As soon as I was able to disembark, I walked over to the customer and told him I would give him his money back and the helicopter would leave if he was unable to control the crowd. He got the message and put his tough men on the job. They pushed people back using a strong rope. The patch was cleared and Jayanth landed safely.
It was an unforgettable experience. Two timid brides, two grooms, and a priest rode in the helicopter. There was nervous excitement: being aboard a helicopter, being married. The ceremony took place in the air. Once the marriage party got off, we circled the mosque and headed back.
By the time we returned, the Star News and NDTV crew were already broadcasting the unusual aerial wedding. The Deccan chopper flashed on screen every five minutes. News channels carried the report all day, and for several days at a stretch. It was an advertising blitzkrieg for Deccan.
I continued to grapple with the problem of how we could market and advertise our helicopter services across India. I sought national recognition for Deccan but it was too expensive to advertise. There were a hundred television channels but no single channel was capable of comprehensive national coverage. This was because of diverse demographics, diverse languages, diverse viewer choices, and a multiplicity of channels. NDTV 24 X 7 was the most widely watched, urban-oriented channel. Its national viewership however rated less than 5 per cent. If we chose television, we would have to advertise on ten or twelve channels to reach a respectable viewership, and a huge budget was required to create an impact. Regional channels also had limited reach. Tamil channels were not watched in Karnataka, Kannada channels had no viewership in Andhra, Malayalam channels were not popular in Maharashtra. It was necessary to advertise in all these states separately, not forgetting newspapers and magazines whose readership was equally fragmented.
We had to devise a method to increase advertisement exposure at optimal cost. Perhaps not many start-up entrepreneurs are aware that when they are chasing a dream with a shoestring budget, they need to aim for national exposure. The budget set aside for advertising might actually go to pay the retainer and service charges of the advertising agency they hire; they will have no money left to advertise their goods or services. Therefore, one cost-cutting avenue stood right before our eyes: change the advertising agency. Hindustan Thomson Associates (HTA), our agency, was part of Thompson Associates, which was in those days one of the largest global advertising giants. We were a tiny account for them. It would be better for us to associate with a smaller, quality-conscious agency with a large presence in India. Local agencies did not however have a national presence and did not have creative and administrative depth.
A solution soon surfaced. When I was on the look out for a new advertising partner, I happened to meet John Kuruvilla, who headed Orchard Advertising, a local, start-up company and a 100 per cent offshoot of international major Leo Burnett. John pitched for our account and I told him we could consider his agency if he gave us the quality of a national agency, the close attention that a small account needed, and zero retainer charge. Could they nurture us and hand-hold us for the long-term? Our association would one day prove valuable, I said. Orchard needed to establish an identity of its own and this could be a good beginning. It proved to be a long-running and valuable relationship; as Deccan grew, so did Orchard.
While on the question of advertising, I recognized a pattern among fliers. All airline travellers might not use a helicopter but anybody who used a helicopter must fly airlines. People who could hire a helicopter flew business class in Jet Airways, Sahara, or Indian Airlines (IA). These airlines provided in-flight magazines for their passengers. I considered taking monthly advertising space in the in-flight magazines of three airlines operating in India and a few operating in international airspace like British Airways (BA) and Lufthansa. I saw that this advertising could give us access to target audiences across India for a fraction of the millions of dollars we would otherwise need to spend.
I never forgot the crucial role of the media: when they wrote about us or featured us in their channels, providing us with credible public attention at very little cost.
John Gray and Swami Kaleshwar
I received a call one day from a lady in California, US who said she represented Mr John Gray. I answered the call and asked how I could help Mr Gray. The lady realized that I had been unable to place John Gray and filled in the background. He was the Mr Gray, she said, who had made a name for himself with his book Men Are from Mars and Women Are from Venus. That was a famous work and I perked up because John had, and continues to enjoy, a huge fan following across the world. John got on the line. He said he needed a helicopter to fly to temples of active worship in South India and also to meet some swamijis, the ubiquitous Hindu godmen of India.
