My Father- Random Reflections

 Extracted from a booklet giving  a bio sketch of my father released on the occasion of my father`s Birth Centenary in 2015. The booklet containing articles by  his near and dear ones was compiled by my brother R.Seshadri . The following was my contribution:

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My father –a man with a split personality!

 

 When my father Rangarajan passed away in October, 1994, at the age of 79,  I was 52 years old. As the eldest son of the family I had the privilege of spending almost 45 years with my parents, the longest association that any member of the family had with them. I thought I will  share some random reflections about a person who taught me great values, which has stood me in good stead in my life.

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My relationship with my father was never very cordial. I was a recipient of the violent punishment he used to subject me to when I was a kid. Though he never openly expressed his affection for me, I would hear from his friends and relatives that he was very proud of my progress in life and my achievements.

 The only time I enjoyed my father’s company exclusively was during a trip to Kanayakumari, when I was 14 years old. We had gone to attend the wedding of my maternal uncle in Kumbakonam. My father accepted the offer of a car and driver to visit a few places in South from my uncle Venkata who was then the GM of T.P. Sokkalal Ramsait Beedies Co, based in Tirunelveli. I have very pleasant memories of this trip because I was the only child accompanying him as my mother stayed back in Kumbakonam with her other younger  kids to spend time with her own family. I can’t think of any other occasion when he was so  nice to me as a kid.

 When I was a young boy, my father was working as a Manager in a small Trading Company run by a group of ‘Rajasthani’ businessmen. His office attire was a pair of trousers with his shirt tucked in and an open coat without a tie. He would wear what was known as ‘Pathan chappal’ (a slip on footwear that was neither a ‘chappal’ nor a shoe) without socks. He would always carry an umbrella to protect himself from sun or rain as it was quite a walk from Bombay VT station to his office in Flora Fountain.

He would leave home at 9.30 am everyday and return only around 8.00pm. He used to work six days a week and on Sundays which was a rest day, there would be no place for him in our one room  tenement ( kholi) in the chawl  in Bombay where we lived. He would take his favorite easy-chair to the common passageway and try to sleep crouching in that chair. It used to be a sad sight. It made me resolve that one day I will build a home of my own and reserve a separate bedroom for my parents.  A  promise I kept up later in life.

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 My father was a completely domesticated man.He would help my mother with a few household chores. He used to be very fond of buying and cutting vegetables. He was also a decent cook who cooked simple meals for the family when my mother remained out of doors every month. He had no outside  interests in life. Home and office were the only two things he knew. Whatever he earned was spent on the family. He had only 3 or 4 sets of clothes and hardly spent any money on himself. As he could not complete college education  he was hell bent on giving a good education to his children. I can never forget the day when he jumped with joy shouting , `All my sons are graduates` when my youngest brother Seshadri  got his B.Com degree.

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 My father had a split personality. He was bonhomie and fun personified to friends and relatives outside the home. Popular as ‘Ranga’ among his friends or as ‘Rangu mama’ among his nephews and nieces he would regale them with his jokes and repartees. Every time he visited Madras to visit his relatives he would be seen doling out one rupee coins to all the kids. One rupee those days went a long way, when a Masala Dosa was priced at 4 annas (25 paise)! The kids would love him for this gesture. However, the moment he stepped into the house he would become a ‘Rudramoorthy’ - very angry with his wife and children for things they have done or not done. He would be constantly bawling at some one or the other, whenever he was at home. Later, he would not spare even his grandchildren of this treatment.

He had an obsession for cleanliness – he would wash his hands, his dinner plate and the stainless steel tumbler which were exclusively reserved for him several times (nobody dare touch it even by mistake) even though they might have been already cleaned by my mother. He preferred to eat alone and at fixed times of the day. He had no patience to wait for everyone to assemble at the dining table. I have probably inherited this trait from him. Even by mistake if someone used his things he would scream at them. He believed in washing his own clothes every day which habit he continued until illness overtook him.

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An incident that happened immediately after my marriage helped me see the softer side of my father. Within two days after my marriage in Chennai on 26th January,1972, the family left for Bombay where a grand reception had been planned at the auditorium of R.A. Podar College, Matunga, my alma mater.

 It was my dream to have my wedding at this hall, but instead I had my wedding reception which was attended by almost all my friends and my father’s friends. The reception surely must have cost my father a ‘Bomb’ ! But he did not seem to mind it, as he had taken a voluntary retirement from work and had got a good settlement. For the first time in his life, he had cash in his bank account! That evening he was surely a proud father, walking across the hall, attired in a steel grey suit, greeting friends and colleagues and enjoying the encomiums he was receiving from every one.

Three days after my wedding reception, Prabha and I left for Delhi. I vividly remember the scene at the Bombay Central station, where my whole family and some friends had come to see us off. My father, who had never expressed his affection for me openly, became emotional that evening! He held my hands tightly and said, “Son, I am sorry that I have not done much for you. But with God’s grace you have done well. I am proud of you and God Bless you with a happy life!” While saying these words he broke down! I was moved and that incident marked the beginning of a new relationship with my father whom I always considered to be a tyrant!

My father – A helpful soul!

My father was very helpful by nature. When both he and his elder brother Venkatraman were staying at their eldest brother Gopalan’s house in Madras looking for a job, they were most of the time penniless. Yet, whenever my father got some money from his godmother ( Chengamma) living nearby, he would give it to his brother Venkata so that he could buy some essential things for himself. “This generosity shown to me by my youngest brother in his equally placed distressed position can never be forgotten’, wrote my uncle Venkata in his autobiography. Being generous beyond his means in helping others is a trait my father inherited from his father Rama Iyengar which was also the reason why like his father he was perpetually in debt throughout his entire working career. Unlike my grandfather who could never  return the loans he took which led to the creditors attaching his family property, my father was very particular in returning loans he took on promised dates. The sympathetic accountant in his office would help him with advances against future salaries. I always felt that he was forever angry and tense at home because of the constant financial pressure he faced in life.

