And thus Spake Shekhar Bhai !

(Done, primarily, for a Renesa issue on 26th Jan. The issue never got published, though, the talk was way too fun for it to stay beneath black clothes )

Good Morning, Shekhar Bhai! Welcome to this ‘conversation’ thing that we do in Renesa.   As always, we’d like to begin with saying that it is not an interrogation or an interview, it is a conversation to know the person who’s always on the other side of the table, behind the counter. Also I don’t know what we’ll be calling it. But, before we together rake up some interesting stuff about our college which goes beyond our stay here of 4 years, we want to know about your college life around which there is this sweet mystery. There are rumours (oh god, rumour mill didn’t spare even you!) that you are a graduate of the Electronics department of this college. Please tell us about your true college life!
(Laughs) Well, you know about my college life better. Okay, I want to make this very very clear. I am not from this college.

Sure? 
Yes! But even though I didn’t study here, I have never felt like an outsider. I have got so much love and affection from everyone here, I feel I belong to this place as much as you do.

How long have you been here?
Fourteen years.

So coming back to our question, which college are you from?
Well, I want that to remain suspense!

OMG! Even now?
Yes. You know, even though I haven’t got an official degree from this college, I have spent much long a period here than any one of you! (smiles) So I have got a degree higher than anyone of you.

So when you came here from Surathkal with your friends, did you have a plan in mind? Was it your intention to start a catering business, or is it that one thing led to the other and you entered this field?
After finishing my college I got plenty of job offers- I took up a job in Godrej Limited. However, I faced typical job problems- I could not spend much time with my family, I was not free to decide my timings for personal work, so I considered starting a business of my own. I then did a course in hotel management from Surathkal itself, and then came here.

Who all are in your family?
I stay here with my cousin and my sister-in-law. My parents are in Surathkal.

Are you married?
(blushing)No

Er… why? Since this is the Love issue, we will tread on these lines a bit.
I move one step at a time. I have one more step to go in my career. Once that is accomplished, I will think of marriage.

Ok now you told us you have many catering spots elsewhere too, but the college junta is unaware of them. Please could you tell us something about them?
This is a little embarrassing.. kind of self eulogizing. But since you insist, I’ll tell- there is one in SCET, in C. K. Pithawala, in Larsen and Toubro, in Rama Paper Mill, in Atul Limited (2-3 inside the colony), in Police Commissioner’s building, one in Bhatar, one on Ring Road, one in Ankleshwar…

So your network is more widely spread than Kentucky Fried Chicken! Is it that your own canteen served bad food and that was the inspiration for you to open a canteen?
(smiles) No no , it was never that way. If that had been my idea, I would have gone to all other NITs too.

So what is your impetus to work here? You work so efficiently. Even in rush hour, things work like clockwork. How?
In a business, the more you work, the more you earn, the more satisfaction you get out of it. It’s like, by working this much I can earn 2 rupees, so why not put in more to earn 4 rupees? That drives us all.

And you never even raise prices, and you had once told me you would not want to increase prices.
True, but now I may need to bring in some changes. Prices of commodities have increased so much, I might go in loss if I don’t increase my prices.

How is it that you spend all your time here? You have so many establishments…
As I said, I have cousins here who work at the other places. If one has to look after something well,  one needs to give time to it, right?

What are the expansion plans of this canteen. There are demands that non-vegetarian food be served here. There has been a demand for maggi since such a long time!
I am not very keen on starting non veg here. Most Gujaratis are vegetarians. Many of the faculty members who eat here are Jains. If we started serving non veg, it would irk them. We surely can start a separate non veg outlet.

So if you put the proposal, would the committee work upon it?
Not necessarily. I can never even think of suggesting a non-veg outlet. It needs to be very very clean. Hygiene issues come up. I personally believe that a non-veg kitchen cannot be clubbed with vegetarian. The utensils need to be cleaned very well to remove the smell of non-veg, etc.

And what about a Maggi counter?
Again difficult. The student strength has increased so much, so have the number of items on our menu, there is a lot of pressure on the kitchen. It is too small for an extra item. But if we start a new juice center outside, we might think of starting maggi there.

Talking about what changes do you see in students since then the time you first came here?
Earlier students were quite chilled out about academics. There were fewer classes. If there were any at around 10:30, they would go only in the afternoons. Now I see students rushing to study even at 8:30 in the morning! Another major change I see is that apparently nobody wants to be single. Earlier it never was that way. There were also fewer girls, of course! And they rarely came to the canteen. Hostel to classes and back. Now it is hostel-> canteen-> classes-> canteen-> hostel. And canteen is not just a place to eat, it has now become a place to relax. For all kinds of fun, etc. if ten students gather together , it becomes one gala celebration. All meetings take place here. Nowadays people look for a place where they get everything under one roof.

Which time according to you is the liveliest in the canteen? Exam, Post exam, Election, Fests, etc…?
During elections it used to be very different. Even friends used to stop talking to each other, switching their loyalties to their respective assos. I always found that quite weird. I mean, friendship should be above everything, right?  Then during events and fests too students are quite busy and immersed in their work. I have seen some of the recent event heads behave so bossily, it scares even me at times. Of course I enjoy it all. It is one long movie for me. J

Now we do say a lot of things in our sponsorship brochures about the success of a fest in terms of the footfalls and media coverage; but as students, when we compete against one another, how big a hit an event or a fest has been is judged by the amount of food and drink consumed in canteen. So, as per this benchmark, which fest according to you was the most successful in recent times?
As far as I remember, Autofest 2006 was pretty well-received by all. Even among my friends, that is still the most talked about fest. Huge crowds had come from outside and I personally too liked it a lot.

