Top Drawer/Atul Churamani

His claim to fame lies in making others famous. As the artist and relations manager of Virgin Records, Atul Churamani's job entails signi...

His claim to fame lies in making others famous. As the artist and relations manager of Virgin Records, Atul Churamani8217;s job entails signing on new artists, developing new albums with them and carrying the albums forward in terms of marketing. A veteran in his field, Churamani formerly with Magnasound is the man behind the colossal success stories of indipop stars such as Alisha, Daler Mehndi, Colonial Cousins and Shubha Mudgal.

Given his work profile, it comes as no surprise when Churamani tells you that his professional life revolves around ideas 8212; about future albums, new musical styles, new videos and marketing. And yet, in spite of the ideas rushing around in his head, Churamani has a desk remarkably clear of clutter. Even his top drawer where you find the odd demo tape and piece of stationery, has hardly any paper. Does he have an photographic memory? Or simply a fetish for neatness? Neither. quot;My work entails a lot of coordination activity with artists, music producers, artists, lyricists,composers, photographers, video directors. So I am almost always traveling and hardly spend anytime on my desk.quot;

But where does he put down all those creative ideas that catapult fledgling artists to stardom? quot;I cannot function without my business navigator, an all-in-one digital diary with a scheduler, a memo section, a spreadsheet for working out costings and a note pad where I tuck away ideas for covers, shoots, music videos etc. If you were to take a peak into it, it8217;s the memo section and the scheduler that you8217;ll find really full. And of course, the to do8217; section, which rarely gets ticked off!quot;

Among other indispensable professional accessories are Churamani8217;s soft leather briefcase, crammed with music cassettes, and his cell phone equipped with a car charger. And even though Churamani does not spend much time in his 1,700 sqft office, in Lower Parel, he has very definite ideas on what it takes to make the perfect office. quot;A music office has some specific requirements, namely excellent soundequipment and a secure place for storing masters, where music is created. A cabinet for storing music paraphernalia such as video and beta tapes is also a must. But more than anything else the office must be casual and reflect the company8217;s image.quot;

8212; SONA BAHADUR