DESTINY`S CHILD! PERHAPS THAT WOULD BEST DEFINE RUSSI MODY`S PERSONA, GIVEN HIS INDELIBLE IMPRINT ON THE CHAPTERS OF INDIA`S CORPORATE HISTORY. TO THE MANOR BOM, HE UNDERTOOK A SEA VOYAGE FROM BOMBAY TO THE BRITISH SHORES, AND ENTERED THE PORTALS OF HARROW AT AGE TWELVE. THIS HARROVIAN BECAME THE PRESIDENT OF OXFORD UNION, AND DURING HIS ACADEMIC PURSUIT OF HISTORY AT CHRIST CHURCH COLLEGE GOT SMITTEN BY THE VERY DEMEANOUR OF THE FRENCH CONQUEROR NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, RATTLING OFF THE NAMES OF HIS TWENTY-SIX GENERALS; AND PLAYED PIANO ACCOMPANYING THE NOBEL LAUREATE NUCLEAR PHYSICIST ALBERT EINSTEIN ON VIOLIN IN THE PRECINCTS OF THE UNIVERSITY IN THE 1930S. IN THE SAME DECADE, COMMENCED HIS PROFESSIONAL BAPTISM BY FIRE AT TATA STEEL (TLSCO), IN BIHAR`S REMOTE PROVINCIAL TOWN OF JAMSHEDPUR AS A KHALASI (MANUAL WORKER). WHAT A PARADOX IN TERMS OF HIS ARISTOCRATIC UPBRINGING AND ENGLISH EDUCATION! BUT THIS `MAN-MOTIVATOR` PROVED HIS "METTLE` AS MUCH TO HIMSELF AS TO HIS DETRACTORS, COVETING THE MARSHAL`S HOT SEAT AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE LARGEST PRIVATE COMPANY IN INDIA. A HISTORIC ASSOCIATION OF FIFTY-THREE YEARS WITH THE HALLOWED TATA EMPIRE WON HIM INTEMATIONAL ACCLAIM IN "INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS`, AND HE PENNED HIS OWN MANTRA OF PRACTICAL WISDOM BY LEADING FROM THE FRONT, WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS ALIKE. AHEAD OF HIS TIMES, AS EXPECTED OF A VISIONARY, HE IS AMONG THE PIONEERS IN INDUSTRY WHO INVESTED IN "HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT` WHEN SUCH MANAGEMENT JARGONS HAD NOT BEEN INVENTED. FIRST AND FOREMOST, HE CONNECTED WITH HIS WORKERS AS A HUMAN BEING, AND THE REST AS THEY SAY IS HISTORY. FOR SOMEONE WHO COURTED CONTROVERSIES AT EVERY GIVEN STEP OF HIS STUPENDOUS CAREER, HE HAS LITERALLY LIVED BY HIS WITS. A MAN OF STEELY DETERMINATION, BUT ALWAYS KNOWN TO WEAR A SMILE, HIS BONHOMIE COULD PIERCE THROUGH THE MOST OMINOUS SITUATION. `WIT IS A WAY OF LIFE` WITH THIS CORPORATE. CZAR, WHO WAS COMPLIMENTED AS "A LEGEND IN HIS LIFETIME`, BY NONE OTHER THAN HIS MENTOR JRD TATA. PASSIONATE, JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING, HE LIVED LIFE KING-SIZE, RAISING A TOAST WITH THE HOI-POLLOI OF THE CHARMED CIRCLE; AND HIS ANNUAL SORTIES TO THE SOUTH OF FRANCE TO SAVOUR GOOD TIMES AT RIVIERA BECAME PART OF THE FOLKLORE. BUT THAT FLAMBOYANCE MASKED A DYNAMIC DISCIPLINARIAN AND