In the Limelight

The Wadala Junior Chamber became an elite Chapter, carving a proud name for itself. Three national awards plus an international award added to its aura. "Our Chapter was a role model for other chapters of the Junior Chamber." Nanik explains why this was so: "We did things with such harmony and team spirit — whether it was training young members, boosting their confidence levels with various projects, or inculcating in them a strong faith in teamwork. There were no ego problems. No one hankered for a post. Other chapters had to advertise to get members whereas we were screening those who wanted membership with a view to restricting the number of members. And this was quite amazing in view of the fact that while other chapters were charging Rs. 200 to Rs. 250 as their annual sub-scription fee, our charges were pegged at Rs. 1,500, a pre-mium in those days. What also helped is the tremendous amount of press coverage we got. Handling the media was, in fact, an important skill that we learnt which really helped me later in life when I started Priyadarshni Academy."

All India Film Talent Contests — probably the largest con-tests ever organized at the time — were another facet of the Wadala Junior Chamber's activities. The nationwide media accorded them a fanfare of proportions reserved only for the release of a prospective blockbuster movie. Talent contests were organized essentially as a fund-raising drive. The fee for screening each application was fixed at Rs. 25 — and there were literally thousands of applications. "Such was the volume of responses we received from aspiring contestants, that a postman once had to bring us our mail in a taxi!" says Nanik.

The proceeds from the above fees were sent as aid to the bereaved families of jawans from all three branches of defense, who had lost their lives in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The Junior Chamber's All India Film Talent Contest was regarded as a nebula where cosmic stars were born. Winners of the contest were guaranteed entry into the Indian film industry, where fortune awaited them. There were long queues of eager people waiting for tickets at Shanmukhananda Hall, the venue of the Contest. All seats were quickly sold out.

The glitter of the contest was the subject of one of the celebrated quotes of Nana Chudasama. Nana is the past Sheriff of Mumbai, and World President of Giants International. His quotes are widely popular with and keenly anticipated by Mumbai's citizens. They have been publicly displayed on banners outside his Marine Drive office for more than three decades. Wittily referring to the fame and fortune awaiting the Contest winner, that particular quote read: "If you want to become an Income Tax VIP, join the Wadala Junior Chamber Film Talent Contest."

Nanik invited T. A. Pai, then Railway Minister, who graced the function as Chief Guest. Some of the industry's most renowned filmmakers were also there, like Ramanand Sagar, Shakti Samanta, and Pramod Chakravarty — along with a galaxy of glitterati. A. Pillai, the editor of the popular movie magazine Screen also came. Ameen Sayani, one of India's renowned commercial broadcasters, was master of ceremony. Shanmukhananda Hall was packed to capacity. There were hordes of excited people surrounding the complex in the hope of seeing the stars.

The late actor Amjad Khan, who went on to become a movie superstar, topped the All India Film Talent Contest in 1971. Khan played scores of roles as the bad guy. The villainous character of Gabbar Singh he played in the blockbuster movie Sholay made him a legend. Javed Khan, Tariq Shah and Priyadarshini were other contestants who won and eventually made it big in Hindi cinema. "The deal," explains Nanik, "was that the winners who entered the industry would pay five per cent of their first five years' earnings to the Junior Chamber."

Footage of the contests was shown as part of newsreels in cinema halls. Events like these brought the Wadala Junior Chamber into the limelight.

It was no easy feat for Nanik to be so involved with the Chamber while taking care of the demands of his business. It was only through great time management and motivationthat he was able to attend to the work of the Junior Chamber. "I think what kept me going were the various awards that our  Chapter bagged. It felt wonderful to be recognized. The appreciation for our efforts provided me with a feeling of deep satisfaction. This elation was sometimes greater than what I felt after conducting a good business deal."

Scaling Mountains with a Song

The once shy Nanik now blossomed into a real 'people person.' Such indeed was the change in him that he was now looked upon as an excellent resource person and a brilliant organizer by other members. They had implicit faith in his persuasive powers. Whether it was a minister, an industrialist, a film star or a social activist who had to be invited and whose presence was required at a Chamber event — the task was assigned to Nanik. He was always chosen to break the ice and follow it through.

For Nanik, however, one formidable bastion remained to be conquered — his fear of speaking in public. Even though he could now approach and talk to the biggest of celebrities with ease, he would literally break into a cold sweat when asked to talk in front of a large audience. "I think the roots of this fear were in the fact that I was not a graduate. Inwardly, I felt a void when I compared myself with others who were highly qualified. I had tried to bridge this gap with a lot of reading. I was more than aware of what was going on around the world. Even then, I felt that it would be better to stay out of the public eye than make a fool of myself," Nanik recalls.

Now, of course, he has no such hesitation. Today, even when he is called on stage to present his views on issues not directly related to his business and his social interest, he is able to hold his audience. He has always been a fast learner. "It does not take me more than five minutes to understand the topic and formulate my own perspective. I never go blindly by what others say."

As Nanik himself remarks, a Sanskrit proverb has proved
true in his case:

Mookam Karoti Vachalam Pangoom Langhayate Girim
Yatkripa Tamaham Vande Parmanand Madhavam

With the blessing of the Lord, even a mute person can become an excellent orator, and even a lame person can scale mountains. Only the blessings of the Lord can make such things possible.

Usually, a President of the Junior Chamber serves for just a year, and after his tenure expires, another individual takes his place. Nanik was compelled by the members — much against his own free will — to serve three consecutive terms as President of the Wadala Junior Chamber, from 1971 to 1973. This in itself speaks volumes of how much his contributions were valued.

From 1974 onwards, Nanik continued to associate with the Chamber till he turned forty — after which he bid it adieu and concentrated on business. He explains: "Jaycees is meant for young people, a place where they learn valuable lessons in life. My time with Jaycees instilled in me a tremen-dous sense of confidence. It gave me numerous, invaluable opportunities for self-development. For my part, I left no stone unturned in making the Wadala Chapter world-class."

Nanik concludes: "Organizations like these help us give back to society what we have taken from it. One cannot be selfish and simply keep withdrawing from the resources of the people. One must contribute by way of community development projects and enrich the lives of others. The fruits of success taste sweetest when shared with many others."

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