'Shantanu Guha Ray, a fine man gone too soon'

Holi is a festival of colours. Where vibrancy and joyousness dance together in a celebration at the advent of spring. Holi 2024 didn’t start off as one would have ever imagined. We lost Shantanu Guha Ray (SGR): journalist, friend, connoisseur and aficionado like very few.

I first met Shantanu Guha Ray many many years ago at a debate that we used to do for Business Today, which was conceived by the duo Sanjoy Narayan and R Sukumar. He came up to me after the debate and started speaking to me in Bengali. In those days I used to smoke cigars and he and I began talking about cigars and the virtues of a Cuban versus a Dominican. In him, I also found an inveterate foodie and in addition to exchanging tips on where one found excellent Bangla food in Delhi, we also got talking about the Pujos (Durga Puja) and he remembered how I had, many decades ago, created and managed The Sharad Shamman Purashkar for Asian Paints in Calcutta led by the inimitable Bharat Puri. It was then he told me that he celebrated Durga Puja here in Delhi every year and it was a Baroari Pujo: as in a Pujo celebrated at home rather than in a pandal as a community event.

Later that year, I got a message from him inviting me to Chittaranjan Park to his Baroari Pujo: that is who SGR was: a man of impeccable taste with a warmth that would melt many a heart. And ever since, we were always in touch. We would talk about business trends; discuss new restaurants; dissect the intricacies of dishes and most importantly share an affection that was pure and without any agenda. Many years later, SGR called me to say he had just finished writing a book called ‘TARGET’: which was basically about how the Government then comprising P Chidambaram and Ramesh Abhishek had hounded and harassed Jignesh Shah of 63 Moons. Both Chidambaram and Abhishek were in power then and SGR asked me if I would be willing to write the foreword to the book: it took me no time to say yes, and within the next five minutes he emailed me the manuscript. It was only through this book that I discovered SGR’s deep commitment to investigative journalism couched in language that was pithy and relatable much like the man himself. The book was launched at The India International Centre and the Bangla Mafia was in full attendance. In many ways, SGR was the keeper of Bangla traditions and a great guide to those starting.

Professionally there was little that we could do or did together but I always had the highest regard for the man’s ethics and his tenacity to, as he would often say, write ‘copy’ on issues that he felt strongly about. But his craft of writing was only one minuscule facet of the man and his repertoire. To me. he was always someone who loved life; loved the solace of his home; the affection of his friends and the opportunity that life provided him to help others.

With his passing, he leaves behind a legion of friends; an army of colleagues he worked with and people who relied on his every word in print. He leaves behind his lovely wife and adorable daughter who, only recently, he married off in style at an old Baari outside Calcutta.

He will be missed not just for his journalism. Not just for his knowledge on food or his ability to spot a good cigar. Not for the ‘Bhog’ he would send every Puja or the gifts he would shower on his friends from tea to Moghlai Parathas.

He will, foremost, be known for his humanism. And for his enduring goodness.

And for being the quintessential Bhardalok.
 

(Suhel Seth is Managing Partner of Counselage India)