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 In life my father  was an extremely cautions man not willing to take any risks. When he faced any problems, he would imagine the worst case scenario first,  before he moved forward to find a solution to the problem. The Tamil phrase ‘Munn Jakiridhai Mutthanna’ aptly fitted him. With ‘Courage as my Companion’ my tendency to take risks in life often conflicted with his views on many matters leading to some tension in our relationship. Within three years of starting my advertising career when I decided to move to an independent flat, he refused to move the family with me saying that as against the rent of Rs.20/- he was paying for the chawl accommodation, the rent of Rs 400/- I was paying for the flat was way too high. According to him, if I lost my job for any reason the whole family would be on the streets. But to his credit I must admit that he never prevented me from taking whatever decisions I took in my life.

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Among his four children, he was very fond of his only daughter Prema. She was his confidante. Very often he could be seen pouring his heart out to her. I remember on the last day of  his life he made my sister sit next to him and complained about my mother. Poor soul, in spite of her trying to be a pious and loyal wife he never seemed to appreciate my mother as much as she deserved. But interestingly when they had to live separately on occasions they would miss each other badly. The shouting matches between them continued even after the grand children arrived. Provoking my artist daughter Kavitha, presenting them with a special Greeting Card on their Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary: It showed a Boxing ring in which the caricatures of her Thatha and Patti  facing each other with their boxing gloves on- the line at the bottom of the illustration reading, ‘ After 50 years we still don’t know who the winner is!’

Though we had never seen him being openly affectionate towards his children, he was a different man when it came to his grandchildren. Since he had already retired by the time his first grandchild arrived, he had all the time in the world to indulge them . He thoroughly enjoyed his grand parenthood.

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He was a voracious reader. Not of books but newspapers and magazines. As an advertising man I used to get dozens of newspapers and magazines as free voucher copies. He would stack them date wise and read every paper and magazine from beginning to end religiously, sitting on his favourite easy chair. At the end of the day he would declare proudly, ‘I have finished reading all the papers today’.

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 He was very meticulous and systematic in whatever task he undertook. A stickler for time management he would be seen constantly chasing his children or his wife reminding them about their assigned tasks. His penchant for anticipating problems in advance and taking action to face a difficult future situation was evident when he decided to install a bore pump in our house just a couple of months  before he passed away.

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 My father had  a major surgery in December,1993 at the Tamil Nadu hospital. After a traumatic experience in the hospital where he stayed for 15 days he returned home to recoup and recover from the dreaded cancer. While in the hospital, he was touched by the fact that over 70 relatives and friends had visited him, reflecting his popularity among them. Though initially he showed signs of some recovery, soon his health started going downhill and he probably had a premonition that he would not live long. He insisted that we perform a Homam on his 79th star Birthday which happened in April that year to which he wanted all his family members to be invited. He was particular about the family photograph taken after the rituals.

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 2nd October,1994-The last day of his life is still vivid in my memory. Though my sister, who was based in Bombay then, had booked her train tickets to visit my ailing father only the following week, a premonition made her decide to take a  flight to be with him on the day he died. He made her sit next to his bed and kept talking to her the whole day, reminiscing and recalling the incidents in the life gone by.

Around 9 p.m. he began to feel  restless. He asked me to call for an ambulance and get him admitted to a hospital, as he anticipated problems which may need emergency treatment. The whole family gathered around him. My wife Prabha was chanting some slokas. I returned to be with him after making the call to the Hospital for an ambulance. He continued trying to talk to Prema, who was sitting near his head. At one point we realized that he had stopped talking and his open eyes had frozen while  looking at Prema. We tried to shake him up without any response. Though I called for the doctor living near our home to confirm his death, I realised that my father’s soul had departed from his body through his eyes and he was no more. A noble soul had joined Guruvayurappan, his  Ishta Deivam (favourite deity) in heaven without seeing the thousand moons.

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All his children claim to have learnt good values from him. I would like to list the following values I learnt from my father’s life. Being honest & straightforward: Unshakeable faith in God; Constantly seeking the Divine Grace (Kadvaul Anugraham) and Elders’ Blessings (Periava Aashirvadam); Being helpful to others in need; Valuing relationships.

As a person who is already on the last lap of his life journey, I hope I have lived up to my father’s values. I believe that is the best tribute that I could pay 

My experience of Writing a Novel and marketing it!

As I have said  often, my new avathar as a writer / author post retirement  began with the success of my autobiography published in 2009. Since then I have published ten books including my latest novella titled `Durga Nivas- biography of a building`

Writing the  novel has been the most difficult of all the books I have written so far. Let me elaborate. Out of three alternative plots  I had in  mind  I chose the one based on my experience of living in a chawl for the first 26 years of my life in Bombay. It provided me an opportunity to vividly describe the lives of nine families coming from different parts of India and living  like a joint family on the first floor of a fictional building housing the chawl.  A classic example of Unity in Diversity. But I found writing the novel sitting at my home was not working out as it requires the author to get totally immersed in the plot and the characters. This  was not possible because I was also managing  my portion of the  independent house I was sharing with my son. Resulting in constant disturbances. So I started writing the novel whenever I was travelling sitting in the hotel rooms  where I was staying.  Initially I used to write by hand and later feed it into my computer. Very often I could not decipher my own hand writing leading to frustration.  It was a slow progress because,   the long gap between travels  would have broken the chain of thoughts. In two years I managed to write only 12,000 words. 

Then the pandemic happened.  I was staying with my elder daughter when the  first lockdown was announced. Her apartment block on Santhome High road was located adjacent to the Marina Beach with a beautiful view of the Bay of Bengal from the bedrooms. Besides you could view the sunrise every morning. With such an idyllic setting and with my daughter, son in law and grand daughter   taking care of me I found total freedom to plunge into the world of the characters of  my novel. In three weeks I managed to write 22,000 words. It was amazing.

While writing the novel, though I had an overall idea  of what I had in mind, I could never plan the details of each episode. Every morning when I started pounding on my lap top the ideas simply flowed. The fact that in the last one year I had graduated from handwriting to directly feeding the matter into the computer, helped.

