All of us have role models, gurus and benefactors. Some of them deeply affect our lives more than others. To many of us in Times Response of the 90s, Bhaskar Das was a special person. While I express my personal thoughts here, I am sure I speak for a lot of us who consider BD as a man who has had an amazing and positive impact on their lives and careers.
The most striking aspect about Mr. Das was that he was the perpetual outsider. A struggler almost. A man who came from the hinterlands of his profession. From another city, from another world, with another accent. And that was his big strength. He came across as relatable to people, including those way below his stature, intellect and position. And instead of being awed by his brilliance people somehow felt he was as ordinary as them. He wore his being a doyen of the industry, his multiple Doctorates and his powerful professional position at the top of Times of India Group with the same casual ease as his T-shirts. He played the perpetual struggler perfectly till the very end. And he imbibed this persona in both his profession and as a learner, often describing himself as the striver, servant leader “Das”. He also kept this aspect at the centre of his continued urge to learn, forever describing himself as a novice seeking new subjects. It takes courage and grit to wander into the unknown again and again.
The true Marketing man that he was, Mr. Das respected Style to be as important and used it to project the loads of Substance he had. Those of us that saw his metamorphosis in the mid-90s will remember how a typical 80s Babu look was recast almost overnight. The wild Hair colours and styles, the cool new frames, the bright ties and stylish new cuts instantly and forever made him a Glamour icon. And that signature style played as much a role as his professional successes and capabilities in casting him as the Top Industry Leader that he grew into. BD made the cut and created an identity distinct from not just others his level but also on a floor that another titan - PG walked. Truly remarkable not just for his own success, but for the inspiration that he became for so many of us ordinary people around him who saw first-hand how rockstars are made.
Mr. Das was the most energetic and Action oriented manager of our time. He simply did more. Met more people. Read more books. Took higher targets. Set higher benchmarks. Advised more companies. Even in this last decade BD travelled on work more than most Senior Managers do. And he kept that verve for more and love for experiences alive till the very end. Never have I seen him depressed or wondering why if at all to do something. For him life was about doing more. Another target, another doctorate. Mr. Das showed all of us the simple fact that more steps will lead you farther.
BD had an amazing knack for people and team building. He knew whom to assign what task and how to ensure they finished the task successfully. He trusted people. Personally, I can say that he picked me up from the floor and put me in a chair. Literally. He handed me charge of a large and critical department when I was a 28 years old Deputy Manager. I was probably the youngest ever person to hold that role and it happened entirely due to BD taking a chance on me. And then he patiently worked with me to ensure I was successful. All in the same year that he was recasting the entire Response West Organisation which meant he would have had at least 5 fires to attend to every day. And at the end of it, I came off believing I had done it all myself, when in hindsight I realised the hand that held things steady. Every time I met him or spoke over phone, he had something good to say about me. Around him, you felt like a child revelling in a proud mother’s praises.
Finally, the most important aspect of his personality and something which I am still learning from him is his explanation of the attitude of Loving Detachment. He spoke about it and over the years even spoke about karma or egoless action. Coming from a competitive leader who was also ruthless when necessary, this sounded a little out of place initially. The import of it was realised over time particularly after his Times years, when you saw Mr. Das doing work for the sake of work without worrying about cost benefit equations. And it shined through even more in the last 2 years. Speaking of Life, Death and Detachment academically is one thing. Holding on to those principles in the face of his stark reality was entirely another. The quiet fortitude and spartan focus with which he faced the challenges in these last 2 years has been commendable. Character and integrity to values show only in adversities. We salute him for the way he handled these years.
The action man in BD, I am sure, would have loved to live more years, teach more courses, do a couple more Doctorates, advise more start-ups, learn and design AI based tools to engage consumers and propitiate advertisers well into the 2040s. But the Stoic in him was at the same time content and happy with what he had accomplished and was thoroughly satisfied with his life and easily letting go with zero regret and with wry humour while at it.
Mr. Das will live on and continue to inspire in so many ways - the eternal struggler, the packaging expert par excellence, the energetic action man, the people’s leader and finally the stoic karmayogi who taught us both love and detachment in the same phrase.
Goodbye Mr. Das.
