Axis Bank

Pages volUME 39

Basic

Financial

Rules You Must

Know

october - december 2011

iNSiDE

Q Moneytalk Q Pleasure Pursuits Q Fire and Spice and

All Things Nice Q Go Green with Kids Q Bust A Move

Q M F Husain & Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi

Dear Priority Customer, It’s that time of the year when you get to see your favourite and much desired magazine once again. Another quarter has passed, and pepped up by your ongoing shower of praises, from you, our beloved readers, we gladly present to you our first ever e-version of the magazine.

Chief Editors

Yasir Imran Deepali Sukhthankar

In this issue, our cover story is titled ‘Basic Financial Rules You Must Know’, an article that explains what you have to know about personal finance. The simple and truthful intention in doing this piece is to eliminate personal finance myths, and also help you experience a better financial health.

In ‘Do More’ we have another personal finance article that looks into our little quirky interests or better still, hobbies. Our purpose is to let people enjoy their passions, at the same time make some money out of it, if they can. Why shouldn’t you be able to do the thing you love?

Also in the section we talk about the little jolly community that mostly resides in western India called Parsis and their take on food. After reading this piece you would certainly realise why the ‘bawas’, as they are lovingly called, are always in a happy mood.

Keeping in mind our policy of going green, we have decided to weave in a piece introducing kids to the virtues of a cleaner environment in ‘Be More’. The article informs parents on how to train their children to become a part of a greener future.

Within the same section, realising how much people love doing the boogie, we talk about dancing and its power to heal body, mind and soul.

In the ‘Achieve More’ section, we speak about two famous Indian personalities who recently passed away – M.F. Husain and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi – both of whom will be remembered as legends in their respected fields.

As you always have, please let us know what you feel about the magazine. Your views are invaluable and deeply appreciated. Especially tell us, how you find this new format and how we can improve it for you.

So till we bring you the next issue of Priority Pages, we wish you a wonderful time and a Happy Diwali hope you enjoy reading the current issue, just as you did last time.

Executive Editor and Publisher

Maneck Davar Editorial

Aaron Rodrigues Art Director

Manoj P V Designers

Namrata D. Shelar Sunil Kadam Digital Imaging

Paras Damani Ninad Jadhav

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed or implied in the magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the directors, employees or any other individual directly connected with the company and its group of companies. The transparencies that are sent in are at the owner’s risk and the publisher accepts no liability for loss or damage. Material in this publication may not be reproduced, whether in part or whole, without the written consent of both, Axis Bank and Spenta Multimedia.

The in-house ‘Priority Pages’ is a quarterly magazine of ‘Axis Bank’ Corporate office: Axis House, Bombay Dyeing Mills Compund, Pandurang Budhkar Marg, Worli, Mumbai - 400 025 and published and printed by Spenta Multimedia at Peninsula Spenta, Mathuradas Mill Compound, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400 013 Tel: +91-22-24811010; Website: www.spentamultimedia.com.

Please mail your suggestions to

Priority Pages Editorial Team

priority.pages@axisbank.com

Contents

18

VOLUME 39 | OCT - DEC 2011

DO MORE moneyTALK

5

coverSTORY

8

personalFINANCE

11

food

14

BE MORE environment

16

wellness

18

ACHIEVE MORE profile

20

Role of Insurance in Financial Planning Basic Financial Rules You Must Know Pleasure Pursuits

Fire and Spice and All Things Nice

Go Green with Kids Bust A Move

M F Husain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi

16 14 11

22

20 8

domore MONEY TALK

Role of

Insurance Financial Planning in

By Axis Bank Investment Advisory Team

F

inancial planning essentially involves identifying one’s financial goals over various stages of life and prioritising them according to their importance and creating an investment plan to realise those goals. In a way insurance is also for creating an asset because the premium paid towards buying an insurance policy helps to create an asset without paying for the full value of the asset especially in the initial stage. When someone pays a premium, it is an amount that is paid towards buying financial security for his family as well as for himself. Over a period of time this amount gets accumulated for meeting his financial

goals or achieving certain milestones in life.

Life insurance lays the foundation for a strong financial plan. This is because it provides financial security for one’s family by protecting one’s financial assets like the present and the future income, against the uncertainties of life. It specifically addresses the issue of providing cash to one‘s family after a person’s death.

The cash in the form of death benefit paid helps to replace the income one would have generated and this in turn would help to meet any important financial needs. For instance, it can prioritypages

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be used to repay home loan or meet running household expenses, pay for children’s expenses and thus ensure that one’s dependents are not burdened with debt. The proceeds received from a life insurance policy would mean that ones family would not have to sell assets to pay outstanding liabilities or expenditure.

It is true that the loss of a loved one is a traumatic experience. But, if one’s family is left behind without sufficient financial resources, to meet basic living needs or plan for future goals, it will be extremely difficult for them to cope with a financial crisis at the same time.

october-december 2011

domore MONEY TALK A life insurance plan thus ensures that one’s family is financially secure even if tomorrow one is not there to take care of them.

Insurance is a form of risk management as it helps to provide protection against the economic loss arising from negative consequences of an event affecting a particular asset. Human life is an asset that has an ability to generate income.

Since insurance cannot prevent events such as illness or death from occurring, it helps to protect the economic benefit derived from a human life by compensating the loss of income that may occur. It is important to remember that returns in an insurance policy should not be compared with other investment products as it is a tool for financial security.

The core benefit of life insurance is that the financial interests of one’s family are protected from circumstances such as loss of income due to critical illness or death of the policyholder. At the same time, insurance products also have a strong inbuilt wealth creation proposition. Thus an investor benefits on these two fronts.

Protection Needs The first step in financial planning is to secure life insurance cover equivalent to at least five to ten times of your annual gross income. To determine quantum of life insurance needed, one needs to gather personal financial information and estimate what one’s family will need after one is not living.

So, what is the level of life insurance cover that is needed?

1. How much will be needed by one’s family to meet immediate obligations or liabilities, in case of an unfortunate event like death or total disability ?

2. How much future income is needed to sustain the household?

For the first category it is the sum total of all the expenses like unpaid medical costs, funeral expenses, final settlement costs and other lump sum obligations such as outstanding liability, short term debts, etc.

For the second category, it involves calculating the “present value” of future stream of cash-flow. By working with a professional financial advisor, one can develop a detailed analysis according to one’s personal needs and specific situation.

Insurance products offers certain benefits that can be broadly divided into 2 parts: • On death: Here a particular amount is paid only on the death of the insured within a specified period (policy coverage period) governed by the insurance policy.