As Jayakanthan the well known Tamil writer once said that `the characters in  novels  had a life of their own and authors did not have control over them; they were not puppets to be pulled with a chain` I experienced this while writing my novel. Most of the conversations/dialogues between characters were not pre planned. They just happened.  Unlike my essays           which undergo several revisions before I finalise a piece, I did not have to make any  major changes to my original idea  of the novel. 

I circulated the first draft to my family and a few friends. While I received overall appreciation for the novel as  most found it engrossing, some pointed out a few  inconsistencies in terms of names, timelines. Some even suggested recasting the order of the presentation. I then got a professional editor  to go through the novel. She helped me fine tune the presentation and also made several corrections without affecting the flow of the novel as I had visualised. The whole process  took almost five months as the draft saw at least three revisions by the copy  editor.

Once the manuscript was ready I approached my good friend Diwakar of Compuprint , specialising in Digital printing and Print on demand facility, for printing and publishing the book. Things started moving fast. Based on photographs of a typical chawl shot by my bother Seshadri, the dynamic team at Compuprint came up a with a striking design for the cover and a pleasing page layout. Diwakar also agreed to publish the book under his banner Creative Workshop and look after  the requirements for uploading the novel on Amazon, FlipKart and on Kindle. Ashwin of Odyssey Book Shop agreed to sell the book in all branches of the shop in Chennai & Coimbatore.

Since physical meetings were out of question for a formal launch I decided to announce  it on my FB page and also use  the direct mail route to reach all my contacts through email. I also decided to offer my  friends who wanted signed  copies of my book to place their order  directly with me  with a promise that I would courier the book to them at my cost.  The response  has been overwhelming. I was touched when a few friends decided to order extra copies of the book to be gifted by them to their friends. The fact that the entire proceeds from the sale of the book will go towards the activities of Prabha Rajan Talent Foundation(PRTF) is also helping  the sale of the book. Within a three weeks  of the launch I ran out of stock and had to order for reprints. I am yet to reach out to  a large no of friends in my network.

As many famous authors have said , if a book has to sell well the author has to market it shamelessly. And this is what  I am doing as I also have a target to reach for PRTF.  PRTF is an unregistered Trust without any bank account.  All the contributions for the PRTF activities are funded from my personal earnings and as a matter of policy I do not accept any direct donations.  The only exception is when I sell my books to readers and spend the entire proceeds towards the activities of PRTF. Here my view is that I am giving some value to the buyer of the book and it  is not a direct donation.

Judging by the number of unsolicited favourable  reviews  I am getting I am sure I have a winner on  hand. Though I have received a couple of critical reviews about the unconventional presentation,  the majority of the readers have found the book `unputdownable ` As one reader wrote, `Overall,the book is  a breeze and good read with some element of anticipation. I finished it in  one sitting`

Readers who have knowledge of life in Bombay are particularly  finding the book  nostalgic. If you buy the book I promise you value for money spent.

Priced at Rs 290/- the book is available on Amazon & Flipkart and also on Kindle. If you want a signed copy from me I will be happy to courier the copy at my cost. For online payment details please connect with me on rvrajan42@gmail.com

A dignified life without responsibilities

My mother-in-law, a highly independent woman who died at the ripe age of 89, spent the last six years of her life in a senior citizen’s home in Chennai. Her NRI son took  a decision to keep her in the Home in spite of my offer to look after her in my home. Just to make her feel that we still  care for her I would bring her home every month for a week`s stay. One day she told my driver “I don’t know why my son-in-law brings me here  every month. I am very happy in the Home with a lot of new friends to talk to. Here I spend the whole day only watching TV or listen to music. Everybody is so busy”

 

I also met a few others  from that Home, many of whom were NRI parents who had sold their properties or rented out their homes to settle in this well-run senior citizen’s Home Here they not only made new friends but also indulged in hobbies for which they had no time earlier. Even the few who felt bad initially began to enjoy the new environment over a period of time. All of them agreed it was a comfortable life without the day-to-day responsibilities and problems they had faced when living alone. Some of them had children living in the same city, and yet  they preferred to move into a senior citizen’s home as they did not want to burden their children with the responsibility of looking after them on a daily basis. With the joint family system breaking down and nuclear families being the norm these days, old people often find themselves being a nuisance value to their children. There are also cases of old people who don’t have the energy or mind set to look after their grandchildren who have office-going parents. Obviously, the old values are changing, with people, both young and old, becoming more self-centred.

 

Having visited a few such Homes and seen the good times that many of the residents are having, I would say it is an option worth considering by people who have reached the end of their useful lives; especially those  who are financially independent and wish to spend their twilight years in peace and contentment. I am sure residents of the Dignity Lifestyle Retirement Township in Neral managed by the Dignity Foundation will vouch for this. There are any number of such  Senior Care Homes which have come up across the country. Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, which pioneered the idea, has scores of such Homes catering to middle and upper middle income families  at affordable prices.

 

It is no more a stigma, either on the parents or the children, if elders prefer to stay in elder care homes where they  are  assured of a dignified life without responsibilities!

( Appeared  in the latest issue of Dignity Expressions published by Dignity Foundation)

A DIWALI GIFT WITH A DIFFERENCE

Diwali time is also the time to eagerly look forward to reading  the  Deepavali  Malars ( Diwali special issues ) from many Tamil magazines. A phenomenon unique to South India  , these special issues are popular among old timers even today.( I am not sure if  youngsters read them). During the period I was heading my ad agency Anugrah Madison, I decided to present  the staff  in all our clients` offices, especially  those with whom the agency was interacting on a daily basis,  a set of Diwali Malars of the year as the agency`s Diwali gift. The  Senior most  in the client`s office would  get a set of four different Malars, the middle  level  three and the junior most would get two Malars. The  gesture was very much appreciated by the recipients  of the gift. One particular year due to budget constraints we decided not to send any Diwali gifts. There was a hue and cry from many clients. It seemed every year the Diwali Malars were eagerly looked forward to by the spouses and other  seniors in the families receiving the gift. It is then I realized the value of Diwali Malars as a leisurely reading material among the seniors.

