When you start listening to his life story — of how he rose from being an educational consultant to a super-successful businessman, advocate, actor and a philanthropist — you realise that it has all the attributes of a successful biopic! From restaurants to salons, educational institutions and gyms, Chennai-based Sam Paul has struck gold with almost every venture he has started.
“I just want to foray into every field that is out there,” Sam smiles, as he starts the conversation. He quickly adds, “But don’t look out for a ‘rags to riches’ story from me — I don’t have one and I would be lying if I said so! My dad laid the base and I am happy that I have been able to build on it and expand it.”
He says that it was very challenging for an entrepreneur to start a venture back then, compared to today’s scenario. “The advantage right now is, you get a lot of funding. If you have a fantastic idea, there are many people who can fund you — like venture capitalists — and you can even create campaigns in crowdfunding platforms. But back then, all these were non-existent; we had only dead funding to resort to.”
But life hasn’t always been a bed of roses for him. He has experienced extremely tumultuous times, and at one point, he had to start from scratch, all over again. “A few years ago, I had a very tough period, and felt that my life was falling apart. But I soon realised that if such situations can bring the best out of me, then I can face anything — that’s what I did and I succeeded,” he asserts.
He also believes that ego is a trait that he would never let affect his progress. “I studied law when I was 33, because I felt it was necessary for me to pursue it — if I had been egotistical of sitting with other young students, I would have never become an advocate,” he claims.
Sam, who also holds a Masters degree in engineering, apart from a PhD, reveals that he plans to share his life story with the masses in the form of a movie. “I like to inspire people — it is something that gives me the utmost satisfaction. That’s the reason why I enjoy giving speeches in colleges. So, I thought of telling my story through celluloid — the scripting process has begun already,” he muses. Apart from this, Sam, who was recently seen in Tamil film Vanamagan, has several other projects in his kitty, including one with Prabhudeva.
On a concluding note, we ask Sam if he has any political aspirations. “Deep inside, I feel that it’s my calling. But I won’t say I would enter right now — I have to improve a lot as a person and I also need to develop more patience. Who knows what’s in store for the future?” he remarks and signs off.
