Here's your chance to be Peter Pan

Asif Upadhye might not live in Never Land but hopes to bring out the child within you through his venture Never Grow Up

There was a time when as kids, make-believe games provided for hours of fun and laughter; when everything was looked upon with wide-eyed wonder and fancy-free imagination.
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And as one got stuck in the rut of climbing the corporate ladder, the child within faded away. The grown-up had arrived.



If this dramatic paragraph struck a chord, you might want to consider Asif Upadhye's refreshing venture, a way of life that he calls Never Grow Up.

Though it doesn't mean you are free to throw tantrums in a supermarket aisle, once you sign up on his website, you get updates of forthcoming workshops to help you unwind and chill, and indulge that thirst to know more.
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"I'm sure there's a child inside all of us who doesn't ever want to grow up. Our workshops are aimed at helping you connect with yourself and do things you always wanted to but couldn't because of the taboos that come with being an adult," says Asif (30), a marketing professional who quit his job with an MNC to start the venture with his wife in November last year.

Though their workshop that took place last Sunday was about understandingu00a0 how money works and what it takes to build your wealth, a topic far removed from juvenile discussions, participants had to wriggle into classroom-like seats, and scribble into a brown paper-covered ruled notebook with a pencil (many asked for extra erasers, we are told). Previously, they have organised workshops on photography, recycled art, cocktail making and bartending. "Such activities help restore a work-life balance," says Asif.

The company has also tied up with fun brands like Etcetera (Mumbai), Happily Unmarried (Delhi) and Chumbak (Bangalore) to resell their kitschy-cool merchandise through their website.

For those who prefer taking the nostalgic trip via Chacha Chaudhary and other comic book characterss, Never Grow up is setting up The Looney Club, aimed at comic books and cartoon lovers to congregate, share their comics reserve and discuss the comics they grew up reading.

How weird is it for a married man to be seen gaping at Ben 10 figurettes in the kiddies' section of a store? "My wife just laughs it off," says Asif. "She says that when they have a kid, she will have to cope with two in the house!"

Thirty going on ten
Asif Upadhye's take on a few of his favourite things:
Cartoon character: Batman
Comic strip: Calvin and Hobbes
Toy store: Hamleys
Game: Bowling
Ice-cream flavour: Ferrero Rocher
What do you want to be when you grow up: Pilot
The craziest child-like thing you've ever done as an adult: I was in a meeting where I was unable to explain a point. Instinctively, I started speaking like Donald Duck. This was followed by a long silence, one of my most embarrassing moments

Log on to: https://www.willnevergrowup.com/ to register. Their next event is an Archery workshop on June 13 At Jogeshwari. Cost: Rs 1,550.
Call: 9892338317 for more details