• On survival: In this case certain amounts are paid if the insured survives a specified period or on completion of certain milestones.

Products that are designed by Insurance companies are typically meant to address the life cycle needs of the insured. It is here that role of financial planning helps in selection of appropriate products to meet the specific requirements as follows: • Protection needs • Saving and growth needs • Children education planning needs • Retirement planning needs These products are broadly structured as either traditional policies or unit linked policies with specific features incorporated to meet the particular needs of the policyholder. For example a children’s plan may be a traditional money back policy that has periodic payments made at defined time intervals. The payouts would help to meet the need for funds at various stages in a child’s life. prioritypages

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Insurance plans can be categorised into 2 parts: n Traditional policies in the form of term insurance policies, whole life policies and endowment policies meant for investors with a low risk appetite and primarily for protection needs and less for wealth creation.

In whole life policies, the risk cover is applicable for the entire life of the policyholder with sum assured and bonus payable to the nominee of the beneficiary only upon the death of the policyholder. While, in the case of endowment policies, risk is covered for a specified period at the end of which the sum assured along with accumulated bonus is paid back to the policyholder. In case of death of the policy holder during the term of the policy, the sum assured and accumulated bonuses get paid to the nominee.

Money back policies are a type of endowment policies wherein sum assured is partially paid back to the policyholder at specified intervals during the term of the policy as long as the policy holder is alive. An important feature of money back policies is that in case the policy holder dies during the term of the policy, the full sum assured gets paid as death benefit without deducting any of the survival benefit amount that has already been paid. Similarly, the bonus is also calculated on the full sum assured and is paid accordingly. Thus Endowment policies are quite popular for their survival benefits and their benefits gets enhanced by guaranteed and revisionary bonus that is declared on policies.

n Unit Linked Insurance plans (ULIPs) are policies that combine protection and investment by providing the policyholder an option to invest a portion of the premium in market oriented investment options (that is a certain proportion is invested in equity and debt markets as per

october-december 2011

domore MONEY TALK lifestyle financial goals change and hence it is important to invest in an instrument that offers corresponding benefits pertinent to the life stage. Life insurance is one of the investment option that provides specific products tailor made for different stages of life.

© Filograph | Dreamstime.com

•

policy fund options available). The returns on ULIPs is a function of market performance which in turn is determined by the underlying investment made in equity or debt market or a combination of the two based on the underlying fund selection.

There are ULIPs which are available for whole-life or a limited period of time. In case of ULIPs, the sum assured is a multiple of the annual premium with an allocation rate determining the portion of the premium that is invested. In ULIP, investors have an option to make additional premium payments in the form of top ups which again get invested in the funds selected.

On maturity of the policy, the policyholder receives the value of the fund which is the number of units standing to the credit of the policy holder multiplied by the net asset value of the fund on the maturity date. In case the policyholder dies during the term of the policy, the beneficiary will receive either the sum assured or higher of the sum assured or the fund value, or the sum total of sum assured and the fund value depending on the terms of the policy. Though ULIPs are not entitled to participate

in the revisionary bonus declared by the company, the policy may see additions in the form of loyalty bonus at the end of the term.

To summarise, Life insurance, can be specifically tailored to meet one’s financial needs as follows: •

Saving and Protection: Life insurance is a unique investment tool that helps one to meet his/ her twin needs of saving for life’s important goals and protecting one’s assets.

•

Asset Protection: Typically investments are made with the intention of generating capital appreciation or providing capital protection with regular returns.

While most financial instruments offer the benefit of capital appreciation, life insurance is unique in the sense that it gives the investor the assurance of asset protection, along with a strong element of asset appreciation

•

Goal based savings: Each of us has multiple financial goals for which one needs to save.

These goals could be in the form of buying a house or planning for child’s education or marriage or ultimately in the form of retirement planning. At different stages of

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Retirement Planning: Retirement planning is a need that is required by everyone who wants to maintain the same standard of living that he / she has got accustomed to. In the absence of state-sponsored social security system and limitations of ability of provident fund to provide for a large retirement corpus and increasing uncertainties in personal and professional life it is necessary for individuals to plan their finances to fund their retirement needs.

An annuity is a special type of insurance contract wherein a corpus is created either as a lump sum or in instalments over a period of time such that the insurance company undertakes to make periodic payment to the purchaser of the annuity.

An annuity is a useful tool for income and retirement planning as it can generate regular income over a period of time based on the corpus created. The annuity paid typically depends upon the annuity rate applicable at the time of purchase of annuity and is guaranteed for the entire period. An annuity can be immediate annuity wherein annuity payments begin immediately on purchasing the annuity or it could be deferred annuity wherein it is deferred till the vesting age during which time corpus is built and used to buy the annuity on the vesting age at the rates applicable at the time of buying the annuity.

Thus it can be seen that insurance plans offer numerous benefits to the customer and appropriate products need to be chosen to reflect the needs of the customer at different stages of his/her life cycle in order to attain financial goals. n

october-december 2011

domore Personal finance

Here’s your guide to simplified personal finance.

By Aaron Rodrigues

D

o you know the difference between shares and stocks? Or a Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP) with term insurance? We seem to have a lot of information on what’s going on in the financial world. Or do we?

Let’s face it, there are tons of books and online literature with financial themes, on investing and other topics.

Newspapers on a daily basis give out information on personal finance. Add to this, every time you switch on your TV, you are bombarded with advertisements

When you get high returns or low returns, it is not some unseen phenomenon. Your returns will depend on how these companies perform.

products, but how much do you actually know about personal finance? The simple fact is that when it comes to financial services, you should be aware of what is going on. Keeping up with the changes helps you remain on the desired path.

extolling the virtues of financial products.

You go out for a walk and again there are billboards telling you to buy so and so products. There are so many ways companies are propagating their

Thus, we have designed a set of pointers that are both simple and practical, which will put you on a firm footing. Understand these rules and you can probably build a better financial knowledge about money.

You may not be an aficionado or expert

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october-december 2011

domore Personal finance Early start leads to better accomplishment

© Cindy Larkin | Dreamstime.com

If you think investments are dull, how thrilling do you think poverty in old age will be? Okay, that is being a bit too harsh, but the truth is, the earlier you start investing, the greater the advantage.

As the majority of your work is done in the first stages, in the later stages, your final amount does not get severely affected. of personal finance but knowing some of it may go a long way.

course, this will all depend on how long you want to be part of that company.

Just like a marriage, you share all the good times and the bad ones. When you get high returns or low returns, it is not some unseen phenomenon. Your returns will depend on how these companies perform.