 I am continuing this interesting idea in a different format post retirement. Every Diwali  I buy all the Diwali Malars available in the market. After browsing through them,  I make sets of two Malars each and distribute them among identified Octogenarian relatives and friends , who eagerly look forward to this gesture from me . I give them  two weeks time to read the Malars. After they finish reading one set I replace them with another set. The rotation goes on until they finish reading all the Diwali  Malars. The whole process takes three to four months bringing immense joy to the identified people.  Seeing them happy makes me happy! My biggest reward? The blessings I receive from all of them. As I have repeatedly said `Divine grace and Elder`s blessings` keep me going in life!

 

Announcing the arrival of my 13th baby.

Holding the first copy of every new book I have published  is like holding a new born baby. I am sure other authors will vouch for this feeling. After fathering three  children and authoring nine other books I am thrilled to announce the release of my 10^th book in 11 years- A novella titled `DURGA NIVAS – Biography of a building`. A dream project I concieved  two  years ago but could deliver it only now.

The book will take the readers into the tiny one-room tenements (kholis) of Durga Nivas  a fictional chawl in Matunga, Central Bombay; home to a potpourri of people from different parts of India, who live cheek-by-jowl, sharing joys and sorrows, much like the diverse members of a large joint family. You will get  a glimpse into  the  lives and fortunes of nine families to whom the first floor of Durga Nivas was home right from the 1940s into the 21^st Century. You can also  listen in to the conversations of the tenants as they wait in queue every morning for their turn at the common toilets where  many a reputation is made or smashed at the ‘Loos Talk’! Together with the walls of the venerable building, you will  witness the whole gamut of human emotions –that play out in Durga Nivas over the years.

And, as a new generation tries its wings and flies out of the proverbial nest, the hustle and bustle, the fights, tears and laughter of normal life in the chawl are reduced to memories. But some former tenants of Durga Nivas find that life is full of surprises, and the past has a habit of catching up. 

The book exemplifies  Bombay's can-do and daring spirit and is based  on my experience of living in a chawl in Bombay for the first 26 years of my life.

 The book is designed by Compuprint  and published by Creative Workshop, Chennai.

 Priced at Rs 290/- the book is available on Amazon & Flip Cart and also at Odessey Book Shop in their Adyar, Thiruvanmiyur and Coimbatore branches.

 Those in Chennai can order a copy with  me on rvrajan42@gmail.com or 9840392082. I will bear the courier charges.

 Please note that the entire proceeds from the sale of the book will go towards the activities of Prabha Rajan Talent Foundation(PRTF) I started in memory of Prabha who herself was an accomplished writer of short stories in Tamil.

My Safire Connection

During all my official travels to Madras,as a young executive,  I always felt that I belonged to the city. I dreamt of settling down in Madras, post retirement. I never imagined that it will happen when I was only 32. Madras welcomed me with open arms and in the last 46 years it has seen me grow not only professionally but also as a human being . Among the many interesting  memories I have of the city, my brief association with Safire theatre complex stands out. Before I elaborate on my story a few words about  the theatre.

 Started by the Veecumsee Family, the well known jewellers of the city, the Safire Theatre complex was India's first largest multi-theatre complex located on Mount Road (now Anna Salai) close to the old Gemini circle. The theatre complex was being  run by Mr. H.V. Shah & his sons. It was the idea of the eldest son Yashwant to start the multi-theatre complex and also Silver Sands — the first-ever Beach Resort in the country. The complex was an imposing building with parking space for about 40 cars. It consisted of three screening halls, viz. Safire, Blue Diamond, and Emerald.  Safire, the biggest with a seating capacity of 0ver 1000,  was also  the first 70mm theatre in India which opened to public in 1964. with the screening of Cleopatra. Many other block busters of the time followed. Blue Diamond had the unique concept  of continuous shows where you could buy a ticket in the morning  and stay inside the theatre throughout the day watching  the same film several times. It is another matter that most of the visitors, ,young and old couples,   came to the  Blue Diamond  not  to see the movie but to indulge  in amorous pursuits in  the dark, air conditioned comforts of the theatre. It was also patronized by  salesmen who were looking for a air conditioned resting place between appointments.

 

I came to Madras in 1974, to take  up a job with Grant Kenyon & Eckhart as the Resident Director. Since Grant was handling the advertising for both the Theatre complex and the Beach Resort, we were given an office space in the second floor so that Grant could be at the beck and call of the client. It  was a long corridor located adjacent to the projection room with two rooms at the far end of the office.  While the administrative offices of the theatre complex  were located in the basement, the first floor was used as the city office of Silver sands  and the third floor was occupied by one of the family members running his own business.

 

My  introduction to Safire happened under unusual circumstances.I was to relieve HW, a pipe smoking Anglo-Indian, who was always suited and booted and spent more time in the Madras Gymkhana Bar than in the office. My  boss Vijay Menon from Bombay  who had come down to Madras  to install me in my new job, asked me to report at Safire theatre, at 9.00 am on a particular day. Instead of taking me straight into the office, Vijay asked me to wait in the Foyer of the theatre, as HW had not been told that he was being sacked! I was feeling bad and embarrassed.  After waiting for nearly 30 minutes, which seemed like eternity, Vijay took me  and introduced me to HW. Surprisingly he  was all geniality personified, as the sacking had come as no surprise to him. He seemed to be happy that the management finally had the courage to relieve him for non performance!

 

I was shocked beyond words to see the items on display on the table and walls of the Manger`s  office. Apart from finding several objects arousing sexuality, the walls were full of nude model pictures, used in the annual calendars which the agency  had produced for the liquor division of EID Parry.  While going around the office I was intrigued to find  a room behind the manager’s office with an attached bathroom, a cot and few other fixtures required for living. Later I found out that the multipurpose room was used by HW for his nefarious activities. Whenever he had a big fight with his domineering wife, who was obviously always questioning him on his philandering ways, he would spend the night in the office with some company. The facility was also offered to friends in need..

 

As we came out of the office, I told Vijay that I was not moving into the office without performing a puja It was almost a week before I actively took over the reins of an empty office with hardly any business. My tryst with both Safire &  Madras  had begun.

