Hectic work schedules and lot of travelling. This is how Bojan Jankulovski, Head of Operations, Maserati India, spends his weekdays. And so, weekends for him is all about rejuvenating, recharging and refreshing. Jankulovski is a fan of yoga. He loves reading books and is not into binge watching.  Jankulovski confesses that he hates gadgets, but cannot stay away from them.

Read on to find more about Jankulovski’s weekend life, his love for Italian cuisine and more. 

On a typical weekend you will find me… 

Rejuvenating, recharging and refreshing. Usually, I opt for a relaxing evening that usually includes reading a nice book or meeting friends over lunch or dinner.

My idea of relaxing is…

It has to be yoga! It’s a big part of my daily routine. It not only helps me manage stress effectively, but also helps me with mental clarity and calmness.

One vice I cannot do without…

Gadgets – well, it’s a necessity. As much as I hate them, I have to confess I cannot stay away from them. Since my job involves a great deal of hectic travel schedule, almost 15 days a month, my laptop and mobile phone are my most essential things.

A staycation/adventure I love…  

It has to be the beautiful and vibrant Mediterranean Coast. The sweeping beaches, pearl blue skies and melting pot of different cultures always attract me. However, there is no place like home.

I confess, I am a…  

Even though I do not cook much, I am a huge foodie and I devour Italian cuisine. Its perfect balance of simple, subtle yet distinctive flavours really stands out.

I spend me-time on…

Listening to classical greats, pop maestros as well as billboard hits ruling the day. Having said that, retro hits are always my first choice. The beautiful ‘Moonlight Sonata’ of Beethoven, ‘Staying Alive’ by Bee Gees, or ‘We Will Rock You’ by Queens, each of these golden hits strike a chord with me.

The last show I binge watched… 

I prefer to read a book over binge watching shows

A skill/hobby I want to learn this year…

I love to ski and I would love to develop my skiing skills. The fresh blast of air as you speed down a stunning snow-covered mountain is one of the most exhilarating experiences.

My next vacation/adventure will be…

It will definitely be the adventurous Himalayan drive. I am fond of trekking, so the Himalayan range is the ideal place for me.

For Kishan Kumar, Vice President at Wavemaker weekends are devoted to his family. He confessed that he is an emotional praani and cries watching films. He says he can be easily influenced.  

On a typical weekend you will find me...

Busily domesticated. Weekends are mostly devoted to family. Starts with taking my daughter to her ballet class, followed by our (open) secret junk-food cheat-athon. A Malayalam movie here, a Netflix series there. I love doing grocery shopping. I end up cooking at least once during the weekends. Occasional board game nights with my cousin who stays in the same apartment. Sunday morning is tennis ball cricket after a 40km drive to Sarjapur. Catching up with extended family over a call. A book here, few songs there. 

My idea of relaxing is…

Indulging in anything that switches me off from work. Could be a great meal. Improve story-sessions with my daughters. A funny forward. Cricket. Discussing films with my friends. Or just lazing around. 

One vice I cannot do without...

Eating good food. Tasty food is one of my biggest weakness. 

I love a Staycation/adventure…

All the more if it involves Kerala. No better staycation than my hometown Piravam in Kerala. I’ve started respecting vacations after my stint in Vietnam where I got to travel a lot. Now I make it a point to do at least one proper annual vacation with my family. 

I confess… 

I am an emotional praani. My brain reports to my heart. I cry watching films, I can be easily influenced. I’m a strong believer in second chances and giving the benefit of doubt. I believe in the goodness in every person.  

I spend me-time on… 

On what makes me happy at that moment. It is very contextual. If I watched a great movie, I tend to spend time watching or reading about the making of the film, interviews with cast/crew etc. Likewise, if its music or food or sport or a story. Off late, I’ve also realised that this me-time has become a premium inventory!  

The last show I binge watched…

Mirzapur, I think. These days, with two hyperactive kids, I have to be satisfied with max an hour or so of indulging in content. 

I can make a mean ... to save my life...

Kerala Sadhya. My Sambhar is awesome, Rasam a blockbuster, Ullitheeyal six-sigma. I make yummy pickles and fundoo chutneys.

A skill/hobby I want to learn this year…

To play the violin and learn classical music. I always regretted not learning a musical instrument when I was young. I also want to make a short film sometime soon, a story-idea I’ve been carrying since 2016. And I’ve been threatening myself (and a few friends) to get back to theatre. Just realised, so many things to do. 

My next vacation/adventure will be… 

To London this June. With a hope that somehow, I’ll manage to get tickets to watch India play Pakistan. Or Australia. Or South Africa. Atleast New Zealand. If any of you reading this can help me, I’ll be really grateful.  

It is probably not surprising that Anurag Gupta, CEO, SVG Media, is a workaholic. But what sets Gupta apart from many other workaholics is that he utilises this downtime to pursue a variety of hobbies such as squash, photography, and is an amateur mixologist. Well, now all we want when we meet Gupta next is the recipe for his latest cocktail!

