‘Tongue-in-cheek, account’
Debut author Omkar Sane thrashes the world of advertising in his first stint with the writing world

By Shubhdarshani Mitra
New Delhi, July 25: Twenty-four-year-old Omkar Sane’s first book Welcome to advertising! Now get lost is a take on the advertising world. Sane, who grew up in Bombay, spent his teens in Mumbai and graduated as a commercial artist with a specialisation in photography from Sir JJ Institute of Applied Art. A cartoonist, broker, designer, visualiser, copywriter, writer and producer of radio promos, writer and producer of television promos and now a published author, he hopes to make a career out of travelling, reading and eating someday. The young author spoke to Educare about his writing experience. Excerpts from the interview:

Welcome to advertising! Now get lost — the title of the book suggests that it thrashes the advertising industry. Any particular reason for targetting this industry?
I think it’d be wrong to call it targetting. It’s a tongue-in-cheek, honest account of the industry and shows it for what it really is. It just aims to make everyone — insiders and outsiders — laugh at the kind of lives the ad fraternity live, that’s all. And as far as the reason behind choosing this industry is concerned it’s like Edmund Hillary said when asked about why he climbed Mount Everest: ‘Because it was there.’

You were a part of the industry for some time. Does the book talk about your personal experiences or they are inputs from the industry people as well?
There are personal observations and things that get discussed on Friday evenings in bars my mom shouldn’t know I frequent. Life in advertising as a whole is the biggest and only input.

You have worked with Prahlad Kakkar and written some ad films for him. How was it working with him?
It has been wonderful working with him. The wine in his office is to die for.

Could you elaborate on the book in terms of the content, how long it took you to publish it and what were the glitches, if there were any?
As a back-cover comment reads in the book — it is an insider-outsider view of the industry. Inside enough to know what is happening. Outside enough to see the funny side of it. It is a commentary about the nature of the business, the process, the people involved in the process including the paan beedi walas. It took longer than I expected to get published (which most say is ironic considering I am 24). No road to a place worth going, is without problems and glitches. So, yes, there were certain problems. But none that were serious. I absolutely love my editor and my publishers at Westland/Tranquebar. They always treat me to lunch whenever I am in Delhi.

You have testimonials from various ad gurus for your book. Have you been associated with them?
I am now. But I wasn’t before I wrote the book. In the spirit of shamelessness, I cold-called most of them and they were kind enough to read it and write such good things about it. And not to mention, pay for whatever was on the table.

Why should one join or not join the advertising industry according to you?
Join it for the free beer and the free internet. For reasons to not join advertising, join it.

Where did the inspiration come from and which ad agency have you been associated with?
I’ve worked at Ambience as a summer trainee. After graduation I worked at Contract, Mumbai. I’ve freelanced with many. I worked in advertising long enough to know I had to quit it.

What is the kind of response the book has got? Any particular target group you had in mind when you were writing the book?
I’ve been flooded with mails, I have many more people I don’t know as friends on my Facebook. Almost everyone I know or don’t know has made me buy them at least one drink. So, yes, the response has been great. In terms of sales, I think it’s too early to comment on that. My primary audience is of course the ad fraternity and every student who wants to be a part of the industry - BMM, BMS, MBAs etc. Apart from that, anyone who likes a laugh, everyone who doesn’t borrow books (so that’s around 144 people in India).

How easy or difficult is it to get your book published? How tedious is the process?
Nothing worth doing is easy which is why everyone graduates. I’ve been lucky in finding a publisher — not for how nice they are to me, but the ease of getting one. It happened casually. I doubt the rest are this lucky.

On an MTV show you said that you are going to enter one particular industry and write about it and then leave it. After this, what next? Are you going to write more books?
Yes, I hope to write more books if my publisher doesn’t get tired of me. I plan to enter an industry, come out and write about it; be virtually unemployable by 30, and then marry rich. Next up is a book on television. Post that, I don’t know. It’s too early to say. I don’t even know what I’m doing in the evening.

What would be those five particular essential traits you require to write successfully?
1. Rum.
2. A pen and paper (because, mankind, for all its genius, still hasn’t come up with a quicker way of transferring thoughts from the brain).
3. A comfortable commode.
4. A strong critic who pays for the drinks.
5. The right kind of mood (read - last minute panic).
This was about writing. Now, for the ‘successfully’ part: I don’t know.