Oriya boy Yash Patnaik stepped into the city of dreams, Mumbai, to become a filmmaker. Though his ambition was to succeed in Bollywood, Patnaik had to route his dreams through the small screen. Today, he is one of Indian television's reigning producers, having been involved in the production of popular shows like CID, Aahat, Achanak, 35 Saal Baad, Raat Hone Ko Hai, Monice Mogre Case Files, Chehra, Jamunia and Rang Badalti Odhani. Apart from this, he has made more than 100 documentaries on wildlife and human interest stories.
A resident of Bhubaneswar, Patnaik completed his Class 12 in 1992 (Ravenshaw Junior College and Graduation) and graduated in political science from Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, in 1994 before he moved to Pune to pursue journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication. He then shifted to Mumbai and worked as a journalist for quite some time before joining Fireworks, the makers of CID.
During his Ravenshaw days, Patnaik admits to being more of a class bunker than a diligent student. "I was never regular at attending classes, submitting my assignments or sticking to schedules. All the classes were boring for me with every faculty teaching in the same fashion," he laughs.
He rather would stay back in his hostel room, play carom with friends, paint, read books at the library or flip through film magazines. "I was more famous in college by my nickname Churchill. Very few knew my actual name," he adds.
During weekends, Patnaik and his gang would venture out into the city to have local delicacies. "I stayed in the hostel for five years (including junior college and undergraduation), so I kind of developed a strong bond with my friends and staff members," he says.
Though Patnaik wasn't particularly fond of the lectures and abhorred maths, he apparently loved sociology and literature. He still remembers his literature professor Tapan Kanti Rath, whose 'interactive' classes were the only ones he never missed.
However, this goody boy stayed away from girls. He confesses of having no girlfriends or even a crush for that matter. His only love then was Bollywood. "I watched a lot of movies and never missed out on a firstdayfirstshow. I always bought old film magazines for just Re 1 or Rs 2 as I had no money for the latest issues. When I bunked classes, I read interviews of actors and directors - this way I developed a liking for storytelling and films," he says.
One of the most unforgettable moments was when he ragged some of his seniors. "In Class 12, I was friends with few thirdyear students of Ravenshaw as we shared the same hostel. I used to join them during the ragging sessions and ask their juniors (who were my seniors) to sing songs. Since I had friends in older classes, none dared to rag me," he laughs.
The filmmaker was also active in college politics and sports. He joined the agitation against the Mandal Commission report in Ravenshaw. "In Odisha, the protests began at Ravenshaw and we started it. I remember visiting other colleges in the city to gather support," Patnaik adds.
Despite all this, he managed to secure about 75 per cent in his bachelor's course?
diana@newindianexpress.com