Read on to find out more about Gupta and his weekend life:

On a typical weekend you will find me...

At home with my family, or playing squash or indulging in photography

My idea of relaxing is...

Spending time with friends, reading a book

One vice I cannot do without...

Coffee

I love a staycation/adventure...

Any place that offers photography opportunities -- wildlife, landscapes, street

I confess, I am a...

Workaholic

I spend me-time on...

Photography and squash

The last show I binge watched...

I don't binge watch shows!

I can make a mean ... to save my life...

I can't cook to save my life, but I can mix some interesting cocktails

A skill/hobby I want to learn this year...

Fashion photography

My next vacation/adventure will be ...

Chasing the Northern Lights in Iceland

On weekends, Ashish Mishra, MD, Interbrand India loves to be in his own little world. He is fond of gardening, which he wants to learn this year. Mishra admires, ‘to grow a real jungle someday, on his own’.  For him cooking for himself is truly an immersive and satisfying experience. He also confessed to be a poet.

Read on to find out Mishra’s vices, what he does in his free time, and vacation plan for this year.

On a typical weekend, you will find me…
To do nothing. Being so geared through the week makes it tough to slow down and cool off. Often the thought of an impending travel or a key task sneaks in to quarrel with your thoughtlessness. And you have to invoke the goddess of idleness to dispel the distraction.

My idea of relaxing is…
Tending to my little jungle. What I figured was that if you pack many times the capacity of the space available in your homes with plants, it begins to resemble a jungle. It creates islands of wilderness within curated urban cocoons. Provides balance and a primal kind of peace.

The one vice I cannot do without... 
Ardbeg. My favourite single malt. It’s such a favourite that to overcome the fear of running out of it, I have many bottles of it at any point of time in my private consumption bar.

I confess… 
I am essentially a poet. I find it cathartic to privately write about the emotions that are intense enough not to ignore, and personal enough not to share. I have channelled many of these emotions into my work.

I spend me-time on unwinding my soul…
By detaching from the defined benchmarks of progress. I always try to search for meaning in what I do, so I can make a positive difference through the everyday work.

The last show I binge watched…
Narcos

I can make a mean…
Vegetable curry to save my life. Cooking for self is a truly immersive and satisfying experience. Some of the best evenings during the early working years were spent with friends cooking while, drinking and losing track, were the primary activity. 

A skill/hobby I want to learn… 
This year is gardening. To grow a real jungle someday on my own.

My next vacation/adventure will… 
Hopefully be a trek in Himalayas. Travelling through the wild in the day. Cooking for myself in the night.

Sanchayeeta Verma, Senior VP at Wavemaker, is a practitioner of Soka Gakkai Buddhism who looks forward to a vacation with loads of leisure time or curling up in the bed with a novel. 

Read on to find out how Verma spends her me-time and the hobby she wants to go back to this year: 

On a typical weekend you will find me... 
With family, completing pending chores at home, spending quality time on my Soka Gakkai Buddhism practice, binge watching TV shows or finishing a book I am hooked onto at the moment. Catching up on the week’s quota of sleep and lazing around.

My idea of relaxing is...
Curling up in the bed with a great novel - the thicker the better. If I can get my dog beside me... even better. 

One vice I cannot do without... 
E-tail therapy - I indulge in it quite a bit. 

I love a staycation/adventure... 
I love and indulge in staycations - all the fun of a vacation without the stress of travel. But an outstation vacation with loads of leisure time to a wonderful place does win a few extra points. 

I confess, I am a...
Incorrigible optimist, even though you will catch me letting out my existential angst from time to time. 

I spend me-time on...
Reading books, binge watching Netflix & Amazon Prime, and the occasional spa visit.

The last show I binge watched...
Star Trek - Discovery

I can make a mean... to save my life...
Apple crumble pie and spatchcock chicken - two new dishes I recently learnt for my daughter, courtesy YouTube and my food connoisseur husband. I am a lousy cook otherwise. 

A skill or hobby I want to learn this year...
I used to paint when I was a teenager. Never got to take it up again. The paints (watercolours), papers and brushes have been acquired...will be putting brush to paper hopefully soon. 

My next vacation/adventure will be...
Many places left from my bucket list. We are considering an off-the-beaten track tour of Europe this summer... itinerary is still being drawn up.  

Despite his otherwise chock-a-block schedule, Shyam Motwani, Executive Vice President and Business Head, Godrej Locking Solutions and Systems, ensures that he soaks himself in family time during the weekends, along with some cooking and yoga. 

Motwani also loves discovering peace and serenity amidst the mountains at a wellness retreat. Read on to find out Motwani’s vices, a skill that he wishes to master and his next vacation plans. 

On a typical weekend you will find me…
 At home, reading and spending time with my wife and children. 

My idea of relaxing is... 
Brisk walk and yoga sessions.

One vice I cannot do without... 
My one-meal-a-day schedule. I like to have some sweets, although I consume very less but I still do. 

I love a staycation/adventure at... 
A wellness retreat located in the mountains or around beaches.