Keys to Do Well in the Stock Market

Investment in equity makes you a partner

•

Money, when put into stocks, Equity Mutual Funds (EMFs), Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), Index Funds and other such financial instruments, doesn’t make you a lender; rather, a partner. The simple idea here is that you are investing in an idea or a business that coincides with your thought and that of the company’s.

So, when you put your money in stocks of that company, you become a part of it.

Thus, when the company is doing well, so are you; when it is not, neither are you.

•

Check Key Numbers The company’s bottom line, top line, return on equity, total return and other indicators can help you zero in on quality stocks.

•

Your Game Plan A case-specific approach and investing at regular intervals are the best ways to build wealth.

In many ways, your relationship with the company in which you have invested is like that of a marriage. To make it even clearer: “I, (Investor), take you, (ABC Company), to be my ‘Invested Company’, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.” Of

•

Getting Started In the beginning, you can expect your stocks to be volatile, but in time you will see the results. The past has shown that you get the highest returns from equity investments.

Dealing with Right Financial Advisor The financial advisor will tell you when to buy and when to sell, but you must be willing to pay for sound financial advice.

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An investment made early on has the potential to grow and become more fruitful for you in the future. Say you invest in an EMF early on and the invested amount is there for a really long time.

You then decide that you no longer want be a part of it. This sudden change will not drastically affect your final output if done at a later stage. Basically, this is the power of compounding.

As the majority of your work is done in the first stages, in the later stages, your final amount does not get severely affected. The money invested at the end generally will not provide a significant contribution, as the money compounded will do its work from the start and not just towards the end. Isn’t this a great way to save up for retirement?

Companies are businesses and not charities Companies offering EMFs, life insurance, health insurance, motor insurance, Fixed Deposits (FDs) all survive on one fundamental premise — generating profits. Don’t blame a company for having bought a product that is inadequate for your financial needs.

For instance, if you are diabetic, your life insurance coverage or health insurance coverage must be higher than someone not suffering from this condition. As a consequence, you will be expected to pay a greater premium, which you should.

Evaluate between needs and luxuries There are grumblesome individuals, who, when things go wrong, look for the first excuse to blame someone. Phone’s not working — mother has spoiled it; car engine is spoilt — driver has broken it.

They have a dozen excuses for the things

october-december 2011

Get yourself a cover that is eight to ten times your annual income. The key must remain ‘get the most out of the lowest premium’ that go wrong, even when it is entirely their fault. When they get themselves financial products which doesn’t seem to be giving them the right results they need — their first inclination is to blame the company. They fail to ask themselves why they invested in it in the first place.

This not only happens with financial products, but with other choices we have to make.

For instance, we need to choose between luxuries and what we truly require. Already have a computer? Then is it necessary to have a laptop as well?

More often than not, people would rather fall for the cruel glory of luxury, than requirements, which, in turn, affects their true needs and necessities. One way of distinguishing is through a simple and age-old method called budgeting.

Plan what you need to do for the present month and the one ahead and

accordingly, seek your requirements and, of course, luxury. This is not so much a rule, but a discipline.

Insurance – Getting the best out of the least Insurance is a must and, over the last two issues of this magazine, we have been stressing its usage. Get yourself life insurance, health insurance and personal accident insurance. If you are lucky enough to own a house, get home insurance. These are a must.

Picture this — like many Indian families, you are married with kids and are the sole breadwinner, get yourself a cover that is six to ten times your annual income. The key must remain ‘get the most out of the lowest premium’. When you buy health insurance, do some additional research; find out which insurance company offers you the best deal and at what price. Evaluate what is your requirement and opt for that. When it comes to car insurance, ease of claim settlement is the most important criteria on the policy.

Ensure that the appropriate sum insured cover is bought with minimal deductions.

Also, check all the discounts you deserve and when you look at homeowners

Every financial product you buy has certain rules you must know • Stock Investments: To clothes you think you will need. understand the best way of • Car Loans: Want to buy a car? investing in stocks, employ Then follow the 20/4/10 rule. commonly used investment Basically, it goes this way – 20% formulas. Subtract your age from must be used as down payment, 100 and invest accordingly. If you no borrowing for more than are 25, then 75% would be in 4 years and don’t agree to a stocks, if you are 40, then only monthly payment that’s more than 60% should be in stocks. The 10% to 20% of your income. remainder must be kept in safe •

Life Insurance: If you have kids, you must have a life insurance policy that covers between six to ten times your family income.

•

Travelling: When travelling, take twice the money and half the

• Equity Fund Consistently Underperforms Generally, it’s better to wait for financial products and observe their growth. However, if in a year or two you see no progress and only below-par performance, then this is the appropriate time to get out.

• Fund Changes its Characteristics If the fund you selected subsequently changes its investment objective then, it is time for a change. Any modifications that were significant factors in your initial selection of the fund are sufficient reasons for you to leave.

• Your Investment Objectives Change A change in financial goals or new financial goals are sufficient reasons to leave your current investment plan and start a new one. insurance, don’t over-insure. Why pay for something that you can get cheaper?

Rules to Follow

investments.

When Should You Adjust Your Mutual Fund Portfolio?

•

Housing Loans: This one is quite simple. Don’t try and buy a house that costs more than four times your annual income. Still unclear, if you and your spouse earn R12 lakh annually, don’t go for something which would exceed R48 lakh on a home.

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Risk is a must Years ago in India, the most one could do for multiplying one’s savings was invest in FDs or provident funds that provided, at the most, decent results. This is what financial advisors call safe investments.

However, things have changed in the last few decades and now we have a plethora of financial products. Many still put their money in safe investments, as they are afraid of the volatility of the equity market (when we should be embracing these opportunities). The fact is that most of these products work well. When you’re young you must take these leaps, as it is the best time to do so. By not taking a risk, you are creating a higher risk in your financial life and pushing yourself further away from a good retired life. n

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domore PERSONAL FINANCE

pleasure pursuits Wouldn’t it be great if we could profit from our hobbies? Well, you actually can. Read on to know how you can keep the buck rolling out of your interests.

H

ow many of you wake up every morning with a wide smile on your face, thinking, “Let’s go to work”? My guess is, a very few us. Any job, no matter how interesting, tends to get a tad monotonous after a certain time and we, in turn, lose out on the zest and motivation to reinvent and produce brilliant ideas. This is where we should give ourselves a break.

But what if your hobby helps you earn some extra cash? Yep, you heard us right. With realistic expectations

and a bit of research on the earning possibilities of your hobby, you may do very well. First, it is essential to focus on something that you truly enjoy doing.

