‘I'm sure he's regaling his buddies up there with his wicked sense of humour’
Navroze Dhondy, Founder & Managing Director, Creatigies Communications, remembers ad veteran FaliVakeel and his sense of humour
I can still vividly remember my first day at Lintas Bombay. Had just moved from Lintas Delhi to Bombay, to handle a part of the Unilever business (Surf and new projects such as Wheel etc). After a handover from Waheed, I wandered around like a lost chicken in the swanky corridors of the 15th floor, Express Towers.
I was given one of the desks in the 4-seater cabin, to be shared with Shastry, Meera and Tara. Fali Vakeel's cabin was adjacent.
When he saw me walk past, he put his hand up, while reclining in typical Fali style, and said... welcome to Bombay. “Come in Navroze (with that pronounced South Bombay accent) “
He made me comfy, got me a cuppa, and was just very curious as to my North Indian history... he thought I was a Dilli wala, till I burst that bubble, and surprised him even more, telling him that I was from Allahabad...
"What? From UP? You're a bloody Bhaiya" roared Fali, with that naughty twinkle in his eye...
Though we never worked together, there was a strange bond and fondness, and that came to the fore when we all met at Express Towers in 2019 for one last time....
He was a man who loved cracking a joke and listening to one... and along the way we had these very short, quick hellos in the corridor, while the other Bawa, Adi Pocha, walked past up throwing his pencil in the air, and catching it...
He had a unique flair, one button of his shirt open, and a witty answer to most comments around him.
Here is a photograph taken that wonderful evening as we all bid good-bye to Express Towers, and possibly clicked, when some joke was cracked, either by Fali or me….. The unbridled laugh and smile was Fali's hallmark.... don't Miss the one button open shirt (nothing changes). Quintessential Fali. Then. Forever.
I'm sure he's regaling his buddies up there with his wicked sense of humour.
As an aside, during the chats on the Lintas group, one smart fellow commented;
“Fali wouldn’t have wanted to go to Heaven…. rather to the other place where there would be more interesting people!”
He will be missed.
Travel Well to the other side, dear Fali.
