From accounting to advertising, FCB's accidental creative found her true calling | Analysis | Campaign Asia

Name: Moumita Pal

Origin: India

Places where you’ve lived and worked:  Various cities in India, namely, Kolkata, Jabalpur, Srinagar, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi.

Pronouns:  She/her

CV: 

Well, that happened accidentally. I was a promising young woman in the account management department making sure my creative team loves me just as much as the other departments did. Also, I thought that writing lines for a campaign while jamming with the creative team or making AVs for the pitch next morning were completely normal things for an accounts person to do. Little did I know that I was headed towards a life-changing decision. One of the creative directors noticed and as luck would have it, convinced everyone to move me to the creative department. The moment I took the plunge, I knew I was home.

3. What’s your favourite piece of work created by someone else?

4. Who’s on your dream dinner guest list (alive or dead)?

It will be a Christmas dinner with author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Ryan Gosling, Graham Norton, Shahrukh Khan, Eddie Vedder and John Mayer sitting by the fireplace, making conversation and sipping on mulled wine.

5. What career did you think you’d have when you were a kid? 

An actor and a singer at the same time. Sounds like an easy enough thing to do in 2023 but it seemed like an impossible dream that I was definitely going to fulfil. Occasionally, I would also dream of becoming a doctor and an architect (can blame The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand for this one.)

6. Do you work best under pressure, or when things are calm?

I am the best under pressure. For example, I filled this interview form, absolutely last minute.

7. Tell us about the worst job you ever had.

I worked in an insurance firm. There were three employees including me and the owner of the place. I had to make phone calls to book insurance counselling appointments. I worked there only for a day because within three hours after I started in the morning, I realised that there was something fishy about the place. It’s been over 14 years and I still don’t know what exactly was wrong with that place. This interview has reminded me of it and now I am going to spend many sleepless nights wondering what it was, again.

8. What advice would you give to 10-year-old you, if you could?

Be a kid for as long as you can. Growing up is overrated. Love your mum, fight with your siblings, pause, and notice innocence whenever you can. You will be free and live for yourself one day but do try to live for someone else, occasionally.

9. Do you have any secret or odd talents?

I can touch my nose with my tongue.

10. Tell us about your tattoo(s).

I am really inspired by Greek mythology and therefore both my tattoos (two big ones on my two calves) are symbolic of that. One is about abundance, resurrection and freedom. The other is about motherhood and never fading away as an individual.

11. Who is your ‘hall pass’ celebrity?

My forever ‘hall pass’ celebrity is Ryan Gosling. Those baby blue eyes, that devious smile, that effortless charm, who can honestly blame me?