ANALYTICAL ADMINISTRATOR, WHO CONTINUED TO REMAIN A CHAMPION OF THE UNDERDOG. CONFERRED THE NATIONAL HONOUR WITH PADMA BHUSHAN, HE ALSO FOUND A PRIDE OF PLACE IN THE BBC SERIES, MONEY MAKERS, THAT PORTRAYED SIX BOARDROOM POWERS AROUND THE WORLD, AND THEN MARCHED INTO THE LEAGUE OF "INTERNATIONAL WHO`S WHO OF PROFESSIONALS`. A UNIQUELY GIFTED INDIVIDUAL, RUSSI MODY MIGHT FIND IT HARD TO REPLICATE HIS OWN ACT. SIMPLY REFUSING TO RETIRE, HE SAYS "CHEERS` TO LIFE AT NINETY, CHANTING J`ATTENDRAI...TO THE STRAINS OF PIANO, WITHOUT MISSING A NOTE. AGE HAS NOT WITHERED THE SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR WHO HAS FOUGHT ALL HIS BATTLES WITH SUCH EXEMPLARY ELAN...! PARTHA MUKHERJEE HAS SERVED THE MULTINATIONAL RECKITT BENCKISER FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS, CLOSELY INVOLVED WITH OPERATIONS. HE HAS SCRIPTED AND DIRECTED AN AUDIO PROGRAMME ON KOLKATA, COMMEMORATING THE THREE HUNDREDTH YEAR OF THE CITY IN 1989, AND IT WAS PLAYED ON THE PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS OF ALL METRO STATIONS FOR SIX MONTHS AT A STRETCH. HIS DOCUMENTARY FILM, PULU, ON THE LIFE & TIMES OF CELEBRATED BENGALI ACTOR, SOUMITRA CHATTERJEE, AND THE FOLK DANCES OF SAMBALPUR, RECEIVED CRITICAL ACCLAIM FROM CINEASTES. JYOTI SABHARWAL HAS CO-AUTHORED THE AUTOBIOGRAPHIES OF KAPIL DEV (STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART), AMRISH PURI (THE ACT OF LIFE) AND VYJAYANTIMA/A BALI (BONDING...).
एक अत्यंत संपन्न, अत्यंत सुसंस्कृत कुटुंब.
मुलांचे लाड खूप व्हायचे, पण शिस्तही तितकीच कडक असायची, कपडे साधे असायचे.
असं ठासून मनावर बिंबवलं जायचं, की गरिबी, मळके कपडे यात लाजिरवाणं काहीही नाही; खोटं बोलणं, वाईट वागणं हे लाजिरवाणं आहे.
शिक्षण इंग्लंडमध्ये हॅरो आणि ऑक्सफर्डला. इतिहास राहिला बाजूला, नोकरीला लागले एका मोठ्या कारखान्यात रोजावर मजूर म्हणून!
कष्ट करण्याची तयारी, माणसांना समजून घेणं, माणसं जोडता येणं, सर्वांशी मिळतं घेणं हे खास विशेष गुण. शिस्तीचे आग्रही.
उत्तम कलांची आवड, उत्तम खाण्याची, पिण्याची, संगीताची, पाश्चिमात्त्य नृत्याची जाण व आवड. उत्तम वक्ते, भरपूर वाचन, कारकिर्दीत प्रचंड प्रगती.
........सगळंच छान? दु:ख कशाचंच नाही? आहे ना! पण त्याचं प्रदर्शन नाही.
नोकरीत अन्याय झाला– दुसरी कंपनी काढली! इतकी बहुरंगी, बहुढंगी, आगळीवेगळी, विलक्षण व्यक्ती आहे तरी कोण?
ज्यांनी जमशेटपूरच्या टिस्कोमध्ये एकूण त्रेपन्न वर्षं सलग काम केलं,
त्यातली नऊ वर्षं अध्यक्ष व प्रमुख संचालक म्हणून काम करून कंपनीची
विक्री व नफा प्रचंड प्रमाणात वाढवला, ते आता नव्वदी पार केलेले,
तरीही कामात व्यग्र असलेले आणि मजेत जगणारे, हे आहेत.