People from the West and other parts of the world have looked to India for ‘instant nirvana’. India seems to have fulfilled that object for many through its towering Himalaya, its sacred rivers and temples, and its god-men and yogis. I could not however link down-to-earth John Gray and this cultism. I was surprised that he who had ventured to provide answers to important questions of life was himself seeking solace!
I put John in touch with Deccan’s marketing department. Faxes were exchanged between John and the marketing executives but John kept changing his travel plans.
I stepped in and called John, suggesting that he keep the helicopter for ten days and fly it for three hours a day, using it like a taxi. We would charge him a flat fee of 5,000 USD per day. For 10 days that would be 50,000 USD. If he flew more than the designated 30 hours over ten days we would charge him extra on an hourly basis. The pilot would be with him and John could change the programme as it suited him so long as he gave the pilot sufficient notice for refuelling. Somewhat colourfully I added that the helicopter would serve as John’s personal limousine in the sky. John liked the description and the proposal. He deposited the money through his American Express Platinum Card.
John wanted to visit temples in Tiruvannamalai, Srisailam, Puttaparthy, and Mantralaya. He also wanted to visit Penukonda, over 160 kilometres from Puttaparthy, where the internationally celebrated and revered Sai Baba lives. I expected he would want to visit the Baba at Puttaparthy but he had it in his mind to visit a relatively less-known swamiji in Penukonda called Swami Kaleshwar. This intrigued me!
John called up a few days later. He said he would be bringing Oprah Winfrey along and wanted me to keep this confidential. With Oprah in the picture, John wanted the logistics to dovetail to the last detail and the minutest schedules to be maintained. I reassured him. Personally, the news thrilled me. An Oprah visit would be a great story for the press. That she had visited India, keeping the news under wraps while she was here, and used a Deccan Aviation helicopter would be a wonderful piece of publicity.
How could I get this across to the media without breaking my promise to John and without discomfiting the visitors? One thing I definitely would do. Whether Oprah came on the visit or not, I would get the press to meet and interview John Gray. That would be equally exciting, if not as snazzy as it would be with Oprah.
I got in touch with my friends in the media. I knew the reporters on a first-name basis. Beat reporters called up once in a while, two or three times a week sometimes, depending on how hot the context was. One needed to be accessible to answer their calls. They love it when you are open, don’t appreciate pompousness. They have professional pride, they compete fiercely with peers, and they want to be the first to get the story out.
Keeping John Gray’s visit in perspective, I called up a couple of TV channels and one or two from the print media. I said John Gray was visiting India and would be using my helicopter. Would they like to interview him? They jumped at the idea. I did not have to tell them what to write about Deccan because the helicopter would anyway get featured alongside John.
John landed in Chennai. We picked him up and flew him to Tirupathy. Oprah had dropped out at the last minute. John spent the night there and the following day he flew
to Srisailam and then on to Hampi. From Hampi he flew to Penukonda, to the ashram of Swami Kaleshwar. Together, John and the swamiji flew down to Bengaluru. Jayanth was the pilot flying him around. John was in control of his schedule; he could fly where his fancy took him.
I was inquisitive about John Gray. He is a celebrated author but I found his devotion to the swamiji a trifle baffling. I wanted to know from John how he straddled two extremes of imagery: a swamiji on the one hand and Oprah on the other. I had an image of a swamiji and tried to look for one who fitted it. I was reminded of the problem I had faced with the Muslim chilly trader who wanted to hire the helicopter for his sister’s wedding.
I had expected the swami to have a flowing beard, imposing persona, luminous face, and a saffron robe. I had stereotyped a Swamiji after Bhagwan Rajneesh who was characterized by great charisma. When finally introduced to the swamiji, I saw nothing that matched the image I had conjured. He was introduced as Swami Kaleshwar. On closer inspection I realized he was young. He probably had something that had so enthralled John Gray but escaped people like me. My curiosity resurfaced and I persisted in questioning John about the reason that caused him to fly all the way from California to meet the Swamiji.