 

 

. Every morning I would come to the office by 9.30 am.. After working in a big office in Delhi  with a large  staff, it was quite depressing to be seated behind a 25 year old mahogany table (which  had multiple drawers  on both sides)  and find that I had no work to do!.Then it dawned on me that the challenge of the job was to revive an almost dying  Madras branch of Grant.and  that I had to start building the business from scratch. Based on a plan of action I started calling on prospective clients. In the next two years I had brought in enough business to ensure that the branch was self sustaining and I would retain my job! As the business grew I had to employ additional staff.  I decided to allocate the rear room to the copywriter, whom I had hired  so that he could work peacefully. But I didn`t realize it would disturb my peace because every visitor   to meet the copywriter had to pass through my room!

 

 

In the first year,  since the job did not keep me busy throughout the day, to kill time I would stand at the landing of the floor watching the traffic on Anna Salai through the huge glass panels  or find myself in the projection room of Safire Cinema, watching the movies through the glass panels. This was possible  thanks to the friendly Projectionists. There were two huge projectors. Watching the Projectionists shift from one projector to another, when the reel in one projector got over  was fascinating. It was done so seamlessly that the audience would not be aware of the change. The privilege of working in a theatre complex also gave me an opportunity to see block busters on the first day itself because of my closeness to ‘Appunni’, the manager of the theatre.  A diminutive,  balding,  Malayalee who would be a most sought after man during the first few weeks of any film release. Those days good  films ran for 25 weeks or more. Thanks to my closeness to Appunni, sometimes I could also oblige friends with tickets even for the  so called houseful shows in Safire.

 

While Emerald with a seating capacity of 300 seats featured Tamil & Hindi Films, Blue Diamond with a seating capacity of just  150 specialized in featuring old films both Indian and foreign. Sometimes when I was early to work, I would see couples hanging around waiting for the booking counter of Blue Diamond  to open. It was shocking to see some of them coming out of the theatre only around 2 or 3 pm when I was leaving in my car to visit some client. While they looked fresh waiting in the queue, they looked exhausted with crumpled dresses when they came out looking sheepishly around to ensure that they did not encounter any familiar faces. It was indeed a sight to behold! It was not unusual for me to catch some known faces indulging  in such acts.  To save them the embarrassment  I would act as if I had not noticed  them.

 

Safire cinema, like many other big cinema halls of the time, had Family rooms ( Boxes) above the balcony area which was patronised by rich and famous people including popular film stars. Many of them would invariably keep the Manager informed in advance of their visit  so that adequate security arrangements were in place for them. They would  come a little late and leave before the film ended  to avoid being mobbed by the crowd. Thanks to our connection with Appunni we would be tipped about the visit of   a celebrity star, enabling some of our star stuck staff ( some times that included me) waiting at the landing of the steps leading to the Box. Our day was made if we could shake hands with the popular stars.

 

Though Grant had been provided an exclusive parking space, it was tough getting in and  out of  the parking area when the block busters were screened. At the end of every show there would be pandemonium both inside and outside the complex, with cars trying to enter or leave  the complex resulting in a big traffic jam on Anna Salai outside the complex. I had  to plan all my client. meetings keeping in mind this factor. In spite of all the planning, some times I would get stuck in the office unable to get out because of unexpected processions by political parties on Anna Salai.

 

I can never forget 2^nd October,1975. The day the popular Congress veteran  K.Kamaraj died. There was a massive procession on Anna Salai accompanying the mortal remains of the popular leader which took  more than four hours to cross the Safire point.. While I could watch the procession from a vantage point in the building,  I could not leave the office until the road was cleared for traffic.

 

Watching fights for tickets was another source of entertainment for me. But one fight I wished I had not seen. One Sunday morning I was shocked  to see a fight on some  family issue by the warring sons of Mr H.V Shah, in the foyer. The heated arguments between two brothers led  to fisticuffs, watched by a motely crowd. When the old man tried to mediate, he was also roughed up. This public humiliation affected the old man very badly. I felt bad because the old man was a good soul who was also one of  my well wishers.

 

Within six years of my taking over the reigns of grant Madras the business had grown that I had to appoint more staff. Apart from the need for a bigger office space, the problems posed by the  theatre complex to  my clients who wanted to call on me at the office necessitated my moving out of the Safire Complex to another more spacious office on Greams Road in 1980. Though my day to day association  with the complex had ceased I continued to keep in touch with Appunni so that I could get tickets at Safire whenever I needed it.

 

The complex was acquired in 1994 by the local All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam . which wanted to construct its new headquarters. The entire Safire complex was demolished, but AIADMK did not end up building its headquarters. 

 

Today the empty space where the Majestic Safire Complex stood looks forlorn, full of weed and wild plant growth and is  used by many as a public toilet. Every time I pass the area, I  am filled with nostalgia of the good times I had at the complex. I can never forget that it was at the Safire office complex  that the  seeds of my reputation as a rural specialist were sown.

Evolution of a writer/author

My new avatar as a writer/author post retirement started with the publication of my autobiography in 2009. The appreciation I got for my style of writing  encouraged me to start  writing on a  variety of topics dealing with day to day happenings in life.  I posted them on my blog and also  shared  the articles  among Face Book friends. My first article titled `Ubiquitous Velakkari ( maid servant)` appeared in the April 2011 issue of Eves Touch  followed by  an article in Madras Musings in its June,2011 issue. Both edited by the (late)  S.Muthiah who became   my mentor in my writing career. The defining moment came when my article based on my visit to 106 Divya Desams with Prabha  appeared in the Open Page of the Hindu in their issue dated 26^th June,2011.The hundreds of response I got as mails, sms messages, telephone calls even from readers of Hindu living abroad made me realize that I have arrived as a writer. Since then writing has become an obsession with me.  My dream of becoming a regular columnist became a reality when Mr S.P.Ambrose, IAS (retd) the founder of Adyar Times(AT), the popular Community weekly published in Chennai asked me to write a fortnightly column for AT  titled `Rajan`s Random Reflections`. Thanks to the word restrictions imposed by AT  I perfected the art of limiting  my articles to a maximum of 600 words.   Going through my records for the last nine years  I find that I have 265 published articles  in dozens of publications and 65,000 Page views  on my blog. I don`t know if it is a big number but the record is encouraging.