I confess I am a... 
Foodie yet health conscious.

I spend me-time on... 
Listening to old Hindi songs.  

The last show I binge watched... 
‘Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai’, ‘Sacred Games’ and ‘Two and a Half Men’. I love comedy and realistic stories. They help in relaxing after a long day at work.

I can make a mean cook… 
Because of my love for food and my interest in experimenting with different food ingredients.

A skill/hobby I want to learn this year... 
I’d like to try my hands at calligraphy.

My next vacation/adventure will be...
Snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia and kayaking in Milford Sound, New Zealand.

For Aarti Bharadwaj, Vice President, Client Analytics - APAC, Essence, weekends are all about staying at home and relaxing with the kids. As weekdays involve a hectic work schedule and travelling, she eagerly awaits for the weekends. She mostly prefers to be at home on weekends, with no flights or travel being involved. She confesses to be an introvert and loves cooking south Indian dishes in the Tamilian style. Read on to know more about her idea of relaxation and weekend indulgences:

On a typical weekend you will find me...
Running errands, sacking out in front of the TV and spending time with my kids.

My idea of relaxing is…
Just being at home and do nothing.

One vice I cannot do without...  
Hot beverages... it could be tea or coffee or even hot water, but it has to be piping hot.

I love a Staycation/adventure...
Staycation.... at home with no flights or travel involved. No screens preferred.

I confess, I am...
An introvert. I try to avoid partying and feel uncomfortable at large social gatherings. 

I spend me-time on…
Making new things. It could be cooking or needle-work. 

The last show I binge watched...
Brooklyn Nine-Nine; my daughter is a fan and I love bonding with her over the show.

I can make a mean... 
South Indian meal like Masala Dosa with Sambar and Chutney, all in Tamilian style.

A skill/hobby I want to learn this year...
I quit practicing dance and yoga due to all the recent work related travel. I really hope to get back to it in 2019.

My next vacation/adventure will be...
In summer 2019, to celebrate my son’s completion of high school. 

Ankit Mehrotra, Co-founder & CEO of Dineout, looks forward to weekends as he enjoys using his free time to cook a meal for his family & friends and play poker with them. Spending time with loved ones is the perfect stress buster for him. Mehrotra is also a travel junkie. He visited six countries last year. This year too, he plans to explore new places across the world.

Read on to know more about his idea of a perfect weekend and how he spends his free time.

On a typical weekend you will find me...

Playing poker with friends or cooking a meal at home for family & friends.

My idea of relaxing…

Cooking a gourmet meal at home and enjoying it with a nice single malt whisky.

One vice I cannot do without…

Playing poker. I love a good game with friends.

I love a staycation/adventure…

To any place I haven’t been to. I visited six countries in 2018 and loved each one of them.

I confess I am a… 

Hardcore foodie!

I spend me-time on …

Reading books and watching movies. I also watch a lot of sports.

The last show I binge watched was…

Startup on Prime Videos. It is about crypto currencies and I finished two seasons in literally three days.

I can make a mean…

Biryani to save my life. I got into cooking early on while I was studying in London. I can actually cook dishes from seven different cuisines.

A skill/ hobby I want to learn this year…

Quite a few. A new language is probably on top of the list.

My next vacation/ adventure will be…

Sky diving. I am planning to do a dive this summer.

For Ashish Sahni, Director-Digital Marketing at Peugeot Motors Pvt Ltd, weekends are all about doing things differently and adding a twist to the daily routine. And so, sports, adventure activities and trip to new eateries are a must on his to-do list for weekends.

When it comes to ‘me-time’, Sahni does not believe in waiting for the weekend. He makes sure he wakes up early in the morning to spare some time just for himself every day. Sahni admits to being a fitness freak and says he never misses his workout sessions come what may.

Read on to find out more about Sahni and his idea of relaxation…

On a typical weekend you will find me…

Having great pleasures with my family. We try to do new and different things on weekends. I hate living in a routine and weekends are all about changing our way of living. We play sports and explore new eating places. Since I stay near a beach, we go there in the morning for running. My children are fond of this way of living; the younger one, who is eight years old, often asks me, “when are we moving, I 'm fed up with this house...."  This is the danger of being too mobile!

My idea of relaxing is…

Relax. Refresh. Revive. I do it by watching National Geographic Channel.

One vice I cannot do without…

Chocolate flavour ice-creams and beer.

I love a staycation/adventure…

Adventure. scuba diving, sea walking, balloon ride, dune bashing.

I confess, I am a…

Fitness freak. Come what may, I don’t miss my workouts.

I spend me time on…

I spare time for myself by waking up early at 5am. I go for either running at the beach or gym workouts. 

The last show I binge watched…

Mirzapur. But I don't binge so often.

One day I wish to become…

An animal rights activist and stop animal cruelty worldwide.

A skill/ hobby I want to pursue this year…

Learn French and guitar.

My next vacation/adventure will be

Sydney. That’s where my best friend stays.