'Kalyan Kar was the toughest person to please'

My first professional boss, Mr Kalyan Kar passed away on Feb 7. The news* travelled just today. Our mind has an ability to flood us with memories from recesses unknown. Mine (see image of those days) was of tip-toeing to this tough-as-nails man in Mar1992 as he shuffled reams from the newswire. For the next 3 years in Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. (The Times of India), Mr Kar was my toughest person to please. He was the epitome for detailing. In those days of sub-editing, his pen wouldn’t miss dotting a single ‘i’ or crossing a ‘t’. The instruction to the typesetter would be precise & in clear handwriting — 36 points, D/C. “DC” is double column. Lesson: Say it once, say it clearly

My work life then would end around 1 am once the newspaper had been sent to bed. But it would restart as early as Mr Kar would his eyes on the paper. I would tip toe into our feedback session often on what one Mr Sharma hadn’t done. Very quickly, I stopped dreading those chats. In fact (spelt as two words, not one, he’d drill in) i made mental notes that have held me in good stead 33 years later. Friends would confirm, even my message on WA is unlikely to have typos much less “infact” as one word. I write as if Mr Kar is looking! This helps me being clearer to the recipient. Lesson: why waste time in half-understood messaging

A story now on Russi Mody, the Tata Group satrap who was made joint chairman of Air-India (they hyphenated their name then) and Indian Airlines (they didn’t!). I had an early rapport with the man going back to undergrad college. So, true to his grand style, Mr Mody granted me his very first interview. “Modi will privatise the management of A-I and IA”, my headline screamed. I made the pages until midnight, tucked the exclusive interview somewhere & i reached office early hoping to see Mr Kar smile. Tough luck. He was seated on the news desk bellowing smoke & fire. Did you notice, I had spelt “Mody” as “Modi” in the headline! A terrible mistake for a newspaper of that pedigree. Mr Kar unleashed a firing of a lifetime & i got an important lesson: you are as good as your last headline. Today, even when i type names in my phone address book, i take the trouble to type the correct spelling of Banerjee, Chowdhary, Agarwal & so on. It takes that initial effort, but Mr Kar would have expected no less

Which brings me to one of the cherished compliment that pops into my head. It had to come from Mr Kar. There was a tiny press release from Oberoi Hotels & Resorts announcing a forthcoming property in Bangalore. We had a lot of space on the page & I decided this can go with an illustration. Those weren’t the days of google or even email — but I thought nothing of jumping on my scooter & sourcing an image from a source inside Karnataka Bhavan. Next morning, a peon came asking for me. He had an envelope containing Mr Kar’s handwritten note of appreciation. If only I’ve made a young colleague’s day the same way

Will miss you, Sir