John had a story to tell about the Swami. The swamiji had asked John what he could do for him. Did he have a wish? If so, swamiji would pray that it was fulfilled. John had a career wish. He wanted Oprah Winfrey to invite him to the Oprah Winfrey Book Club. Oprah Winfrey is the most celebrated talk show host in the world. She came from a disadvantaged family background and was a victim of abuse as a child and in marriage. Oprah however showed the world what grit and determination could achieve. She changed her life, transformed the lives of millions of people, and she continues to exert enormous influence over millions around the world.
Oprah’s talk-show features a ‘Book Club’. In that programme, Oprah picks up a book she finds deeply interesting, not permitting anyone to influence her choice of book. She invites the author, if living, to the show and discusses the book with him/her. The very next day the book sales soar, topping the best-seller charts and the author becomes a millionaire.
We listened to John’s story with rapt attention. As in a fairy-tale, we wanted to know what happened next. John continued, ‘I told swamiji I wanted to be invited to Oprah’s Book Club.’ The swamiji blessed him and said, ‘You will hear from Oprah.’
As though a magic wand had been waved, the very next day John got a call from Oprah inviting him to her Book Club. It was unbelievable. John was staggered by the swamiji’s powers, convinced this was divine mediation on his behalf. John went to the Book Club and instantly won fame as one of the most celebrated authors in the US. He stayed on the New York Times bestsellers list for years.
The story does not end there. It is near impossible for an author to be invited to Oprah’s Book Club a second time. John wanted this to happen. He approached the swamiji once again. Could Swami Kaleshwar do it a second time? The swami prayed for John and invoked his ‘shakti’ once again and simply said, ‘Thy will be done!’ Within 24 hours, John got a call from Oprah Winfrey inviting him to the Book Club to discuss his book a second time. John was dazed and dazzled.
John told Oprah the story of how Swami Kaleshwar had helped him. Oprah was keen to meet the godman and John took Swami Kaleshwar to the US to meet her. It was after this meeting that Oprah wanted to come and visit India.
The story of the Swamiji does not end here. We stood on the lawn, the four of us. John Gray, the Swamiji, Jayanth, and I. The helicopter was ready to take off. Just then Swami Kaleshwar turned to Jayanth and said, ‘Captain, is there something you desire? Is there anything I can do for you?’ Jayanth’s character has an irrepressibly mischievous streak running through and through. His expression took on a shape that was halfway between a smirk and a smile, but merely suggestive. Jayanth then assumed his usual poker player’s mien and said, ‘Swamiji, there is only one thing that I really wish for. I have consulted many doctors but nothing has helped. Can you help me?’
The Swamiji said, ‘Tell me, Captain what it is you wish. I shall pray and summon my shakti to bless you!’ Jayanth bent down reverentially and, pointing at his completely bald pate, said, ‘Swamiji I wish for some hair on my head!’ I couldn’t hold back, nor could Jayanth. The two of us burst out laughing. Jayanth is bald as an egg. The Swamiji was shocked but he rapidly regained his composure. He said, seriously, ‘You mock me, Captain! But you just wait till we know each other better.’ He was not offended but I did not want to lose a customer because of Jayanth’s jest, and the two of them somehow patched up. The Swamiji and John Gray boarded the helicopter, Jayanth got into his cockpit and the chopper took off and dissolved in the sky as I stared vacantly and wondered.
After flying John all over south India for a week, Jayanth returned. He then confided to me that in Swami Kaleshwar’s ashram in Penukonda he did not spot a single Indian devotee. It was a throng of foreigners there. I could not figure out what selective powers the Swamiji possessed that attracted foreign rather Indian devotees to his ashram.
