Pratap Bose was a champion of greatness, generous to a fault

If every person were to be a season, Pratap Bose would most certainly be Spring.

He held up hope that barren trees would soon bear the confetti of fresh leaves, the bounty of floral scents that waft with optimism.

He grew the grass that padded the path of so many. Made rich the soil where we planted our dreams.

To me, he was a giant of a man, not only because he was over six feet tall, and I a mere five-four but also because of his spirit that gave him a huge presence in people's lives.

He was generous to a fault. I remember, years back, when he was negotiating the rent with his to be landlord and he ended up offering the man more than he was asking for.

Oh, he could be a tough businessman when the occasion called for him to be. But his heart beat in time to the drum of creativity. He was a champion of greatness. And very instrumental in turning Mudra into a creative powerhouse.

But above all, he was a great friend. A teller of great stories after he had a couple of whiskeys in him. And he had that laugh. It started in his belly, shook his body, lit up his crinkled eyes, and infected everyone around him. Reason tells us, he is gone, but I ask, "Is he really?"

Because there are parts of him that live on in all of us who love the man. For me, one of them is his voice in my soul to push beyond the now and into the new. I will grow old, but my friend, that never will. That is my promise to you, my way of honouring you. I will end with a piece of work he loved, something he made happen, just like the kids in the film, we are all silently singing our hearts out for him.

BTW knowing Pratap, he will now be in heaven, urging God to be more creative, like he did with countless peeps, including me.