Books: 'Not the end of the road...'

Writing an autobiography is an act of fine balance, especially so when it is undertaken at a time in life that is ripe with the promise of more achievements to come.

Last updated: January 30, 2004 | 00:00

By Suchitra Bajpai Chaudhary

1 MIN READ

At 60, Ram Buxani, the well-known Indian businessman in Dubai, has almost run the gamut of life's experiences. A fact which reveals itself in varied ways in his autobiography, Taking the High Road. The book is a little about this and a whole lot about how success cannot be measured in material terms, he tells Suchitra Bajpai Chaudhary

An autobiography is an "emotional stocktaking". Has this helped you gain a clear perspective of your life thus far?

How has your autobiography altered or affected the perspective and opinion of those around you?

What has been the book's impact on the business community of Dubai?

People often write their autobiography in the twilight of their lives. You chose to write one in your prime.

You begin your book with a very personal account of landing at the Creek and the people you remember from the past - like the Hamaal Durugi and a policeman, Gul Sayeed - and then, somewhere along the way, you become impersonal and begin tracing the cultural roots of the Sindhis, the Arabs and of this country. It's only in the last two chapters that you return to your personal life. Was this a deliberate technique?

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