Black belt and ivories

Black belt holder in karate, fitness trainer, jazz pianist and columnist Zareer Patell (67) was presented the "Telangana Virtuoso Award” of the state’s artists association by Mohammad Mahmood Ali, the state’s home minister, and Anjani Kumar, state commissioner of police on November 1, 2019 for his sporting achievements. Patell pioneered the teaching of karate in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad in 1973, aerobics in 1984 and cardio kickboxing in 1999. A sales professional in the pharmaceutical company Smith Kline and French for 14 years, Patell studied karate under Sensei Pervez Mistry. His weekly columns on health and fitness have appeared in The Times of India, The Hindu and the Deccan Chronicle in the 1990s.

It is not only sports that Patell is passionate about. "I like western classical music and enjoy its richness. But jazz is the medium through which I can express my technique freely. I do not mind playing to a few as long as they understand the soul of jazz,” stated the jazz pianist, who has a degree in western classical music from the Trinity College of Music, London. Patell has performed in the twin cities and in France. Having recorded and composed music for a host of jingles and television series, Patell stated that his stint in Strasbourg, France made him tap his full potential as a jazz pianist.
Launched in November 2017, the Virtuoso Awards of the Telangana Artists Association recognizes artists in diverse fields: music, the visual and digital arts, sculpture, television and fashion, among others, according to their website. Patell has trained "many actors and artists,” he told Parsiana.

Beyniaz Edulji