Taking the Center Stage: Pankaj Vermani on Striking a Balance Between Being Creative and Running a Business The founder and CEO of Clovia has been following his theatrical passion with his IIT folks for the past 17 years as the group DramaTech.

In a world where toxic hustle culture is glorified, Pankaj Vermani, founder and CEO, Clovia thinks otherwise. The man knows the importance of striking a fine balance between being creative and running a business, something which he has been doing for a good 25 years.

What inspired you to get into the theatre?

Theatre for me is a form of self-expression like no other. It keeps me creatively active and energetic through the difficult maneuvering of life. I started doing theatre during my IIT Delhi days where I was acting, and directing plays in both English and Hindi. Post-college, I restarted after a gap between my start-ups and family commitments. I've been doing it on and off, one time doing as many as 14 shows across 9 months of practice and performance.

Do you have a team or a group you perform with?

I perform with a group called DramaTech. As the name suggests, the group was formed by folks from IIT Delhi who've been achievers professionally in their work life, while following their passion for Theatre. The group now has a lot of enthusiasts from multiple colleges & walks of life. I've been associated with the group for almost 17 years now and it has helped me tremendously to keep the creative aspect stay alive in my life.

What kind of roles do you typically enjoy playing, and why?

I made a conscious choice to focus on comedies. Also, most of the plays I work on are very high on energy/situations. As you do theatre, there is always an attachment/association to the story/character that starts to happen. Intense plays lead you to a darker place as you get more & more in character. As an entrepreneur, you have enough dark moments with all the pressures, so adding one more to it is not the best plan.

How do you prepare for a performance, both mentally and physically? Do you have any pre-show rituals or routines?

The preparation for any new play is excruciating. We all figure out common times post work hours (sometimes running into late nights) and weekends to ensure work hours are given their due. In theatre, every show is a new day. You can make new mistakes, or discover new aspects of the character even you didn't know about. Before every show, I go for a run to ensure energy levels are high and then I meditate for as long as time allows for my mind to be focused. That usually does the trick.

Can you share a memorable moment or experience you've had during a theater production, either on stage or off stage?

I think one of the most memorable things I had in my theatre life was not a very good one. Right before a packed show, I got to know that I had lost my close aunt. I vividly remember losing all the mental balance I had. The character I was playing was central and supposed to be very funny. I was in such a state of shock that right before I went to the stage, I asked a co-actor to punch me. The pain from that punch helped me unfreeze, somehow got me up on my feet, and get to the stage quickly and do my part.

Are there any similarities between being an entrepreneur and a stage performer?

Theatre needs you to be fearless or courageous to go up on stage and manage your mind whatever your personal situation might be. Every show brings new challenges, new audiences, and new crises that are not of your making - co-actors (or even you) forgetting their lines, lights/ sound missing their cue, stage props misplaced. You think on your feet, improvise and enjoy the process. That's exactly how entrepreneurship works!