So where do you disappear during fests? You can just plant a substitute here and then move around you know!
I do make it a point to see every event of every fest. You people are so engrossed among yourselves, you don’t see me at all!

How do you recruit people for the canteen? More importantly, how do you create the special bonding between them all? Like you had said earlier, they are from all parts of India. B-schools, to get into which we bust our asses off for almost a quarter of our engineering course, dish out some mumbo-jumbo about team management from fat textbooks. How do you do it all so simply? I mean we just hand out the coupon to one person, and there are so many of us out there shouting different orders with different specifications- sada, masala, Jain, Jain without only onion and garlic, etc, but like magic, in goes the coupon, and out comes our correct dish. How??
Management, according to me, is selflessness and humility combined together. There is no scope for selfishness in management. I never think that I have to ‘lead’ a team. I believe that we all have to move ahead together. None of us ever regards anyone as a junior. When a person’s views are considered and respected, he feels good about himself and works to his full potential because he has been implicitly told that he has it in him to do well. The maxim, “The boss is always right”, just does not work these days.

So do you find working here stressful? Have you ever regretted being here?
No, never. In fact, coming back to the management aspect of it, the work gives me a lot of experience. Besides, the biggest plus point is that all my workers are very responsible. The new ones see the older ones and learn from them.

Some students wished to know if they can work here in the canteen, behind the counter (in the kitchen, to be more precise)? They are willing to do it without any remuneration at all. The way they have started doing it in the library…
(laughs) Well, actually there is no vacancy at all in the kitchen. I already have a staff of 25. If some students barge in, it will become one big pandemonium- just like another classroom!

Do you cook food?
Oh yes! I can make quite a few things! I don’t make in the canteen, but at home, I do cook at home.


Who is the Geetha of ‘Geetha caterers’?
That is the boss’s mother’s name!

There are rumours that you have friends among other chefs in restaurants. Did this happen after you came to this industry or were they your friends even before that?
Well many of them were with me in college in Surathkal.

So how do you find time to keep in touch with your friends? You are busy all day long in the canteen, right?
Well, for friends one must always keep some time reserved, however busy one is. I try my best to do that.

And your Mathematics must have become pretty good by now! You give change so fast, I have never seen that anywhere else!
Well I was always very quick at calculations. I was known as ‘calculator’ in school, and that is now coming in use now. (smiles)

This is one question you simply must answer! When is your birthday? No, we promise we will not pester you for treat! Please please please!
(laughs a lot) I will tell you the year and the month. January 1979.

Awww! Belated happy birthday, Shekhar Bhai! Some more clues, please!! Are you a Capricorn?
Yes.

That narrows our window further!
Try guessing the exact date, I will treat you in Gateway. (smiles)

I Am so getting that. Alright now tell me this, your caller tune is “pehle nasha…pehla khumar..” and this is a love centric issue. So bang comes a question: what is your definition of love?
(Long silence)

Bro???
(again long silence)

kya shekhar bhai?  Anything. Just what are views on love?
ummm….I wanted to keep that a suspense!

DUDE!! Oh no, this is such an anti-climax! People are not going to leave you at the counter now! Ok now could you suggest some love potion in your canteen? A dish which you would call the most romantic?
oh but if I name a South Indian dish, the others might feel offended. If I name a north Indian dish the others would be offended! No no no…

Lemme guess Idli Sambhar, right?
(laughs) umm ok my favourite is idli-sambhar as it is yours. And I feel that it, being the humblest dish available, is also the most romantic of all; there is nothing complicated about it. It exemplifies the simplicity, innocence and purity of love. 

With that in print, you will have to now open a separate idli stall! Now, you have been here for 14 years. You have had so much experience with students. Do you see yourself ever getting tired of it all and one day telling yourself, “Fine! I am quitting it all. I don’t want to stay here any longer!” Any future plans?
No, as of now, there are no such plans. But one obviously has to be mentally prepared for any such eventuality. Presently everything is quite perfect, and I wish to hold on to that and at the same time try to grow as much as possible. We are now thinking of expanding our network-I wish to open a three star restaurant.

Any expectations from us? Like Hasmukh bhaiya had personally told me that he wanted to study. It’s been two years since then. We could never do anything. Do you feel angry about it?
No, not at all. You are all NITians, you need to focus on your studies. I have no expectations from you. You guys are already doing so much apart from studies- so many extra-curricular activities, etc.

Still, no expectations?
(silence)

clearly, you never had any from us! none!
(smiles) Well, I have never had expectations from anybody. I know you are all very talented. But I see you people are very busy, spending your time on so many things. I do not wish to pressurize you with anything. Like you are all doing so much for Nirvana. For Mindbend. For different committees. I am happy with what I have and what you all do.

Any complaints against college administrators?
No

Was there a canteen before you came here?
Yes, and I met the owner of that canteen just once- he was leaving and I was coming. (smiles)

That's just precious information. By the way. how did you come in? Was there a tender or was there a cooking competition of some sorts?
No, no, just a tender.

So do you have any questions from team Renesa? or any message to us?
There is just one thing I feel very strongly about. Physically abusing someone is really bad. Interaction with juniors is perfectly fine. Just do what is necessary. If ragging is more harmful than beneficial to you or to your institute reputation, then why do you do it?

Alright, point taken! So shekhar bhai, we wrap up the interview. Thank you so much for sparing us your valuable time, we simply loved the conversation!Even I loved it. And if anybody feels bad about what I said, I am sorry about it. All said and done, I am an outsider, just a canteen wala, maybe I have no business commenting about what you people do in your college. Overall, even I really liked talking to you a lot. Thank you very much!


(Transcription By Swati. Pics: Krishnan, Harshit )