Dilip Kumar

 He was not really from my generation. It was more of Rajesh Khanna rising, and then Amitabh. But I did see a few of his happier films, and of course, Mughal-e-Azam. I liked his restraint in Shakti too. Not familiar with the roles that got him the sobriquet Tragedy King, so I won't comment.

The gossip columns described how Madhubala and he broke up over his principled stand on a producer's action against her for violating a contract. If so, good that he took a stand-very few people do, anyways, on anything.

Today, he probably wouldn't have survived as an actor- certainly not as a hero, what with shirts discarded, dancing crazily, and doing inane stuff most of the time. He would probably have gracefully withdrawn and watched from the sidelines. Of course, we do have Ayushmaan doing some interesting stuff, so you never know.

Anyway, it was a great innings in films, and hats off to him. And goodbye. After all, THE END is part of life, and the screen has to come down some day.

Goodbyes Need Not be Painful

 Sometimes they are..but not always. If a ship does not leave the shore, it cannot discover new worlds (I don't mean this in the coloniser's sense, but a positive one). After a record 7 years (give or take a few weeks), I am going to soon say goodbye to my current workplace and home- IIM Indore. As usual, the feelings are mixed. Exhilaration at what may be awaiting me in a new role (Director) in a familiar city (Bangalore). Will join NMIMS there after Diwali. A bit of sadness at what I will leave behind.

The peaceful campus (MR students may recall my question in the first class- What do you like about IIMI? Most had referred to the campus). The conversations around the tea or lunch table, or in class and outside it, in my office, and the people, most of all. Bright and young faces full of dreams..

Of course, the academics were an adventure - from IMC/Advertising from where I still have some friends (Bhuvneet, Anwesha), to M.R. and Digital Marketing (Tamros, Reetu, Tanya, Neha Adiga, Anam Nuhi, Sapna Patni, Ruminder Kaur, Mihir, Shravan, Kshitija, Arshia Mulla, Anuranjana) and Tourism Marketing (Fatima, Harshita, Sruthi), with a stray Seminar on Innovative Thought Leadership with Shweta in IPM. And many case studies (with Sanket for the Case Centre being one), conferences in Bali, Japan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and research papers with lots of IPM and Ph.D. students (Shweta Jha was one regular collaborator), and colleagues (Abhishek, Shweta Kushal, Jayasimha, EFPM's Srinivas Raghavan and Lubna Nafees, ex-IMTG and now in the U.S.), organising NASMEI conference twice with Veenus as manager, and a lot of bright students in various programs (listed them elsewhere) in Indore and Mumbai, MDP students (Sucharita, Alpana, Whirlpool guys, HPCL and more), are a few things that were enriching. Conferences in India too, at Great Lakes Chennai, NITTE, Mangalore and more. On one trip to Chennai, I visited Pulicat Lake..beautiful!

Published the 4th edition of Marketing Research with cases authored by Indore students. Also a Digital Marketing cases book with cases sourced from alums of B schools. Admission interviews were opportunities to catch up with alums in different places- met a few I had only connected with on Fb!!

And of course, the support staff from all the offices, and the acad associates who took the load off my shoulders. Will fondly remember all of you. Maybe meet a few. 

A Maruti loyalist, I also bought a Wagon R to replace my 2005 Esteem (note, Shruti and Aditya Naag). 

M.P. has been a revelation, with Mandu, Maheshwar, Bhopal/Sanchi, and Patalpani, Jam Gate within easy driving range, in Western parts. I also wrote a case on MP Tourism along with a student, and popularised poha beyond the state borders, with DP and Cover Pic Awards, along with quizzes, for which the reward included a poha. Met/made a lot of friends from the state, or reconnected with alums from hereabouts too.

Saying Goodbye

It is known that we will grace the earth for a limited span. That we have to watch people we know and love and respect go, is known to each one of us. That does not necessarily make the parting easy. Sometimes, there is relief, if the person was suffering from a painful malady. But a sadness is inevitable.

I spent my childhood in Hyderabad or thereabouts, and stayed in my aunt's place for a few months while I enrolled in Hyderabad Public School, before they got a hostel-this was a new branch. While there, and after, my Uncle was a great help, both as a role model, and in teaching me how to ride a Luna- the first mass-scale moped sold in India, made by Kinetic-much before the Honda collaboration. He was in good health, full of life, and enthusiastic about sports-cricket included. We met reasonably regularly, and discussed everything under the Sun. Luckily, I also met him around this time last year to celebrate his 85th birthday. Lost him recently, but the great memories will keep me company.

 Above- last year at his 85th, and Below- many years earlier, with my aunt next to him. I am with one of my kids here.