Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Rajeev Sethi - An extraordinary man...

There are certain people in ones life who leave an overwhelming impact on ones senses. Rajeev Sethi is one such. When we met, close to forty years ago,  we knew ( instinctively) we'd be friends for life.He is an astonishingly gifted person. One hour spent in his company, recharges your intellectual and aesthetic batteries for the next couple of years. You begin to 'see'' and sense things differently - through the Rajeev filter. I was lucky to spend an evening with him and his youthful, driven, committed team last evening. When the spectacular Terminal 2 (T2) opens in Mumbai this September,  passengers will be in for an art treat of a lifetime. I was taken on a memorable tour of over 7,000 priceless objets that are currently housed in a gigantic warehouse close to the airport. Once they are installed, they will acquire a life of their own and be shared by the world. I felt so proud and privileged to share this incredible experience of looking at timeless treasures, painstakingly sourced and lovingly restored by the greatest art impresario of our times. Rajeev resembles a kurta-clad Roman emperor these days.  That's quite a leap from the days he looked like a rare Chola Bronze!