Let money not be the driving force.

Money is essential, but if you start off purely for the purpose of making money, your interest will gradually fizzle out.

Since you have embarked on this venture to make money from your interest, it is pertinent to evaluate yourself as well as your skills from time-to-time.

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© Cornelius20 | Dreamstime.com

© Alder | Dreamstime.com

By Manali Das

october-december 2011

domore PERSONAL FINANCE

Sheer Joy of writing When I think of capitalising on a talent, the first thought that crosses my mind is writing. Being able to write and express yourself in words and move people with your writings is a great gift. So, if you have it, then make the most of it. With the Internet, grabbing the right audience and creating a platform to showcase your talent has become easier than ever.

Get in touch with publishing houses in and around the country and freelance for them. You also have the option to start your own blog or submit your precious works to various writing competitions that could give you some extra cash.

Coins: How to Evaluate a Coin?

Coin Features Coins have been minted from gold, silver, copper and steel. Depending on where they are made, coins will most probably feature leaders.

Identification

Frozen in frame If you have the vision and can make even the most mundane things look like a piece of art with a lens, grab your camera and get down to business.

There are a number of online sites that can help you sell your images. You can also take up small projects for your friends and close relatives. For example, your neighbour just had a baby daughter and they want you to capture rare and priceless moments. Grab each of these opportunities that come your way and make the most of them.

Time travel Another very lucrative hobby is coin and stamp collections. Most of us have at some point in our lives collected stamps and coins with genuine interest. Some even continue with their obsession of

collection at the latter stages of their lives, with childlike enthusiasm and curiosity. So if you are one of them, here’s some good news. If you want, you could make a bomb by selling your collection — to the right person, of course.

So, how do you go about it? Firstly, find out the market value of your collection. Some stamps and coins from a particular country or era may be more valuable than others. If you want a good price for your collection, it’s necessary that you take utmost care of your stamps and coins. Instead of stacking them away in some unattended corner of a bookshelf, archive them in an album. This holds true particularly for your stamps, as with time they tend to get brittle and fade.

© Elena Elisseeva | Dreamstime.com

With the Internet, grabbing the right audience and creating a platform to showcase your talent has become easier than ever.

Back in the early days most coins didn’t have dates in which they were minted, so making it harder to identify them. Thus, checking its language, script, images, metal content, weight and color, to understand its maturity.

Grading The grading of a coin is through an analysis of several criteria, vis-a-vis its quality, the rarity, the interest factor, and the liquidity factor.

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october-december 2011

domore PERSONAL FINANCE

While de-cluttering your attic, to your surprise you uncover a box full of your favourite cartoons. Did you know that you can actually make money from these comics? Just like stamps, they, too, are graded as mint, fine or poor, depending on the quality of the comic and the nature of the content.

Don’t believe us? Recently at Heritage Auctions, the original art from Page 10, issue #3 of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (1986) fetched $ 448,125, while $179, 250 for Carl Barks’ Vacation Panel Painting Original Art and $131,450 for two bound volumes of Action Comics!

Nature lover Given a choice, I would be a farmer or gardener. Strange as it might sound, there’s nothing more therapeutic than being in the company of nature (in whatever form — trees, flowers or even some potted plants in your balcony).

Many of us are aware of bonsai, the Japanese art of growing stunted trees in flower pots. Get in touch with your neighbourhood florist or even a gift shop and get them to sell your plants by offering a commission on every sale.

If you love gardening why not make it a source of income. Get in touch with multi-national corporations, who hire landscape artists and gardeners to revamp their offices.

Artsy you We are all gifted in some way or the other — some of us discover our talents as kids and some of us take a wee bit longer. However, no matter how late you start, make the most of your creativity and potential. Candle making, painting, pottery, interior designing, art

© Erik Gauger| Dreamstime.com

If you want a good price for your collection, it’s necessary that you take utmost care of your stamps and coins.

Fun Facts About Stamps • The Receiver-General of Stamp Duties in Ireland, John Bourke, in 1774, was the first postage stamps collector.

• Apart from being the largest nation, China also issued the largest postage stamps in the 1900’s.

• Scinde Dawk, the first postage stamp of Asia, was issued in India in 1852, while the first bicoloured stamps of the British Commonwealth were issued in 1854. and craft, the possibilities are limitless and any work of art that is born out of conviction and comes from the heart will always find an audience. You can probably give away what you’ve created to your friends and family every time they visit. Once the word spreads, you will have people making a beeline for your products. This is where the business perspective comes in. If you take pride in your talent, take up teaching lessons.

Dough for the Chef Ever heard someone say you are a great cook and if what they say is true, prioritypages

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then it’s time you started charging them. Yes, cooking can become a major source of revenue if you are a great cook. The avenues to make moolah are also plenty. From giving kitchen lessons, to selling some of your delicious mouth-watering desserts, to even writing your own recipe books, the prospect to bring in big bucks is always there. All you need to do is market yourself, bring in smarter food presentations and let the word of mouth spread. Most housewives have taken up this opportunity as their part-time profession, and why not.

The possibility of getting some dough through selling your eatables at various festivals, to catering to parties, is enormous.

In this piece, we have only listed some of the popular hobbies and interests that actually help replenish your pocket money. Like we said, keep your expectations grounded. Although, these will help you rope in some extra income, they might not be enough for sustenance. But, nothing should deter you from indulging in an activity or hobby that brings a smile to your face — even if it’s something crazy and unusual. Besides, you never know when you might get lucky and find a true audience! n

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domore Food

&

Fire spice

and all things nice

If you’ve ever wondered why bawas seem so jolly all the time, you might want to look into what they’re eating. No, it isn’t that extra Parsi peg or something in the water. It’s all about the bhonu, baby.

By Freyan Patel Photographs by Samantha Da Cunha

A

Parsi wedding is an elegant affair.

Tastefully done sprays of flowers, fairy lights twinkling under the night sky, men in crisp white daglis or immaculate suits, women in embroidered saris and sparkling jewellery, children, in their finest, expertly weaving in and out of crowds of aunties and uncles and the live band playing old tunes are regular features at these dos. But behind the stage, a little away from the stylishly clad guests, covered by the sounds of laughter and jolly shouts of “Kem che dikra?” and replies of “Majaa ma, Uncle!” lurks a somewhat graceless scene — the dinner area. Rows and rows of long

tables, covered in white cloth, lined with plastic chairs, servers running about getting things ready, cooks screaming for more ghee and the odd clanging of an impossibly huge spoon on one of those impossibly huge vessels, where spices simmer, meats marinate and daals boil, awaiting the descent of the hungry, albeit elegantly dressed guests. For a Parsi wedding, no matter how beautiful, is judged largely on one thing alone — the food. Which, if you think about it, sums up a Bawa’s take on life.