Bhagwan Saibaba gives Darshan
Soon after this assignment with Swami Kaleshwar, we had a call from the Saibaba ashram. I knew of the humanitarian work that Saibaba had been engaged in. The hospital at Puttaparthy had conducted an operation on Raju’s wife, i.e., the wife of my right hand man on my farm. The doctors had advised an open heart bypass and the surgery was performed absolutely free of cost. Saibaba is known to fly in the best doctors from Germany, UK, and France for some of the more complicated operations on his patients. These doctors flew down and camped at the Saibaba ashram. It is one of the best-managed hospitals in India, considering that it is located deep in the interior of rural Andhra Pradesh. In those days I could not afford to give Raju the kind of money necessary for an open heart bypass surgery. After the successful heart surgery, Raju’s wife resumed normal life. This routine act of generosity on part of the Saibaba-led institution had increased my esteem for the seer.
Saibaba has a following whose number is hard to estimate. The charity work he undertakes is continually supported by donations from devotees across the world which continue to pour in. It might be a wild shot, but I think the Saibaba currently enjoys the largest following of devotees among all the spiritual leaders in the world. His followers range from the most influential to the lowliest; from scientists and film stars to ordinary middle-class city dwellers from across the world. His appeal is felt in dusty towns and in tiny village hamlets.
He has had his share of detractors. One such was the very well-known, highly respected educationist and rationalist, the late Dr H. Narasimhaiah. A doctorate in physics, Narasimhaiah led a life of simplicity guided by Gandhian principles. He was vice-chancellor of Bangalore University and was openly critical of the Saibaba. He once asked Saibaba to demonstrate his powers to create matter out of nothing before an independent panel of scientists and rationalists. The Baba often conjured up ash, a ring, or pendant out of nowhere for his devotees. Baba’s devotees who look up to him with awe and reverence believe that he has divine powers. Many saw this as sleight of hand and accused the Baba of misleading people. Saibaba does not respond to his critics but his following continues to grow.
It did not matter to me that controversy surrounded the Saibaba. If he practised magic rather than the invocation of divine intervention, so be it. I did not believe in such things. If there were others who believed in it, so be it. I was willing to forget the accusations because of the exemplary charitable work the Baba does for people. Baba provides education, drinking water and medical facilities to thousands of people. His failings, if any, are perhaps small in comparison with the enormous good he is able to achieve. One day an ashram official called to say the Saibaba wanted to use our helicopter.
I couldn’t help but think that while all Indian god-men preach simplicity, austerity, and relinquishment of material pleasures, the ashrams and lifestyles of many god-men reflect opulence. They us
e the most expensive cars, fly helicopters, and their mundane routines are arranged with the fastidiousness of the world’s most powerful and wealthy. The rich are taken in easily by their hypnotizing exhortation—that the way to happiness is freedom from desire, simplicity of life, and spiritual pursuit as opposed to material pursuit. I couldn’t help seeing a mirror reflection between the guru and the devotee; one in the other.
The preparations that preceded Saibaba’s take-offs and landings were very demanding and elaborate. A whole army of devotees attended on the Baba. They were highly educated people, and many held positions in the highest echelons of government and the private sector. Presidents, chief ministers, and powerful politicians were among the followers who sought his blessings. There were army generals, very senior bureaucrats, scientists, people of the arts and letters, and educationists and businessmen. Some had donated all they had to the ashram. Foremost among them were Dr V.K. Gokak, scholar, writer, and vice-chancellor and Dr Bhagavantham, scientific advisor to the ministry of defence.
The Swami’s followers took charge of the arrangements. They did a recce and asked us where exactly the helicopter would land and on which side the door was, from which the Baba would ascend. They wanted to know where to bring the car and how many steps Baba would have to walk. They worked on the alignment of the helicopter embarkation ladder with the car’s door. They measured the distance with a tape, placed a carpet along the stretch, and covered it with petals. The stepladder was not to have more than nine inches between steps. They therefore removed the default steps and got a carpenter to create fresh ones that would make it easier for the Baba to get on the helicopter. I was keen to meet the Baba and received him when he came to our hangar.
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