“Zakster what is
this crap you just sent me”
Me: It’s the copy for the new ad
“Zakster learn how to fucking write copy”
“Zackster send me the branding options”
Me: Sent
“Zakster: Fuck all branding, give me 10 more”
“Zakster are you done with the copy check”
Me: Yup, went through it twice
“Do I have to go through it?”
Me: Nope
“Zakster I’m going to go through it anyway and for every
error I find you owe me a bottle of beer”
Me: Ok cool but you won’t find any!
After 15 minutes
“Zakster you owe me 26 bottles of beer!”
1:30 Am: “Zakster I’m going home, but you have to stay. @#$%
(client name) wants a brochure and leaflet for the new product by tomorrow morning.
Write the copy and supervise the design and layout. Call me if you need help
but don’t expect me to come to office. Handle it!
Me: “Are you serious, I’m just an intern, dude I don’t think
I can do it. I've never written a whole brochure before?”
“Zackster listen, it’s now or never, I know you can do it. Like
I said call me if you need help”
Do I need to say more? He was my boss! Made me rewrite thousands of headlines, concepts and copy. And made me clock over a million hours of copy check. Yeah, I had the honor of working with a Maverick! The coolest and most
enigmatic man I've ever met. Last week, before he passed away we met at a
friend’s bachelor’s party and I asked him, dude I just realized over the time
we worked together, we had many interns some of whom you placed under me and
you always let them go home on time, but you never let me go home on time even
as an intern. Why man? “Hahahahaha Zackster it was fun having you around!”
Even after I left MRM we always kept in touch, he would
often come to my place for dinner or lunch and I go to his house for dinner and
drinks. We spoke over the phone every once in a while, played Scrabble on facebook
(I could never beat him, and we still have a game half played which I guess we’ll
never finish), meet up at concerts and have a ball of a time. Pranay was one of,
if not the most wonderful person I've ever met.
After a decent string of conversations you’d be forced to think
he was a walking encyclopedia. You name a subject from Philosophy,Photography, music, literature,
culture to marketing he knew them all, he was the most well read man I’ve ever
met. Just don’t get him started on the existence of God, Pink Floyd or which Rock band has the best album cover (Grateful Dead of course) then it
becomes an endless affair.
One moment I remember most fondly of him was a time we were
discussing about racism at work. I was in one of those full on, in the zone moments,
talking about how we as North Eastern's were oppressed and looked down upon, and
narrating my experiences etc. etc. and after a while he calmly said “Zakster
learn how to be Indian first before you complain, then you’ll
understand things better”. I realized then that I’d never really tried to be
Indian all my life, all I expected was for other to accept me the way I am,
without ever trying to understand their side and culture. And I’m glad to say
that I've never felt more Indian since and the angry bitter me has given way to
a better understanding calmer me.
There are not many people I respect and look up to, and
Pranay was definitely one of the few. He was a boss, a leader, a confidant and
a friend but most of all a brother from another mother (I know clichéd but its
true). Always ready to go out of his way to help you. I was mad as hell when Titu a colleague called me up saying he has
passed away, I was devastated and felt betrayed. I kept cussing away on my way
to the hospital, because we had made plans just 2 days before to meet up the
following Sunday for dinner and drinks at North East Kitchen Haus Khas. And we
spoke about going for a trekking trip, he told me that I was too fat and that he was
gonna get me fit by taking me for a trek.
Life is fragile, and we end up losing the people we love most when we least expect it, I didn't see Pranay's death coming. I wish I did, but that's how life is as hard as it is to accept. And memories no matter how good, they always have such sad endings. After losing 4 of my best and closest friends now, I feel like every relationship should be treated with an unexpected expiry date, that way when they leave us or for that matter when we leave them, it doesn't hurt too much and doesn't come as a surprise.
I will miss you Pranay! And I promise you I will go for a trek,
roll up a J and light up one at the peak for you. You will never be forgotten.
Rest In Peace Brother!
And let it be known from 30 April 2013 the Nickname Zakster is officially retired!
Here are a few pictures:
And this would be me Showing off my Salman Khan Ohoh Jaane jaana dance moves
And finally Pranay showing us his moves on the dance floor.
Yeah we know where you're going buddy, we'll miss you!
....................................................................................................................................
The large headphones lie on the table. But the music’s changed.
The unwieldy crop of hair. The twinkling, almost mischievous eyes. And the slumbering walk that would turn into a trot with the sound of music. You were a soldier ready to take it on the chin and equally adept at giving it back. You knew how to marshall your troops and you knew how to turn the long nights into the best time to get down to work. Now it’s time to get the angels to sing louder, sing better.RIP
By Rahul Mathur
5 comments:
Really sad. Also reminds me of my boss when I first joined as a copy intern too. How did he pass away?
Yeah man I was devastated. He died of multiple cardiac arrest.
Hadn't met him in years. Although in the late '90s, we used to live in the same neighbourhood and used to be regular visitors to each other's apartment. Sad to have lost him at such a young age.
I went through a similar thing three years ago- a cardiac arrest in the middle of a new biz presentation. But I was lucky, the hospital was just 5 minutes away.
RIP Bhai. You will be missed.
Hi Zakk, I know the words won't suffice & I too have a story to tell about our favourite "Pranay". very late though but still the feelings are as warm as ever. Me & him only know what we experienced that one night at Nainital when it was just him & me, all night long, dead drunk :-/
But the memories will only grow stronger for my dear friend & never will I get a chance to say to him that I loved him too but here I am.
I will miss him too like you & he was one ideal of perfection for me too.
God bless your soul, wish to be ur friend in the coming lives too.
You're bang-on when you said he was a walking encyclopedia! Pranay was a dear buddy..shared some crazy moments, both while he was here in Bahrain & also during the time I was in Delhi.
Really hard to fathom he's gone..one helluva rockstar..now transformed into an eternal star..Godspeed!
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