Of eggs and origins One of the main features of Parsi food is its lack of any obvious influences. In fact, Parsi cuisine seems to be more a chronicle of the community’s journey from Iran to Gujarat.

With traditional Persian recipes as a starting point, dishes were adapted according to locally available ingredients.

Slowly, the dishes that we know today began to take shape, giving the world a rich new cuisine, made with what Bawas love best – fire, spice and, certainly, eggs.

It’s an old Parsi kitchen secret – when in doubt, crack an egg over it; thus producing some of the most delicious Parsi dishes like salli per edu (eggs on a bed of salli with fried onions and a mix of spices), tamota per edu (same, but with tomatoes), bheeda per edu (again the same, only now a bed of ladies finger) and well, just about anything per edu. Sadly, you’re not likely to get these dishes at a restaurant, so it would be best to get yourself invited over to a Parsi friend’s home for a day.

And if you don’t know any Parsis, fret not — you can still sample akuri, the king of egg dishes, at most Parsi restaurants.

Made by beating together eggs, milk, fried onions, tomatoes, coriander, a touch of turmeric and, if you like, green chillies, akuri tastes best with soft, fresh pao or a hard brun pao.

Twice as rice Moving on from breakfast, a Parsi lunch would usually comprise a rice dish. At a Parsi household, you’re likely to be prioritypages

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october-december 2011

domore Food One thing you can be sure of, whether it’s at home, at a wedding or in a restaurant, Parsis are crazy about their bhonu. served curry chaval — where the curry is made with fish, prawns, chicken or mutton — with a generous helping of kachumber and a piece of lime. On other days, you may encounter yellow rice served with egg or fish saas (a white sauce that is tangy, sweet and spicy) or a light ras cooked with mutton, chicken or fish, served over rice.

On a Sunday, chances are you will be treated to the famous dhansak. Heavy enough to tranquilise an elephant, especially on hot afternoons. The star of this dish is the thick daal, which is made with three different lentils, various veggies blended in, masalas and chunks of mutton, served over caramelised rice. Dhansak is usually served with kachumber and mutton kebabs or, in some homes, kolmi-no-kabab — fried balls of chopped prawns, spiced and mixed with onions and coriander.

Dhansak, though popular, is actually a ‘funeral’ dish, so it won’t be served during an auspicious occasion. But the dhan-dhar-patia, the rice dish traditionally served on an auspicious day, is just as delicious. Plain white rice is served with yellow daal and, the pièce de résistance, kolmi-no-patio – prawns cooked in fried onions and a delicious red masala which, typical of a lot of Parsi food, is a combination of spicy and sweet tastes.

The wedding feast One of the best places to sample Parsi food is a lagan (wedding) or navjote (initiation ceremony), where you will be served food on a banana leaf by surly waiters, who don’t really care how much you’ve eaten, because all they are intent on doing is doling out copious amounts of food until you’re fit to burst or have to be carried, wheeled or rolled out of the venue. The lagan-nu-patra starts off

with a dollop of lagan-nu-achaar, a sweet and spicy pickle, served with thick, white fryums, called saarias. Then the roti, followed by the fish dish, which is usually patrani-macchi¬ (pomfret covered in spicy green chutney, wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed) or saas-ni-macchi (fish in a tangy, sweet and spicy white sauce). This is followed by the chicken, either farcha (pieces of chicken, coated in masala, dipped in egg whites and deep fried) or salli murghi (chicken cooked in a red masala and topped with salli).

Now, if you’re having a more elaborate patra, all this will be followed with a mutton or egg course (or both). Here, you’re likely to encounter the delicious kid-nu-gosht (mutton in a white, creamy gravy) or Parsi roast mutton. The egg dishes vary, but the more popular ones are lasan-ni-akuri (scrambled eggs cooked with green garlic and chillies) or salli-per-edu. After this comes the pulao daal. Spicy rice, somewhat similar to a biryani, rich in masalas, mutton, potatoes and, sometimes, boiled eggs, topped off with a spicier daal. Somewhere in the middle of all of this, or maybe in the beginning, you may also be served a small, round piece of topli-no-paneer, which, unlike its Punjabi counterpart, is soft and very light. And with that, we finally come to dessert. Desserts at weddings usually include the popular lagan-nu-custard, malai kulfi and hot jalebi.

One thing you can be sure of, whether it’s at home, at a wedding or in a restaurant, Parsis are crazy about their bhonu. While some of us may appear reasonably sane or, heck, even normal, as opposed to the typical ‘mad bawa’ or ‘mad bawi’ your mother warned you about, remember my example of a Parsi wedding. Beautiful, elegant and charming on the outside… crazy, hungry and ruthless (if it means getting the better piece of chicken, that is) on the inside. n prioritypages

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Parsi food and where to find it: •

Jimmy Boy at Fort Mumbai is probably the finest place to have some great Parsi fish dishes like sausi-ni-macchi, patra-ni-macchi, mixed with their appetizing berry pulao

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If you’re in the mood for dhansak (and don’t have a very busy afternoon lined up), drop into Ideal Corner on Gunbow Street, at Fort in Mumbai, where they dish up this delicious Parsi favourite on Wednesdays and Fridays.

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Also if you know a member of the Ripon Club (also in Fort), get him to take you there for lunch on Wednesday. The Wednesday dhansak here is an age-old tradition, popular with the folks who work in the area.

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Ideal Corner also serves up a bunch of popular Parsi dishes, including khichdi saas, fish patia, a yummy akuri and salli mutton.

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Undoubtedly one of the most popular places to sample Parsi fare is Britannia, located at Ballard Estate. Their kheema berry pulao, patra-ni-macchi, salli boti, bombil fry and caramel custard are ridiculously good.

october-december 2011

bemore ENVIRONMENT

Go with kids

Most parents focus on instilling values, manners and even financial know-how in children. However, they miss out on how to make them more eco-aware. It’s now time to get our kids involved in creating a greener future

© Rmarmion

| Dreamstim

e.com

By Kanishka Ramchandani

C

an you ever forget the nursery rhyme ‘Jack and Jill’, which you were taught in school? Or the ‘fork-in-left-and-spoon-in-right-hand rule’, your parents inculcated in you?

