will be no business till 30th November. In 2021 February, the weddings will come back. This is an industry worth Rs 3 lakh crore, nothing will happen to it and it will bounce back.
Rajeev Jain is known to be the man with big connections and the go-to person to get any job done super fast. Is there a backstory to this which you would like to share?
I am very well connected with the bureaucracy, politicians, police and the power centres of this country who matter to me and my business. But I have never taken advantage of that fact.
Everybody in the industry has called me for some or the other work-related reason, and sometimes personal, and I have got that done without second thoughts. It’s a part of my nature, it's who I am.
When I did “Dil Se Shukriya” for Delhi Police, it was a result of a quick call from the Additional CP, Mandeep Randhawa. Soon 25 top artists got involved. Even the Commissioner of Police, AIIMS Director, Hon'ble Home Minister Amit Shah ji and superstar Shahrukh Khan were tweeting about this particular event.
I would say, I'm a person who believes in long-lasting relationships, respect, and above all helping without holding back, maybe that is why people come to me for help.
With the new EEMA leadership in place, where do you see EEMA in the next two years?
We are facing the toughest time and the government doesn’t recognise us. We want direct results, investments, youth leadership and more women involvement.
For the first time an elected president has been chosen. I am confident that the new NEC will deliver on our expectations. I will extend my full support to them and whatever I will be asked to do, I will be more than happy to do it for them.
