RIP Shanu Mukherjee

The year was  1996
I was posted in South Africa as Manager Natal,Durban South Africa
I was in the zone of consideration to Commercial Manager and had flown in from Durban with my colleague the late Poornima Hemmadi from Capetown
The interview was slotted at 10 am but since we were arriving into BOM after an overnight flight at 05.30 am we had requested for our interview to be shifted to 4 pm
On my way to Nariman Point from the Juhu Centaur the driver fell off the moving Taxi near Juhu Chowpatti

YES..THE DRIVER FELL OFF THE MOVING TAXI
I was lucky to have the presence of mind to get up from the back seat, control the steering and bring the Taxi to a halt without any damage..
Needless to mention I was left shocked .Tis incident resulted in my reaching Nariman Point 15 minutes late

Shanu as Dy CD was heading the interview panel. The first question was as to why I was late and had kept the interview panel waiting beyond 4 pm.
When I narrated the incident to them they just looked at me with disbelief
The interview was over as it was a mere formality. Both the panel and me knew that I was NOT going to get it as I was too junior in the list.

Fast Forward to 2000/2001
Michael Mascarenhas  the then MD reduced the retirement age from 60 to 58.This resulted in my being posted as Commercial Manager Karnataka Bangalore(Yes I had been promoted as Commercial manager by then) as it was then known (Now Bengaluru...BLR)

One of the first assignments was to organize the Air India Dinner on the occasion of the Annual  Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) convention being held in BLR

Shanu Mukherjee now the Commercial Director was the host.He flew in on the eve of the dinner into BLR from Delhi and I met him at the airport.
After the usual pleasantries he asked me about what actually happened way back in 1996 when I had come for the interview
I narrated the whole incident verbatim to him
He laughed and said ..since the sequence of the incident is the same as mentioned by you way back in 1996,I now believe you.At that time it appeared as an excuse.
The next morning I had to take him to the Taj Hotel to inaugurate a travel exhibition as a start of the TAAI Convention.
I was barely a month old in BLR.
I escorted him to the Taj Hotel surprised to find that there was no sign of any activity at the Hotel.
On enquiring around I was told that there were in fact TWO Taj Hotels in BLR and apparently I was at the wrong Taj
We immediately rushed to the correct venue just in time for him to inaugurate the exhibition..
He merely laughed off the lapse and did not hold it against me
I had interacted with him on various occasions
- In Durban in 1994 when he had come there as Head of Inflight Services to finalize the catering Agreement..He was there on his Birthday 01 Jan 1994. Knowing his liking for Japanese food..I took him to the best and the ONLY Japanese Restaurant in Durban..His repsonse..He was yet to have more authentic japanese food outside Japan..I remember he even taught me hw to use the chopsticks
- In Mumbai when he handed over to V K Verma as Commercial Director

Even after retirement he was empanelled by AI as a member of a committee set up to suggest ways and means of improving AI revnues.As was his wont he solicited suggestions from retiree colleagues amongst others for suggestions and some of these were incorporated by him in his report

He was an early riser and I used to see him often on messenger or FB where he used to be chatting with his children in the USA
We often exchanged pleasantries at that time

He was a regular at all the Air India Retiree functions and mingled happily with all
In the last few years he was undergoing regular dialysis but never lost his sense of humour despite his ill helath

A noble soul a down to earth human being,he lived his life to the fullest
May he RIP an keep guiding all us mortals form the heavens above

RIP Arun Jaitley

I interacted with him during my short stint at LHR

He was a minister in the Vajpayee Govt then n in  transit to ZRH/GVA over London

The layover was about 2 hours

During the layover in the VIP lounge after the initial courtesies n formalities I told him that though I was referring to him as SIR,HE  should refer to me as SIR

He asked me why

I told him I was 5 to 6 years his Senior at St.Xaviers Delhi

Moreover he n my BIL had fought the ABVP elections together 

Both he n my BIL went underground together for 6 months during the Emergency

He immediately recalled these instances n mentioned that he had even attended my wedding

After that we sorta became friends

He put his hands on my shoulder n we talked about school days

Apparently this gesture did not go down well with the powers that be n aye was told NOT to meet him in transit on his return 2 days later

A noble soul

May he RIP