Bejan Daruwalla, arguably India’s greatest astrologer, would have been 96 yesterday. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2020 during Covid; a death he saw coming. We were close friends despite the vast difference in our ages. I got to know him in 1984. I was a young journalist in ‘Mid-Day’. And Bejan wrote that newspaper’s daily astrology column. He became world renowned that year after predicting Indira Gandhi’s assassination and the Bhopal gas tragedy. Bejan was also a poet and a litterateur. Who was 5 feet tall and 200 lbs. But boasted he was once Ahmedabad’s 100 metres sprint champion. He had also played cricket and hockey for the varsity, he claimed. I doubted if this could have been possible because there was nothing athletic about him. He was a bawdy Parsi who told the dirtiest jokes, full of masti and dum, his girth matched his mirth, and I loved him dearly.
I am not a believer of astrology, but Bejan had an uncanny way of knowing when I was going through Life’s fires. He would phone and assure me that planetary positions always changed. All would be well. He was based in Ahmedabad. Twice a year he came to Mumbai. For his birthday and to submit the manuscript of his next year’s book of forecasts to a publisher. We met on both occasions. He gave me a copy every year, despite knowing I wouldn’t read it, in which he had marked out dates that were meant to be significant for me. The last time I met Bejan, he was 90 and in a wheelchair, age and illness had done him in. It pained me to see him that way. Rather unusually, he insisted on reading my palm that day. When I was leaving, Bejan solemnly handed me an envelope. “Your forecast for next year,” he said ominously, “just in case we never meet again.”
I kept it aside. After Bejan Daruwalla passed away, I opened the envelope. Inside was my horoscope for 2021, which I did not read, because I was so overwhelmed by a small message he had scribbled on a yellow post-it sticky note. It said…
Never think you’re Nothing…
Never think you’re Everything…
But always think you’re Something…
… and can achieve Anything.
About Mark Manuel
The above thoughts/content has been proudly copied from the wall of Sir Mark Manuel. Being interviewing almost every role model of this country and going stronger each day. Mark Manuel is a respected Mumbai editor, writer, and columnist.
With over three decades of journalism in leading publications. This includes the Free Press Journal, Times, Dainik Bhaskar, Mid-Day, and Afternoon. He is famous for his brilliant pen interviews. He himself is a TEDx speaker.
Further
His interviews have featured in several leading media houses. They include the Hindustan Times, Huffington Post, BBC, and Network 18. Almost every famous person has been interviewed by him in the country from Mother Teresa to Muhammad Ali. His first book is just out. It’s titled Moryaa Re! It is a crime thriller that is perhaps the country’s first police procedural. He began his career covering crime. And in a tribute to his experience and knowledge of this beat.
Several distinguished officers of the Mumbai Police and its Crime Branch collaborated with him to make this book possible. Amitabh Bachchan wrote the forward in a statement of friendship for Mark Manuel and admiration for his work.
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