Quite unlikely, if you were taught. All these habits and manners that have been painstakingly inculcated in you by your parents are not just hard, but nearly impossible to break. A man, they say, is a creature of habit. A fact, our parents knew all too well. Thus, they started preparing us right from a tender age, as soon as we were old enough to obey. Whatever we pick up later in life is optional or conditional. The first lessons in life remain and that’s why it is important to start early.

Environmental degradation is a hard fact we cannot ignore. Since our kids will inherit this planet, we must do our best to make their legacy a better place to live in. Once you introduce your kids to environment conservation at an early age, they will grow up with a sense of responsibility towards the ecology.

Begin early The best method of teaching children to respect the environment is through example. Children are great learners and they grasp ideas more quickly when emulated. Thus, start eco-education at

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an early stage. Teach them not to leave taps running, switch off the lights while leaving the room, and not to leave the TV or computer on or on stand-by mode.

It is understandable, as parents, you may not allow them to touch electrical switches, but make it a point to explain the reason behind your actions every time you do something. Also, introduce words like conservation, eco-friendly and environment into their lexicon. Remember, kids have a very curious mindset, so going that extra mile helps a lot.

Recycle and reuse Let your child know the difference between natural and artificial products.

You can organise a session with your kid and their friends on a Sunday, and gauge their knowledge about naturegiven and man-made products. Then, you can establish the idea of why and how nature needs to be conserved.

Let them exchange ideas on how to recycle and reuse everyday stuff, like old newspapers, discarded plastic, etc. You will be surprised how innovative kids can be once they are shown the right path.

Action stations As a parent, you need to be a catalyst in your child’s eco-education. Pay attention

october-december 2011

bemore ENVIRONMENT

© Mario Curcio | Dreamstime.com

Children are great learners and they grasp ideas more quickly when emulated.

important; rather what you teach them to do themselves that is far more relevant.

Encourage hobbies

to what he or she learns in school in their environmental studies class. And then make sure that they implement their learning. Simple things like putting the garbage in the bin, using limited water, saving electricity, etc., would go a long way in instituting green ideas in your child.

Get as many kids as possible and get them involved, thus inculcating a general sense of responsibility. Make it a party and let everyone enjoy an eco-friendly festivity.

Hobbies are beneficial for kids in many ways. For starters, they are means of expressing personal accomplishment and a route through self-discovery; hobbies definitely help in building self-esteem.

So egg them on with green hobbies. If your kid likes gardening, get them more involved in plants and flowers. Then, slowly introduce the concept of organic manure and eco-friendly fertilisers.

It would be interesting to see their reactions, when they realise how they can be useful in conserving the environment while indulging in their hobbies.

Be demonstrative

Celebrate Earth Day

Heard the phrase, “Practise what you preach” or “Actions speak louder than words”? Well, over here, these idioms seem more apt. It is pertinent to explain the whys and hows of everything around us to our kids, while asking them to be more ecologically responsible. Ecoawareness does not come by rote; it has to be truly inculcated. Get your child interested in current affairs about the ecology. Explain concepts like ‘depletion of the ozone layer’ and make them understand how our actions in our daily lives affect the world at large. Once you explain the cause-and-effect behind every action, your kid will be able to grasp the meaning of eco-conservation much faster.

Remember, it’s not what you do for your kids that is

Invite your children and their friends to celebrate Earth Day. Ask them to circulate banners in every building in your colony to announce Earth Day. In keeping with this special day, request every house to switch off their lights and fans for one hour on this day. You will be surprised how enthusiastically children will take up this initiative and how well people will respond to children. Let there be more parties. Who said education can’t be fun?

Practise to be perfect When you teach eco-conservation to kids, you not only inculcate great values in them, but you also make it a habit. For them, unlike adults, being eco-friendly then becomes a way of life and is not a forced exercise. Therefore, ensure that they practise all that they learn.

Rewards/awards Reward the kids on their initiative and this will encourage them to do more for the environment. Take them to the planetarium as a treat or buy them eco-friendly T-shirts. The reward can be small

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Here are a few pointers on how to make your kids more environment friendly •

Make it mandatory for them to turn off the tap while brushing their teeth and have shorter baths

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Teach them to recycle personal stuff like old toys, clothes and books

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Encourage them to get their friends involved by talking about eco-conservation in school

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Make them plant more trees in their backyard, housing complex or school

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Ask them to think of innovative ideas to save water, electricity and paper

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Allow them to use the Internet and social networking sites to spread awareness amongst their friends

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Collaborate with their school to have eco-awareness drives

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Take your kids and their friends on nature walks. The more they see nature, the more they will love it and want to protect it

but it will be an incentive for kids to learn and know more about the environment.

And their biggest reward? Being a part of an eco friendly environment and becoming an eco-smart human being.

Parents strive to inculcate family values, ethics and social mores in their children.

Make a new beginning by adding ecoawareness to this list. Conserving the environment will not only make them good citizens but will also help them grow up to become better human beings. The initiative you take today will reap benefits for your children in the future. n

october-december 2011

bemore WELLNESS

move

© Kirsty Pargeter | Dreamstime.com

Bust A

Fred and Ginger did it, Patrick Swayze did it, Britney does it, Baby got out of her corner to do it. So maybe it’s time you did too…

By Freyan Patel

T

here’s always one at least… that weirdo with the strange dance moves at a night club – jumping around, flailing his arms and making a complete fool of himself. He’s usually the one we try to avoid. But if you take a closer look, you’ll see that he doesn’t seem to care that he’s getting strange looks. In fact, he’s the least selfconscious person in the room. So what if he’s making a fool of himself? At least he’s having fun. It’s like that old Japanese proverb, “We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.”

So why do we dance? Some dance when they’re happy, some dance to lose weight and some dance because they love it. But what is it about dance that has had people shaking a leg from time immemorial? While this is a question I can’t answer (could there possibly be just

one answer?), what I can tell you is why you should be dancing.

Today, with classes sprouting up everywhere — from ballroom to belly dancing, from salsa to hip hop — you’ll be able to choose one that suits you the best, and whether you’re gliding across a ballroom or shimmying your way to fitness, the benefits you will receive are a lot more than just physical. Dance is a form of expression that keeps you fit, agile and flexible — body, mind, and soul.

Being in the groove will help keep your joints lubricated which, some researches indicate, aids in the prevention of arthritis and osteoporosis. prioritypages

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Body If you’re looking to lose some weight and tone those muscles, a great way to go about it would be by taking up some form of dance. Dancing provides you with a great cardiovascular workout, making it a fun way to burn those calories you don’t want and increase lung capacity and stamina. Being in the groove will help keep your joints lubricated which, some researches indicate, aids in the prevention of arthritis and osteoporosis.

