BookMyShow Founder Recalls Company's Start with 'Smoking and Drinking' Ashish Hemrajani, the founder and CEO of BookMyShow, shared a nostalgic story during a recent podcast about the origins of his company. He described the launch of BookMyShow in 1999 as being tied to "smoking and drinking," a phrase that sparked curiosity among listeners. The anecdote, recounted during an appearance on The Rockford Circle podcast hosted by Chitrangda Singh, revealed a unique blend of chance encounters and personal experiences that led to the creation of India's largest ticketing platform. Hemrajani's journey began in the late 1990s when he and two friends embarked on a backpacking trip to South Africa. At the time, he was working in advertising but felt trapped by the smoking culture prevalent in his office environment. The trip was intended as an escape from this routine, offering a chance to break free from the constraints of his job. The group traveled on a budget of ₹65,000, including ₹20,000 for airfare, and visited destinations such as Johannesburg, Cape Town, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Despite facing challenges like car accidents and financial difficulties, the adventure became a turning point in Hemrajani's life. During the trip, Hemrajani heard a radio commercial promoting the sale of rugby tickets online while they were resting under a tree in Storms River Valley. This moment, he recalled, was pivotal. The commercial's message about online ticketing resonated with him, and he later connected this experience to the company's name, Big Tree Entertainment Private Limited. The name, he explained, was inspired by the tree under which he heard the commercial, likening it to a moment of enlightenment. The "drinking" part of the story unfolded when the group arrived in Cape Town.#bookmyshow #chitrangda_singh #ashish_hemrajani #the_rockford_circle #big_tree_entertainment_private_limited