While my writing on a variety of topics is a continuing habit, I was also active in bringing out more books. The second book after the publication of my autobiography was the book on Rural marketing with which I was associated for more than  35 years of my 45 years in advertising. It was published by  a Chennai based Publisher in 2013. I was very keen that my  books must deal with different genres of writing.  The  books that followed my book on Rural marketing reflects this dream; an autobiography,  experiences in an industry, short   essays,  history of an association and  short stories. My long standing dream of writing a novel has become a reality thanks to the pandemic and the forced stay at home.   Please await  a  formal announcement on this soon!

I am a person who likes to constantly challenge my self with new projects. Challenges bring out the best in me.  The next book project I have in mind is a translation job. I want to translate a popular Tamil novel or short story collections into English. Not decided yet about the choice. Will I be able  to do it as I will be joining the Octogenerians of this world next year. Only God has the answer  to that question as he  controls the time he has allotted for me in this janma!

A fascinating novel and a broken mindset!

I just finished reading a novel titled `Uppu Kanakku` in Tamil written by the well known writer /author Vidya Subramaniam who is also the mother in law of the Celebrity TV anchor turned lawyer Sanjay Pinto. It was a fascinating novel based on the Salt Satyagraha of the freedom fighters led in the South by C.R.Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji who took 100 volunteers to Vedaranyam on the East Coast to break the Law imposed by the British Government against Salt collection by the locals. It is a brilliant piece of writing which makes  you feel as if you are  having a ringside view of the  experiences of a  family caught in the midst of the upraising. No wonder that  it is considered one of the best novels of the author which has already won several awards.  Though this is the first novel of the author I was reading,  I am a  regular reader of her daily  postings on Face Book. Written in an informal , chatty style I like the contents for their honesty and sincerity. I eagerly look forward to reading her pieces every day.

But the big news is that I read the whole novel online, in my mobile phone.  Something which I never thought I would ever do as I have always been waxing eloquent about the joy of reading a book holding it in your hands while relaxing on an  easy chair or your bed. Necessity is the mother of invention. Since the novel was out of print and was available only online, my son helped me download  the novel on kindle.  Besides since I am having trouble reading  the hard copies of books with small fonts, I found the experience of reading online very comfortable.  I have already read the latest book `SPRING` by the veteran adman  Ambi Parameshwaran online. I am currently reading the pdf version of the biography of Kalaignar Karunanidhi by the well known bilingual writer, Vaasanthi.  I am finding the whole experience of reading online thoroughly enjoyable. Makes me feel relieved that I don`t have to worry about the small fonts of printed books. One of my mindsets against reading books/magazines on line  is broken.

Thanks to the pandemic and the forced stay at home  many senior citizens have begun to enjoy reading online and also participating in zoom meetings. I am one of them.

A City Boy to a Rural Specialist

                                                                    Part -1

( Excerpted from my book on rural marketing titled `Don`t Flirt with rural marketing)

I am a city boy who  spent the first 29 years of my life in an urban environment. I was brought up in Bombay, as it was called then. I was still in school, when I first visited Rayalacheruvu a village  in Andhra Pradesh,. My maternal uncle was the Assistant Station Master there. It is a small station near Guntakal on the Chennai-Mumbai line. The visit gave me a taste of life in rural India. A taste that would lead to my getting involved in   rural marketing later in life. A good case study of a city boy becoming a rural specialist!

The modest quarters that my uncle’s family lived in was close to the railway station. Whenever a train stopped, the station became a beehive of activity—with travellers, vendors and beggars running around. For me and my sister, visiting the station two or three times a day became the desired pastime. After each train left, the lone tea stall holder would offer us a cup of hot tea with some biscuits—a privilege, courtesy our uncle, we looked forward to.

Not far from the station, there was a big well. My uncle and his colleagues used to swim there regularly. My uncle used to force me to take a dip holding me tight in his hands. A mere seven years old, I was scared of the water and used to scream, mad with fear. But I knew that my uncle meant well. He used to take us all on bullock carts to the nearby village haat (the weekly market). While my aunt busied herself with purchasing the many items needed for a household, we youngsters used to have fun playing games and gawking at the wares that were arrayed for sale. In the course of my career as a rural marketing specialist, I have visited many weekly haats in different parts of the country; yet that first visit is still green in my memory.

One thing I remember vividly about the visits to my uncle’s village, are the trips to the touring talkies. We went almost every Friday, to watch a new movie being screened. The ‘theatre’ was a temporary structure. The front part of the ‘theatre’ was for those people who sat down on the floor, some actually preferred. to lie down, and was called the ‘tharai’ ticket (floor ticket). The more genteel ‘balcony’ was at the back, and was separated from the front portion by means of a cloth partition. The higher rated ‘balcony’ was furnished with chairs. As an Assistant Station Master, my uncle was considered an important enough man in the village to get free tickets to sit in the balcony (!).Another thing that I clearly remember about my visits is that practically every day villagers would come to give us some of their farm produce, be it fruit or vegetable. Life in the village was not easy then, as there was neither electricity nor any other conveniences which city folks are used to. . All the same it was a different kind of holiday experience both my sister and I enjoyed as kids.

                                

                                      City boy to a Rural Specialist- Part 2

 

The next brush I had with rural India was in 1972 when I was associated with a Communication Education Programme on Nutrition in rural UP & AP for CARE, an NGO headquartered in US working in the area of Health & Nutrition. As part of its ongoing efforts, to choose a right communication strategy, CARE decided to conduct a study on Nutrition Education in rural India.and based on the findings  develop a communication strategy to be tested in two States before rolling it out nationally.