Many forms of dance are also a great way to get in some resistance training, a form of strength training that causes the muscles to contract by resisting external pressure. While dancing, that external resistance comes from the dancer’s body weight, especially in dance forms that require high leaps and jumps. And while

october-december 2011

bemore WELLNESS

• During competitions Jive is danced at a speed of 176 beats per minute.

• The name Cha-Cha-Cha came from the rhythmic shuffle steps that became the pattern as the dance developed into its present form.

• In Bharatanatyam, dancers wear a unique set of jewelry known as “Temple Jewelry” during the performance.

• Waltz comes from the German word Waltzen that simply means to turn.

Photograph by Sanjay Ramachandran

Fun Facts About Dancing

Dancing requires concentration, which takes your mind off anything that might be stressing you out at work or at home.

smarter too? Yes, yes, I can sense your cynicism from here, but think about it… to keep our minds active, we’re told to challenge it constantly, and what better way to do that than taking up a new activity, especially one that entails learning a series of completely new steps and movements.

most beginners won’t be able to do this, just think of what a great workout those overhead lifts must be!

Having to memorise and recall new routines keeps the mind quick, and covering up any errors on the spot keeps it agile, making practising a learned routine a kind of cardio workout, only for the brain. In fact, studies suggest that covering up small mistakes during dance routines through some quick thinking goes to the very core of what intelligence is. Anyone can commit a few steps to memory, but having the mental acuity to cover up a mistake takes something extra — as Jean Piaget said, “Intelligence is what you use when you don’t know what to do.”

Apart from weight loss and toning, dancing also helps increase flexibility, a much overlooked part of being fit.

Being flexible allows us better overall movement. Our strength is also dependent on the flexibility of our joints, making this important not just for dance, but any kind of exercise. And, as if a slim, toned and flexible body weren’t enough, dancing can also help improve your posture and balance, as it strengthens the muscles in your back, neck and abdomen, which allows you to sit straighter and stand taller.

Mind Just like your body, your mind needs to be exercised and challenged constantly in order to keep fit. And while reading, writing and doing crosswords and mathematical puzzles definitely help, did you know that dance can make you

Apart from keeping your mind active, dancing is a great stress-buster. While any form of exercise helps relieve stress, few are as enjoyable as dance. Dancing requires concentration, which takes your mind off anything that might be stressing you out at work or at home.

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with me is, inexplicably, from the cult classic The Karate Kid, where Mr. Miyagi warns us never to trust a spiritual leader who can’t dance. And, as is usually the case, I find myself agreeing with the wise Mr. Miyagi, because it takes just that little bit of frivolity to be able to dance freely, just as it takes a certain amount of levity to handle a role as serious as that of a spiritual leader.

Dance, the ultimate expression of the human body, is a way to unleash one’s creative energies, whether it’s through a choreographed routine or a spontaneous expression of how one is feeling. Most forms of dance are a social activity, making a dancer feel like he or she ‘belongs’. Dancing is also a great way to bond with loved ones — whether it’s your partner, friends or families — and to meet new people, which, as many studies show, helps build confidence and self-esteem.

Whether it’s Bharatanatyam, jive, tango, polka or just a bunch of people jumping on a dance floor, dance is a universal language. So if you’re looking for something that’s going to make you feel great — physically, mentally and emotionally — I suggest you put on your blue suede shoes and take a whirl on the dance floor. Or, in the words of Lady Gaga – just dance! n

october-december 2011

bemore PROFILE

THE

Illustrations by Vinod Mhatre

ARTIST FORSAKEN Pegged as India’s Picasso, M. F. Husain, in many ways, was the quintessential modern artist India needed, but sadly lost.

By Sanjiv Nair

B

eing away from home can lead to years of reminiscences. Yet, for India’s white-haired artist, staying away for decades proved to be a life filled with unbridled imagination, that began with encouragement, would eventually lead to the misplaced fury of fundamentalists and then to the galvanising of a nation. Memories which are as ephemeral as the incidents that have conceived them.

© Barinov | Dreamstime.com

On 23 November 1995, at the ripe age of 80, M. F. Husain lumbered barefoot to his birthplace, the soporific hamlet of Pandharpur in Maharashtra, astutely recalling localities and names as he overheard local anecdotes with the enthusiasm of a child. He was in town to receive the Pandharpur Bhushan Award. For an hour, he lay on a gunny bag outside what used to be his home as he seized whatever tidbit of memory he saw floating towards him.

He never returned to his hometown again. On 9 June 2011, M. F. Husain died as a Qatari national with a burial at the Brookwood cemetery in London.

The Artist Born on 17 September 1915, Maqbool Fida Husain was a self-taught prodigy

whose initial stint with painting was as a Hindi movies hoardings painter. His meagre earnings from this enterprise funded his passion project – landscape portraits – for which he would take off to Surat, Baroda and Ahmedabad.

The progressive, neo-cubism style of painting, which characterises Husain’s works, first surfaced in the company of other avant-garde painters such as Francis Newton Souza and S. H. Raza, whom he met in the Progressive Artists’ Group.

and his constant companion was a slender brush disguised suspiciously as a walking stick. Husain did not even have a studio of his own. He had his canvases splayed across the floors and walls of the rooms of hotels he stayed in or those of the patrons who hosted him.

In some cases, damages were paid for by the maestro himself as he recklessly splashed paint all over the place. But many preferred keeping the room in its state of stained chaos in memory of Husain’s visit.

Soon, Husain’s works became part of some of the most illustrious art exhibitions in Mumbai. A prize from the Bombay Art Society encouraged Husain’s subsequent international sojourn, and 1952 witnessed his first solo exhibition in Zurich. This was followed by several other international events across Europe and the United States, including a large exhibition at the prestigious São Paulo Art Biennial.

Proximity to the renaissance of contemporary art in the West influenced Husain deeply, his ethnic inspirations finding an anarchic partner in crime.

In spite of his success, Husain had no money in the bank. The proceeds of his paintings were given away to the museums he created or were invested in his cadre of classic sports cars.

However, it was his eccentricities that defined him – impeccably tailored suits were worn bereft of footwear prioritypages

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However, it was his eccentricities that defined him – impeccably tailored suits were worn bereft of footwear and his constant companion was a slender brush disguised suspiciously as a walking stick

october-december 2011

bemore PROFILE

So Filmy Husain’s love affair with Indian cinema was often misinterpreted as a consequence of his passionate reverence for actress Madhuri Dixit, his muse during the ‘90s, who he would later cast as his leading lady in Gaja Gamini. This was not even his first film.

