Greek philosopher Socrates once said: “Let him that would move the world move himself.”
For Hemal Khatri, 39, this quote aptly sums up his life and dreams.
Originally from the Indian sub-continent, Khatri and his family migrated to Fiji when he was 16.
While he missed his homeland, he was excited about the prospect of traveling and experiencing life in a new place.
“When I boarded the plane, I was very happy because it was my first trip overseas,” he said.
At first, settling in a foreign country seemed disquieting to the young Khatri. He had to contend with unfamiliar surroundings and strange faces, new food, and a new culture.
“I remember telling my dad, ‘no, no dad, I want to go back to India because this is not my cup of tea.’”
But as time progressed, Khatri’s initial hesitation subsided and he got used to the people of the friendly North. He kindled new relationships, made close friends, and attended Holy Family Secondary School.
“I started to wear a sulu which was fun for me,” he said.
After high school, he studied business and computing at the Fiji Institute of Technology (now Fiji National University).
“I am quite business-minded and I was into computers so I completed that,” he said.
At the age of 26, Khatri toyed with the idea of being an entrepreneur before eventually opening an internet café in the middle of Labasa town.
“I was the second person to open an internet café in Labasa and it was just across from FIT, so I got a lot of business.”
With some business experience and entrepreneurial acumen, he tried his luck on a restaurant venture, and opened it just three shops away from his internet cafe.
“So, I hired some staff and slowly business picked up.
“I had a friend who helped me run the internet shop while I ran the restaurant.”
After he got married in 2014, he closed down his businesses and moved to Suva, lured by bigger dreams. He worked in a variety of fields including marketing, information technology, graphic design, and retail.
When COVID struck in 2019, Khatri borrowed a friend’s camera and from then on, his love of photography bloomed.
Eventually, Hemal Khatri took a chance and registered his own photography and cinematography business – Special Moments Photography & Cinematography and Photography Studio.
“Photography was just a hobby for me but I figured that I could do more with it.”
Far from realizing his full potential, Khatri feels there’s no limit to his business dreams, and with passion and self-belief, his destiny is certainly beyond the skies. Only time will tell where his passion will lead him next.