24 hours with: Anshumani Khanna

Name Anshumani Khanna
Job Associate creative director, DDB Mudra
Professional mission Make the hours count
Personal mantra Wake up with a smile. It sets the tone for the day.
 
7:00am Riding alongside Genghis, commanding a tuman of ten thousand, barking orders to bring down the gates of Samarkhand.

8:00am Ting tong.

8:45am Trying to read the paper, decide the dinner menu, eat breakfast and get the house cleaned.
9:30am Realise that FM is actually a God send, it always manages to make me sing to work!
10:00am The ‘where are you calls’ from office. Followed by texts from the boss.
10:15am Walk into office, give servicing the ‘I just scaled the Himalayas to get here look’. Succeed.
10:30am Tea. Timsy. Briefs. Guru. Ameya. Tea.
11:00am Check mails. Update Facebook. Entertain servicing.
12:00noon Finally settle down to thinking. Write. Write some more.
1:00 pm Dal. Rice. Chicken Curry. Chawli Mushroom Masala. Tomatoes. Mirchi. Buttermilk.
2:00pm Complain that I’ve eaten too much. Start thinking again.
2:30pm The laws of digestion take over. Console myself that it’s all brain food. The thinking seems to agree.
3:00pm Make a mental note to have a chat with planning. My best friend calls instead. Play agony aunt.
3:30pm Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
4:00 pm Cracked! Think we’ve nailed it. Celebrate with tea.
6:00 pm The boss doesn’t think it hits the spot. Return with bruised ego in hand. Tea.
6:30pm Write. Rewrite. Rewrite some more.
7:00pm Sit in front of the boss. Tap shoes. Tap the pencil. Look at the roof. Think it could do with some fresh paint.
7:30pm He likes something. Pat self on the back. Celebrate with tea.
8:00pm Decide we’ll start executing first thing in the morning. Decide where to go.
8.30pm Hold servicing to ransom with a couple of artworks. Get them to push the deadlines.
9:00 pm Check mails. Update Facebook. Vow to catch up with old friends.
9:30pm Get home. Swim. Chilled Beer.
10:30pm Egg Curry. Rice. Gawar. Tomatoes. Mirchi. Mysore Pak.
11:00pm Surf. Surf some more. Chat on the phone. Smile. Chat some more.
12:00am Genghis beckons.
1:00am Sip black Airag in the perfumed gardens of Samarkhand.