My relationship with Gautam was quite different from the one most in this group have had – I met him as a six month old trainee who had just moved from writing industrial leaflets in Bangalore to big, bad Bombay. And Gautam was the very senior manager of Clarion Bombay who was one of the people who interviewed me – and helped me land the job against all odds. Over the next 7 or 8 months, after my creative Godfather in the agency left, I ended up working very closely, and directly, with Gautam. He was remarkably patient with this very green writer he was stuck with as his sole resource, mentoring me through every job from a poster to a campaign. And what I remember most vividly was the graciousness with which he did it, making me feel like his equally competent and trusted partner, instead of the horribly raw baccha that I was. He continued to be a source of encouragement and counsel for many, many years, always making it a point to announce with great pride to anyone who happened to come upon us at various advertising functions that he was the person who brought me into advertising.
I will always remember Gautam with enormous affection – and gratitude.
God bless your soul, boss who never thought you were.