Advertising Consultants India Ltd., ACIL, as associate company of Clarion Advertising, where I was working , was appointed as the agency to handle the account. Tara Sinha,  CEO of the agency was  heading the task force. I was part of this team and it was my first experience of rural India as an ad professional. Based on market research findings we recommended two alternative communication strategies—one ‘positive’ to be tested in the villages of Uttar Pradesh and another ‘negative’ to be tested in the villages of Andhra Pradesh. While the positive campaign tried to highlight the benefits of good nutrition, the negative campaign  exploited the  ill effects of bad nutrition. I remember that the theatre film for the negative approached for AP was produced by Krishnaswamy Associates of Chennai and the film for UP in Hindi was produced by M.S.Sathyu of Garm Hawa fame. In the  absence of TV every other possible  media, both conventional and unconventional, were  used to discover their relative impacts. At CARE, a benchmark study and a post study were conducted by Ronald  Parlato, who was in charge of the project.The post study revealed that the negative approach, using fear, worked better than the positive approach. It also revealed the importance of the language press in reaching the opinion leaders in the villages.

 

A report prepared by Ron on the study, was printed and circulated to the relevant government departments and also to the media. Thanks to the publicity this generated, ACIL was approached by Madras Fertilizers Ltd. (MFL), a fertilizer company headquartered in Chennai to pitch for the change of name campaign (from MFL to Vijay Fertilizers). Tara Sinha assigned the project to Subash Chakravarthy, who undertook an exhaustive desk research and came up with an excellent background note on the fertilizer industry based on which we worked out a strategy. Tara Sinha and I presented it to client at their  office in Chennai. I remember both of us taking a Dakota flight from Delhi to Chennai via Nagpur. It was an aircraft that was used to carry mail in the nights, with only limited passenger capacity. We took that flight to save on cost, in spite of it being very uncomfortable! The client was thrilled with the insights we brought to the table and decided to award the account to us. There was great jubilation back in the agency as we had managed to wrest the account from JWT, the No. 1 agency in the country. I did not realize at that time (in 1973) that this was going to be the beginning of my long association with rural markets!

 

                          A City boy to Rural Specialist – Part 3

 

 In 1974, I moved over to head the Chennai office of Grant Kenyon & Eckhardt, a multinational agency. This was the No.2 Agency in the country in late fifties and early sixties.

I had the experience of  handling FMCG accounts like Forhans toothpaste, Colgate, Coke, Nestle etc. in the first decade of my career. When I shifted to Chennai, I found that there were hardly any FMCG brands to handle. When I heard that Shaw Wallace Agri Division was inviting agencies for a pitch, I immediately decided to try my luck.

Using the knowledge I had gained about the fertilizer market, while handling the Madras Fertilizers (MFL) account in ACIL, I pitched for the agri-business of Shaw Wallace. Clarion was the incumbent agency and R.K. Swamy, who had started his own setup a couple of years earlier, was also in the fray. `My big boss Tuku Ganguli came from Bombay on the day of the presentation to hold my hands! Impressed by the deep understanding of the fertilizer market evident in the presentation, Grant was awarded the fertilizer account (a part of the agri-division). It was not a big account, but for me it was an important breakthrough in the Madras market. Word spread around that despite  stiff competition, Grant Madras headed by a young man had managed to get the Shaw Wallace account,

 

. I had to put together a small team to handle the Shaw Wallace account .In the next two years, we did some good work for Shaw Wallace, which helped us bag the pesticides division’s account as well. To help develop effective communication packages, I started travelling extensively in the interiors of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, where Shaw Wallace’s products were popular. I accompanied their sales force, meeting farmers and dealers. As part of the exercise, I spent time at dealer outlets, observing the purchasing habits of the farmers visiting the shops. I would go into the field shooting pictures of crops at different stages. I did not hesitate to share the frugal meals offered by some  farmers, sitting cross legged on the floor inside their modest homes.

There were days during my travel when I did not get any decent food to eat and had to be content with bananas and tea!

 

I remember a particular visit accompanying the AV van in the hill districts of Kodaikanal. After an arduous and rough journey through the mountain roads on a jeep, along with the Shaw Wallace team, we reached a village where we were to conduct a show in the evening. As we had reached by early noon, we spent some time talking to a farmer harvesting mountain garlic; a specialty in the area. This farmer was also the sole dealer of Shaw Wallace, serving a few villages nearby. The evening came and the projection team took out the 16 mm projector and was ready to show a popular Tamil film interspersed with  the promotional films of the company.

 

As the show time approached, there was a lot of excitement and a large crowd had gathered. As the show progressed, I realized that the audience constituted of 80% children and the remaining were men and women who were not the target audience of the products we were trying to promote. Some of the farmers who were expected to come had not turned up. They had gone to sleep after imbibing the ‘millie’ (country liquor known as ‘Nautak’ in the North), after a hard day’s work in the field.

The same picture was painted in the other villages where we had our shows. But the reports from the van crew talked about the success of the shows based on the number of people who attended the get-together. I was appalled and it got me thinking. The ideas that I recommended to clients based on these visits not only helped me earn more respect from them but also enhanced my reputation as a rural communication specialist. This led to my agency bagging the prestigious MRF Farm Tyres account.  Another important turning point in my professional career.

 

`                                          A City boy to Rural Specialist -Part 4

 

During my travels in the hinterland of South India, I also had the opportunity to visit a number of Haats or Sandhais/Chandies (weekly markets) visited by people from twenty to thirty villages nearby. Chandies were  held on the same day, time and venue every week. It was a great opportunity for marketers interested in rural marketing to promote their products. Though a few companies like HUL, ITC, Brooke Bond, and Aspro were already utilizing the Haats for their promotional activities, the idea I came up with for Shaw Wallace was a magic show  with a difference to be performed by a trained magician in Haats..

!

The difference for Shaw Wallace, was in blending the product story with the magic trick. We had to study all the tricks performed by the magician and identify items which could  be used in our shows.I also explained to our client, that conducting several shows in a day at the Haats, not only helped us reach a focused target audience of farmers, but also helped us reduce the cost per contact; because we were reaching more people from more villages for the same cost. While the results were encouraging, the efforts also taught us some useful lessons. Based on the experience, I wrote an article that was published by ‘Industrial Times’ the only business magazine of the time edited by Subash Rele. The review of my piece in the  popular weekly column of the legendary adman Mr.K. Kurien of Radeus Advertising in the Economic Times under the pen name ‘Zachary‘ got me some recognition in the marketing world as someone who was trying to do things differently in terms of rural initiatives.

