There’s nothing wrong with failing, says Prahlad Kakkar

kolkata: Ad guru Prahlad Kakkar urged parents to let their wards dream and take risks, only then he said, students will be able to achieve their highest goals. Speaking at the much-acclaimed International Evening of the iconic Calcutta Club on Friday, the adman said: “We raise our children and frighten them to get safe jobs. The education system doesn’t allow them to understand how to fail with grace. There’s nothing wrong with failing.”

The International Evening at the Calcutta Club is one of the most sought-after events in the city. From cultural programmes and world cuisine to décor, the International Evening committee members left no stone unturned to make it a grand success. This year, International Evening in association with Techno India Group focuses on education.

At the inauguration of the Education Conclave at the International Evening, Padma Bhushan awardee Indian physicist Bikash Sinha, ad guru Prahlad Kakkar were the chief guests. Also present on the occasion were mentor Kalyan Roy Choudhury, president Pramit Kumar Ray, committee member Dr Ramaditya Ray and convener of International Evening Biswanath Bhattacharya. Though Satyam Roychowdhury, chairman, International Evening Committee, Calcutta Club couldn’t be present at the event, Techno India Group CEO Sanku Bose handed over a cheque of Rs 10 lakh on behalf of Roychowdhury to the prestigious club. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose also couldn’t attend the event on Friday.

Talking about the paradigm shift in education across disciplines, Kakkar said: “If you avoid failure, can you ever succeed? Look at all the great entrepreneurs. They haven’t succeeded till they failed multiple times,” he said. Kakkar, who established Genesis Film Production in 1977, also informed how his firm churned out nearly 300 entrepreneurs.

“It is true that normally when we talk about a club, we think of a place to eat, drink, and make friends. But how can we make friends if we don’t socialise? The tool of socialisation is to have programmes where we can exchange ideas and that is what Calcutta Club does,” said president Pramit Kumar Ray.