'Will miss Bhaskar, all the laughs and mirth & his endearing anecdotes'

BYE BYE BHASKAR DA!

I first met Bhaskar Das in 1997 when I had just moved to Bombay as President of Rediffusion. I was to meet Pradeep Guha, then President of Times of India. It did not turn out to be a very good meeting. Pradeep was very brusque with me and I left his room in a not so happy mood. But as soon as I exited his cabin I was met by a very affable, smiling gentleman who introduced himself as Bhaskar Das, then head of TOI's Bombay operations. He was warm and friendly, contrary to the reception I had received from Pradeep. I calmed down somewhat. Bhaskar escorted me down to my car. I much appreciated the gesture. And there in got ignited a very close friendship. He welcomed me to Bombay. Over the next few months invited me to a number of TOI events, making a special effort to introduce me to the various stalwarts of the industry.

Our next major professional interaction was some years later. I was by then Group CEO of Zee Telefilms. Priyanka Chopra had just won the Miss World crown. Zee was the title sponsor of the global event and we were therefore entitled to a few days of Priyanka's time. I was relaunching Zee TV and we asked for Priyanka's presence at one of the advertiser events. ToI as the official agent of the World Cup franchise were managing her. And we received a regret against our request. I was incensed. Calls to ToI by the Zee team were ignored. I asked our lawyers in London to issue a notice to both Priyanka Chopra, and ToI. A few hours later Bhaskar Das arrived at my office as an emissary of peace. I told him if Priyanka arrived at the event without demur, we would not pursue any legal action. Bhaskar promised it would happen, and it did. That cemented our friendship further.

When Pradeep Guha moved to Zee as my successor, Bhaskar came to me to seek my counsel. Pradeep wanted Bhaskar to move to Zee as his deputy. Bhaskar wanted my advice. I told him it wouldn't be a very prudent move. Why be No. 2 to Pradeep when with Guha gone he would surely be No. 1 at ToI? Bhaskar heeded my advice and stayed back at Times. And had a very good innings.

One afternoon Bhaskar and I were together on a flight from Delhi, and sitting next to each other. We got chatting about 'Kabootar Ja', a novel I was planning to write. He loved the script I narrated. We debated the plot, discussed the characters and dreamed about the proposed book becoming a movie one day. Bhaskar said he would play the school principal in the movie. It would be a role he would fit very well in. I agreed. But I never got around to finishing the script. So the movie is still just a distant hope. But my school principal, alas, is gone! Sad, very sad.

I will miss Bhaskar. Miss all our cerebral discussions. Miss all the laughs and all the mirth. Miss all his digs. Miss his endearing anecdotes.

Bye bye dear friend. You will be missed. Very very much. RIP.

(This tribute has been written by Dr. Sandeep Goyal, Chairman, Rediffusion)