Starry Eyed in Bollywood

 

The other day, we were returning from a sunset walk on the beach, our rick turned  from Juhu Tara Road onto Vaikunthlal Mehta Road.
The overflowing crowds outside the bungalow called Jalsa were being controlled by the cops. Our rickshaw driver slowed down to try his luck at getting a glimpse of the super star. I could almost sense his heart skip a beat as he thought he "almost saw him".

The car behind us honked impatiently urging the rick to move on...and it got me thinking...
.. I must be really so lucky, here are hundreds and perhaps thousands and even millions waiting for Big B to turn up in his balcony for just a few seconds and do a few hand waves...
here I am, who got called to his bungalow and actually shook hands with him!
Indeed. And so the story goes...

It must have been mid-2002, around summer.

I was working with this European MedTech company, as a critical care specialist, out of their National HQ in Mumbai. When a call came in very discretely from the top office of the company...
" Guy's you need to make a call at "Pratiksha",
Big B needs to setup an ICU bed at home". 

Suddenly in the middle of summer, the sales desk got buzzing!

Apparently, vendors had been invited to Big-B's "Pratiksha" bungalow - for product presentations that very afternoon.

His father, Shri Harivansh Rai Bachchan had not been keeping well for a while now, and things were not going well. He had been advised intensive care - but he had expressed his desire to be at home - rather than at the hospital. So, his devoted son had decided to set up an ICU Bed at his home - "Pratiksha".

Our distribution head Shankar dada (Yes, him again!) called me over,
"Chalo, lets go together, its a VIP customer - we will need to move the deal fast"

So - there we were at "Pratiksha" at 4 in the afternoon.

It was a hot day, and several chosen vendors were already there.
Since Big-B was not yet in, we were ushered into the security cabin inside the gate.
It was like a control room, with walky-talkies CC TV displays and all. Few guards in uniforms made us all vendor folks sit along the inside walls on the security cabin.
The few familiar and few unfamiliar ones soon got chatting as the wall-clock kept circling hour after hour...

Some went out for a smoke and were back looking at their watches...thinking about missed family dinners and what not. Light-hearted comments as to why the place was called "Pratiksha" (hope/expectation/anticipation) had found a few chuckles. 

Finally, around 9pm suddenly there was activity outside and the guards in the "control room" got all excited...

Before we realized...Big-B himself had entered the security cabin...followed by his tall lanky son.

He must have been briefed about the long wait we had all been subjected to.

"Gentlemen, I am so sorry to have kept you waiting so long, you see things have been a bit busy for us these few days...please sit, please sit"...

Knowing that we had been waiting for so long in the security cabin, after being invited for a meeting...he address the security chief...

"Arey, Tiwari ji, I hope you have served these guys some tea/coffee?
umm...doesn't look like!"...

"Please instruct the kitchen to send some tea and snacks" he promptly gave out instructions.

And before we could absorb what was happening... he was offering us Hot Chai & Snacks in very exclusive "propah English cutlery", insisting...
"Please don't feel shy, I am really sorry to have kept you all waiting".

"Ok, I guess you all know what is the task at hand, so now tell me what each one of you have to offer for setting up an ICU bed here at home...."

One by one, people presented their products. My product was a bit technical, but still he was all ears - repeating back parts of the complex aspects back to me in comprehension.

Never in my dreams would I had imagined that I would ever have to pitch my product to Bollywood's Biggest Star, ever! and yet here we were.

As we finished our presentation, he addressed us and said,
"For your product, Mr....what did you say your names were?"
"...we will have to wait for Doctor JB to decide, it has to be his choice as he is in-charge of Babuji's treatment..."

Soon Dr.JB arrived...and we did a repeat presentation.

The doctor in turn explained it all to Big-B, who had only one thing to say...
"Which model to buy is your call doc, eventually... you will be using the machine at your hospital" and soon the meeting was over ...

I was to confirm the quick delivery & final price the next day and collect the order.

So next morning saw me at his other location nearby, its called "Jalsa(Celebration).

I was ushered upstairs to his office, where his accountant tried to understand our offer...soon Big-B arrived.

With a nod of recognition from last evening, he asked...

"So tell me Mr...err (looking at my business card that was on his table) Purohit, hope you can deliver asap basis...and show me... what's the price you are able to offer?"

My previous night had been fruitful with the factory business head in Stockholm, I just had to tell him who the machine was for and we were able to jump the delivery queue...

So I retorted with confidence...
"Yes sir, delivery confirmed in 3 days if you could pay us 100% advance with a clear order today"

"And the price?" he asked...and before I could reply added" I hope its a good price you are offering me"...

I didnt lose the chance, "Absolutely sir, Mr.Bachchan. This is the best."

Without flinching an eyelid, he signed a cheque and handed it over to me.

I still remember that handshake!

Often, when I travelled into the heartlands of India - this used to be one of my favourite stories to warm up conversations.

"I am from Mumbai, and I've also met Big-B twice"... 

(Pratiksha(L) and Jalsa(R) are both famous landmarks and often have hordes of tourists standing outside, getting themselves photographed & even camping outside waiting to spot their favourite Bollywood Star - Big-B) 

This story will not be complete without telling you this other thing.

After our ventilator got installed at Pratiksha, the team that went in to install got to meet each and every member of the family.

You know why?

Because they all wanted to know how to handle the machine that would be supporting their Babu-ji.

This really touched me deep. 💖