 

 Later, when my agency bagged the Farm Tyre Division of MRF to handle their bullock cart and tractor tyre accounts, I applied the lessons I had learnt earlier in developing strategies for MRF. To promote bullock cart tyres, I recommended a slide and tape presentation at the weekly Haats in the UP market. It was a ‘first of its kind’ promotion. As the Haats were held during day times,  we had to provide a black cloth canopy on the back of the van to provide enough shade so that visuals projected from the van on the screen using back projector technique was reasonably visible to a group of fifty to sixty people. Further I recommended a journey cycle plan for the AV van which was considered unique at that time.

 

 As against the van  programmes prevailing then  where  Vans travelled from one end of the State to the other end without any breaks for the crew  leading to many setbacks in  the schedule, , I developed a plan under which the whole programme was centred round a district headquarters town, or a feeder market town. As soon as the van reached the town, the crew checked into a hotel and reported to the leading dealer of the town, who was roped in to supervise the programme. The journey cycle was such that the Haats to be visited were within 50 to 60 km radius of the town. Every morning, the van would proceed to a pre-determined site, conduct the show and return to the hotel in the evening; so that the van crew could rest and recoup. Besides, since their location was known during those ten days, communication with the families was possible. And if there was any change in programme, because of any unexpected development, the lead dealer was kept informed. If and when the company executives came for surprise checks, they could first check with the dealer, and then proceed straight to the village concerned. The whole process helped in vastly improving the performance of the van crew, besides drastically reducing the wastage of time and resources. Though this kind of journey cycle plans has become very popular these days, thirty years ago, we were the pioneers. Besides, these days, mobile  technology has made a huge  difference in dealing with rural markets.

 

 A City boy to Rural Specialist -Part 5

 

The year 1986 saw me turning into an entrepreneur after 22 years of service in two multinational agencies.. It was the year when Grant decided to merge with Contract Advertising, an associate company in the JWT Group. As I had opposed the merger, I quit my job and  started Anugrah Marketing & Advertising as a fully accredited  advertising agency  handling  both rural and general campaigns for a variety of clients. All our rural campaigns in the initial years were for  agri- input clients like Shaw Wallace, EID Parry, MRF (Farm Tyre Division), T Stanes, Mahindra Pumpsets etc.

 

Only in 1997, Anugrah, for the first time  got an opportunity to handle a major rural initiative for the Consumer Electronics Division of Philips in Tamil Nadu. The agency which was until then was dealing with only farmers , had to come up with a campaign targeting the entire rural community – young, old, rich, poor, educated, uneducated, farmers and others. It was a fascinating experience. The `Enga Veettu Super Star – Philips` campaign  that the agency developed helped Philips register a substantial incremental sales when the whole consumer durable  industry was seeing a down turn.  It became a successful case study widely covered by business magazines of the time. The campaign helped Anugrah to get national recognition. It also brought the legendary Sam Balsara of the Madison World fame to our door steps.

 

Impressed with our credentials and experience in rural marketing, Sam Balsara mooted the idea of a joint venture with Anugrah  to be positioned as the rural division of Madison Communication and to  be called Anugrah Madison. This happened in 1998.The association with Madison certainly did open the doors of many blue chip clients to us but  did not result in addition of big business . The real breakthrough came  only when we began to handle  major integrated campaigns in rural India for  Shriram Transport Finance and ACC Cements.  Over the years  Anugrah Madison handled rural assignments for a long roster of blue chip clients gaining enormous insights into the functioning of rural markets.

 

At the end of the third year of the joint venture,  I realized the need for doing something to fight competition from agencies like Ogilvy Outreach and Linterland (both having pan India presence and also support from Hindustan Lever). I mooted the idea of starting a ‘Rural Network’ consisting of single branch agencies known for their involvement in rural marketing. Out of the seven agencies I contacted, Kashyap of Mart, Patankar of Sampark and Pradeep Lokhande of Rural Relations attended the first meeting in Delhi.

The Rural Network, was an informal association of four leading rural marketing specialists, with subject and regional specializations. The group had come together, to form a business alliance to take on the competition from multinational agencies. Though we did not land a single big assignment, all of us benefited from some business leads we got through reference from other members of the network. More than the business, the four of us became good friends ( we continue to be), regularly exchanging notes and gaining new knowledge on the subject. In this, the contribution of Kashyap of Mart, who was the first to respond to the idea of the ‘Rural Network’ was  phenomenal. His vast knowledge base of the subject, and also his ability to articulate his thoughts lucidly became an important asset to the network.

 

Once again, based on my initiative we converted the Rural Network into Rural Marketing Agencies Association of India (now known as Rural Marketing Association of India - RMAI)— an industry body to promote the cause of rural marketing in India and also help dispel several myths about Rural marketing. RMAI was formally launched in April 2005 at a press meet in Mumbai with 11 founder members that included big names like Ogilvy Outreach, Linterland, RC&M, Impact Communications et al.

 

I was elected the First President of RMAI at the ripe age of sixty three. My dream of presiding over an all India body had become a reality. I continued in the role for four years and thoroughly enjoyed being a spokesperson for the rural marketing industry. At a personal level, I had completed my dream journey, that began at Rayalacheruvu in Andhra and took me through all the pristine hinterlands of the country. In the process, I had  evolved from a city boy to a rural marketing specialist.  I was happy when RMAI recognized my contribution to the subject when I was conferred  the Life Time Achievement Award in 2009. It was at a two in one function of RMAI in Chennai where my autobiography `Courage my Companion` was also released. I continued my association with Rural marketing for a few more years until the publication of my book titled Don`t Flirt with Rural Marketing` in 2013. The book published by  Productivity & Quality Publishing Pvt. Ltd. Chennai became my swan song for a career I pursued  for over forty years.

 

These days I am enjoying my new Avatar as a writer/author, far removed from the  world of marketing and advertising! (Concluded)