In Conversation with Mr Vivek Narayan Sharma, Advocate on Record, Supreme Court of India

Mr Sharma, would you please tell our readers what motivated you to study law? What were the initial formative years of your exceptional professional career like?

My youth nurtured the dream to serve my country as a fighter pilot. It was just the play of destiny that I was rejected in the Pilot Aptitude Battery Test (PABT) conducted by the Indian Air Force. Being advocate was Plan B for me. I joined Law education and during my college days, I pursued my hobby of being a ‘Fashion Model’ in the world of glamour. 

As a law student, I discovered that the legal field not only provides me the needed cerebral stimulation but also reverberates with my passion to contribute to the welfare of the country. 

As a student, I wanted to play safe and interned for being a taxation advocate. But my grasp and interest changed quicker than I expected. The initial years of law practise were tough yet interesting. I came to Delhi with zero prior contacts in the legal field but I never compared myself with my well-settled fresh advocate peers. I just believed in myself and focused on my struggle to make my mark as an advocate. 

As I had no referrals, I used to sit in courts during hearings to check who would be my best mentor or senior. I chalked out few names and approached them and to my fortune, I received my initial guidance and mentorship from late Mr. Arun Jaitley and Mr. Gopal Subramanium, who would guide my path in those formative years, as and when I needed. I was fortunate to work with Late Mr. Dipankar P. Gupta, formerly Solicitor General of India. He had a humble and yet strong demeanour and was an ardent follower of Swami Vivekanand, as I am. So, the connect was easy, highly productive and I am what I am today owing to those formative days and my continued endeavour to do my best. There were other commonalities between us, as would late Mr. Siddhartha Shankar Ray, formerly Chief Minister of West Bengal, often say that we both were tall and handsome, just like Mr. Ray himself (…laughingly).

My energy allowed me to explore deeply vast variety of laws such as constitutional, criminal, civil and personal laws and special laws like economic offences, electricity, consumer, competition, environment etc. Arbitration and Mediation attracted me a lot then and now as I found potential in these to mitigate the hardships of clients. 

You were the recipient of the Star Advocate Award at the BW Legal World Legal Summit. What has helped you achieve and sustain success over a long period of time?

It was really an honour to receive such a prestigious award. I deeply thank the BW Legal World Legal Summit to recognise my contribution to society as a legal professional. 

First of all, my ambitions are always aligned to social welfare, the more I grow, the more I contribute. Apart from that, when I look back and think, my attitude of not being bothered about nepotism and never comparing myself with my well-provided peers has always given me the strength to sustain with my organic growth in the legal field. I believe, when you struggle to survive, either your inner powers drowse or they became volcanic. This phenomenon occurs to the people who struggle and not to the safe-zoners. I utilised my first-generation struggle to keep my fires ignited. This fire gives me the edge even today because I am yet to achieve those safety walls and secure zones for myself and my family. 

The legal field requires ingenuity, strategy and sophisticated aggressiveness which I get to utilise at my best, hence this field resonates with my being very much.  I think I am a natural candidate for the contemporary legal profession. 

Your legal career has been nothing short of an inspiration for many aspiring and young legal professionals. Who are the mentors you have looked up to and admired? How have they helped you in shaping your career?

As far as being the inspiration of young or aspiring lawyers goes, I would say its vice-versa. I look up to the youth as pure fresh and energy pool who can bring a lot of goodness to our society, they all inspire me a great deal, every day. Being a first-generation advocate, I definitely had to learn a lot from mentors. I still learn every day directly or indirectly from many distinguished legal personalities. 

Since I was fresh out of college, formative years’ mentoring was critical and left lasting impressions on my persona. Meticulousness has always impressed me, and I adapted it as a penchant. And there is no short cut to hard and planned work. 

In the intervening period, there had been a number of friends, seniors and judges with whom I felt comfortable to connect and I thank all of them and pray for them. During the lockdown, whenever I had something important to discuss, I would call former CJI Mr Dipak Misra to seek his able guide and advice. I like his spiritual side which inspires me a lot.  

Do you still find time to pursue your hobbies? Would you like to recommend any movies or books that have had a profound impact on you?

Once upon a time, when there was no Covid-19 - Fitness, reading and writing were my prime hobbies. As a busy professional, I couldn’t afford a fixation on clock to pursue my hobbies. My fitness routine varied as per my court schedule, there were days I needed to rush for the court early, preceded with overnight case preparation and I would reduce or skip my fitness regime in the morning. Sometimes I would sneak out during the evenings, when I felt the need to burn the calories is imminent. 

Covid times have changed the ways but not the spirits. I now train my both kids and wife. We all do yoga stretches, conditioning and martial-art at home. Now my hobbies are reading books to both my kids and having discussions thereon. Meditation, Ohm-recitation and concentration with my kids are regular, as they used to be during my college days. We are burning calories of body and brain to renew ourselves.

Pre-Covid, I regularly wrote legal articles, I write for Times of India, Bar and bench and other platforms. I also wrote a Book ‘Electionomics’ published in 2019 by Thomson Reuters. These days, I am not really intending to write so I don’t.       

The books impacted my life are many and yet few names are Srimad Bhagwat Gita, Yoga Vashistha, Puranas, Works of Swami Vivekanand, Atlas Shrugged and Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, Godfather by Mario Puzo, Alchemist etc. There have been other mediums too which played important parts in giving friction to my mind and I always count what I gained in the non-tangible world.

What will be your one message to aspiring and young lawyers? -  social change-makers and business leaders of tomorrow?

I think most of us believe in the importance of simultaneous ‘receiving’ from’ and ‘giving back to’ the society. The balance of giving and take keeps one tranquil and happy and I believe is the best way to conduct oneself in human life. 

Being humans, we are blessed with the capability to think and use limbs in a best possible manner unlike most living bodies on earth. What differentiates humans from animals is the consciousness ‘to help’. Humans are best built to help, with their minds, limbs and ability to articulate. So, I believe, whatever we do, there should always be an element of pro-bono. I bear it as a recurring habit. Society is best served, when more and more able minds provide pro-bono services in different fields, be it law, medical, education etc. The culture is fast developing in India, but a lot is required to be done yet and that’s what my message is to the youth - mere self-consumption is animalistic, one must justify being human!

Please hold tight for BW Legal World's inaugural print edition. It will feature Vivek Narayan Sharma's full interview with his insights on the future of litigation in India and the ongoing debate around media trial.