In fact, in 1967, his lesser known short film Through the Eyes of a Painter, which was funded by the Government of India, won the Golden Bear (Short Films) at the Berlin Film Festival.

His final film released in 2004, Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities, was Husain’s most expensive, semi-autobiographical film. Sadly, it was withdrawn from theatres the same week it was released, after Muslim Ulemas protested against one of the film’s songs.

Of Men and Gods As is so often the case in India, Husain’s most prolific and acclaimed works of art often became the reason for his notoriety. Completed in 1975, Passage Through Human Space imbibed elements of modernists such as Cézanne and Matisse and married them with his motivations — characters from the stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Apathetic to religious or political affiliations, Husain treated gods and goddesses as muses for his portraits, a propensity which led to some of his most inspired works but also inflamed the sentiments of several radical Hindu fundamentalists.

Controversy’s Child A year after Husain’s visit to his hometown in 1995, the Hindi monthly Vichar Mimansa printed an article titled ‘M. F. Husain – Painter or Butcher’ with scathing prose on Husain’s insensitivity and hypocrisy towards religious sentiments. A depiction of goddess Durga copulating with a tiger and a nude

portrait of goddess Saraswati, drew particular criticism.

Eight criminal complaints were lodged against Husain in the wake of this article, two of which came from Pandharpur. In spite of the widespread angst against him, Husain remained unaffected; in fact, this period proved to be his most fruitful, artistically and otherwise.

India’s Picasso and his Worth In 1991, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan and he soon went on to become the highest paid painter in the country, with his paintings being auctioned for millions of dollars. His canvases have fetched up to $2 million at a recent Christie’s auction. In 2008, at

Actresses and Husain Madhuri Dixit may have been his favourite muse, (in fact, he watched Hum Apke Hain Kaun 67 times), but in his time she wasn’t his only muse • Actress Tabu, was also one of the Maestro’s muses who starred in Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities. In fact he even drew some paintings of her.

• Also wooed by Urmila Matondkar and finding her funny, rather than sensuous, he planned to make a comedy film with her.

• Impressed by Amrita Rao he watched Vivah nine times and created several canvases of her.

• Vidya Balan was another to steal his heart; after her raunchy performance in Ishqiya, Husain planned to make a film with her while in Qatar.

• His latest muse was Bollywood’s, new bubbly girl Anushka Sharma.

So smitten was he by her performance in Band Baaja Baraat that he conveyed his accolades from Qatar. prioritypages

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This year, after the maestro’s death, Christie’s paid tribute to the master by including several Husains Christie’s auction of South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art, Husain’s Battle of Ganga and Jamuna: Mahabharata 12, a large abstract from the Hindu epic, was sold at a record $1.6 million.

This year, after the maestro’s death, Christie’s paid tribute to the master by including several Husains, accompanied by the works of other acclaimed artists such as Syed Haider Raza, Francis Newton Souza and Tyeb Mehta.

Deserted but never forgotten In the wake of the threats and controversies surrounding him, Husain was compelled to shift his base to the Middle East, where he frequently travelled between Qatar and Dubai.

In India, the artistic community took great offence at the manner in which the Government had forsaken him and demanded that he be honourably brought back. Husain kept himself at a distance from all controversies, focusing solely on his art during his last few years.

One of Husain’s last interviews features an aggressive Barkha Dutt trying to coax Husain into berating the government for its inability to get him back to India. The best she got out of him was a quote which typically personifies the humility and spirituality of one of India’s greatest painters. “I am already there [India]. I don’t think people want to touch me physically.

And hopefully, the art that I have created will live on forever. What is this, seven to eight years of life? It is miniscule in the time the universe is taking. It is nothing.” n

october-december 2011

domore PROFILE

Tiger’s roar lingers

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi aka Tiger passed away on September 22, but his legacy lives on

By Priyanka Agarwal

A

saga of courage, determination and composure has come to an end. Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi or better known as Tiger Pataudi, one of India’s cricketing prides, passed away on September 22 after battling a lung infection.

With his passing only his memories, inspiring records and never-say-give-up attitude remain.

FACTS ABOUT PATAUDI

Born on 5 January, 1941, to Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi (the eighth Pataudi Nawab) and Sajida Sultan (daughter of the last Nawab ruler of Bhopal), Tiger Pataudi was crowned the ninth Pataudi Nawab when he was 11, after his father’s death.

While studying at Winchester College, the young Pataudi found his passion for cricket and in 1957 would make his firstclass debut for Sussex.

In 1961, Pataudi was to make his Indian Test debut, but a few months before this could happen, he would lose vision in his right eye in a car accident in England. Yet he would debut for the Indian side that year and within a year’s time make his maiden century (113) against England.

Only 21 and three Tests old, Pataudi was made captain of the Indian side, owing to West Indies Charlier Griffith’s bouncer that hit the then skipper Nari Contractor’s head.

Pataudi became the youngest captain in Test cricket history till 2004 before Zimbabwe’s Tatenda Taibu.

His career-best was 203 (not out) against England in Delhi in 1964. The same year, he was bestowed with the Arjuna Award. Three years later, he was presented with a Padma Shri.

In his 15-year Test career, Pataudi charted 2,793 runs with six tons, at an average of 34.91. All of this, with an eye less. n

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•

Tiger Pataudi remained the Nawab of Pataudi till 1971, when the Indian Government abolished royal entitlements by the 26th Constitutional Amendment.

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The name Tiger was not given because of his cricketing prowess, rather his parents nicknamed him after the wild cat, as he was wont to crawl a tad too fast.

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Pataudi’s leadership made India bag its first overseas Test series victory, against New Zealand in 1967-68.

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While net-practising with just one eye, Pataudi found he could see two balls instead of one. He said he hit the inner ball, which turned out to be the real one.

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Pataudi’s captaincy also saw the rise of the ‘spin quartet’ – Bishan Singh Bedi, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, S. Venkatraghavan and Erapalli Prasanna.

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Pataudi was also the captain of the Sussex and Oxford University teams.

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Tiger’s father, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, too had a cricket connection. He was a right-handed batsman plus Indian cricket team captain, and the only Test cricketer to have played for both the Indian and English sides.

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From 2007, the Test series between India and England is competed for the ‘Pataudi Trophy’, named after the family’s legendary cricketers.

october-december 2011

Illustrations by Manoj P V

The