Good, gentle, gracious

Paying tribute to the extraordinary Parsis she has known over the years, Malavika Sangghavi, on the occasion of Parsi New Year dedicated her column "Malavika’s Mumbai” (Mid Day, August 19, 2013) to some notables in the community. Foremost among these is the late J. R. D. Tata regarding whom she narrates a telling anecdote garnered from a housekeeper at the Taj Mahal Hotel.

J. R. D. Tata (left) and artist Jehangir Sabavala: true gentlemen

As an octogenarian, JRD would often visit his widowed younger sister Rodabeh Sawhney who resided at the Taj after the demise of her husband. One day the housekeeper mustered up the courage to suggest to JRD that it would be better to move his sister to a sea-facing room so that she could "pass her time looking outside at the Gateway and all the hustle and bustle there. I’m sure the hotel would not charge extra for it.” His temper flaring, JRD chastised the woman: "What do you mean the hotel would not charge for it? The Tatas do charity, they do not take charity!” The housekeeper was mortified as JRD was at that time the chairman of the group and "an adored leader of his community.”
As she left work that evening the housekeeper saw JRD seated behind the wheel of his car outside the rear gate. He was waiting for her. "I wanted to apologize for my outburst,” he admitted. "May I drop you to your home this evening?” Not only was she driven home by JRD but, when she alighted at her colony the considerate chairman reassured her with: "I didn’t want you to have a miserable evening thinking about the incident. Goodnight.”
Sangghavi also shares a nugget on the veteran artist Jehangir Sabavala as mentioned in an obituary on him written by journalist Namita Devidayal. At a city club event some unenlightened member asked Sabavala what he did for a living. Showing not the least sign of chagrin or pique at not being recognized, the great man responded, "I’m an artist,” and continued his conversation with his "characteristic grace.”