HYDERABAD: Stress coupled with fatigue and disinterest make the perfect recipe for a disastrous performance, with mental health going for a toss. The need to pause, reflect and take regular breaks to indulge in things that soothe and calm the mind can’t be ‘stressed’ more. This week, Tarun Oblum, founder of the eponymous leather store, Oblum, shows us how it’s done.
Tarun almost always has his hands full, working for three different businesses. He manufactures and sells bespoke leather goods, a one-of-its-kind in the country, which takes up most of his time. The brand works closely with customers right from design and material to manufacturing and post-delivery care to bring out products with quality and standards that are unmatched. Apart from this, he runs Urban Mochi, a premier leather care and service centre, while also helping with his family business, an electrical engineering-based company that is nearly five decades old.
Despite it all, Tarun knows how to cool down after sweating it out with his varied interests. He shares, “Fish keeping is one of my oldest hobbies that I picked up from my father. I have three aquariums at home and will be setting up my fourth one soon. I also enjoy indoor gardening; I try to grow as many plants as I can inside my apartment.”
A man with a very individualistic sense of style, Tarun also enjoys tailoring. He takes great interest in his clothing and loves going into the finer details — right from the cloth to the way it is cut. “I’m a huge fan of all things vintage, so I try to infuse details of the past into my clothes,” he says.
Tarun, who has an eclectic taste in music, looks forward to regular electronic music gigs on the weekends. He also has been collecting vinyl records. “I recently developed a keen interest in good quality music. I start and end my day listening to music,” he shares. He also is an ardent fan of watches that he has been collecting for over six years now. “It started off when my sister gifted me an HMT Pilot. I have a collection of over 50 watches, most of them vintage pieces. I downsized to choose and collect only ones that suit my style and interest.”
Finally, fine whiskey is his forever love, one that he took up when he had moved to England. “The love accelerated after I returned to India. I enjoy exploring Indian whiskeys.” Before the pandemic hit, his wife and he would host mid-week parties, but they’re taking it a little slow now. The couple are ‘water babies’ and love travelling, but have taken to domestic travel in the past two years. “That’s when we fell in love with surfing. We try to take a vacation every three months, let’s hope I’m able to continue doing that with three ventures.”