Time Out

The Adventure Freak

If you thought that the dynamic President of Fortis Healthcare—Daljit Singh (54) does not get time to indulge in personal pursuits, you are mistaken. Working 12 hours a day, he finds time to play the mouth organ and indulge in adventure sports. "I have an array of seven mouth organs and carry one with me all the time. I love playing old Bollywood numbers for my family and friends," he gushes. He also loves to spend quiet weekends with his family, comprising his father, wife Monica (a textile designer cum interior decorator), 23-year-old son Karan (a professional with The PaintBall Company), 26-year-old daughter Sumakshi (an artist living in Chicago) and pet dog, his Dachshund Gugi. As a lover of adventure sports, he enjoys river rafting and trekking in the mountains. He has trekked to Mt Kailash, Manasarovar Lake and the base camp of Mount Everest in Tibet. If there is one sport that he considers a metaphor for his life, it is mountain climbing. "Life is like climbing a mountain; you barely finish climbing one peak and you see another one looming in front of you," he philosophises.

A fitness freak, he goes for a brisk morning walk and jog, does weight training at his home gym and finishes with Pranayam (the Sudarshan Kriya) whilst enjoying the spectacle of numerous birds and squirrels feeding on 'bajra' and bathing in the bird bath on his terrace garden! Once a week, he plays volleyball with a group of his close friends. A former junior national and inter university champion in shot put and discus throws, he still participates in these events in the annual Masters Athletic Meets. "Sports is about planning, strategising, preparation, performance and team spirit. Losing is not important, what matters is that you play the game in the right spirit. In life too, as in sports, one must learn to take success and failure in one's stride," he asserts. True to his passion for adventure, he holidays in places rich in nature and prefers campsites to fancy hotel rooms.

His love for adventure extends to books as well. Amongst his favourites are Major HPS Ahluwalia's 'Higher than Everest', Jon Krackauer's 'Into Thin Air', and Mark Shand's 'The River God'. When Fortis Healthcare is consolidating its position in healthcare, it would not be an exaggeration to say that for its President, his own health is as important as the company's healthy bottom line.

When was the last time you…

Saw a daily soap

BR Chopra's 'Mahabharata', which was a long long time ago! I occasionally watch the news, sports and Discovery Channel. I love seeing features on wild life and nature.

Received a compliment

Just a month back. I helped a lady from Arunachal who brought her relative to Delhi for treatment of cancer. Though she is not known to me, I did my best to help her by arranging appointments with doctors and providing information about disease management. In spite of the patient not being able to survive, the lady specially called up to express her heart-felt gratitude.

Went to see a doctor

That was last August, when I went for a health check-up in Fortis Hospital.

Got bored

I never get bored. Life is so interesting that there is never a dull moment!

Watched a movie in a hall

I saw 'The Lord of the Rings' four years ago with my son! I don't see movies—real life is so much more engaging!

Went on a holiday with your family

Last January, when my daughter had come down from USA, we went to Shimla. I drove down 400 kilometers for about nine hours to be there.

Laughed uproariously

I laugh all the time. Even in formal meetings, I crack jokes to lighten the mood. Believe it or not, I play pranks on people quite often.

Were moved to tears

When my neighbourhood dog was mauled by another dog. I get very upset when I see animals in pain or when someone is cruel to them. I feel especially sad when I notice animals run over by speeding vehicles on highways.

Lost something valuable

During my recent trip to Mumbai, I lost cufflinks presented by my wife. I had kept it in my pocket and did not realise how one got missing!

Cooked

I am an accomplished barbeque cook, having learnt from the masterchef of Bukhara. I also love mixing cocktails.

Blasted somebody

I was driving home past midnight last week with my wife, when suddenly I saw a Maruti 800 jump the red light. I caught up with the errant driver and reprimanded him. I was really mad because he could have killed someone in the process.

Rita Dutta