Victoria

Suddenly there is a deluge of news about some seemingly familiar people who have seen shifts in their career. Yet, many are left feeling a little bemused when they see names they should be knowing more about, but don't. Victoria dug deep into the memory banks of old timers and came up with some dope on names you have been seeing but are afraid to ask about.

Harish Manwani: His picture has graced the front pages of many newspapers as the new President of Hindustan Lever for Asia and Africa. You will see more of him in the weeks ahead. This sahib who will be lording over HLL India is the son of a railway officer and has done his schooling in Mumbai's prestigious Campion school and after graduating from a South Mumbai college did his diploma in business management from the Bajaj Institute of Management. He is a career HLL - type who has risen through the ranks and joined the board of directors. Seen as the blue-eyed boy of erstwhile Chairman, Keki Dadiseth, he played a big role in formulating the Millennium Plan for HLL India and then went off to work with Keki in London. After short yet apparently successful stints overseeing certain product ranges in Latin America and North America, he triumphantly returns to oversee India. Advertising seniors remember this gentleman as a fixture on the managing committee of the ISA. In case you don't know what ISA is, don't feel bad. You are in an overwhelming majority. It stands for the Indian Society of Advertisers. When Manwani officially visits India, he will witness a vastly changed commercial and political landscape. He might take solace from the fact that nothing has changed at the ISA.(Just joking).

Sunil Rajashekhar: One is told he will head Private Treaties at The Times of India. Hand it to the Times Group to come up with deadly designations. When everyone else in the field was Director-Advertising, Pradeep Guha was Director-Response. Taking that slot Bhaskar Das is called President, National Sales. Now Sunil Rajashekhar is head of Private Treaties. In other words, he will be in charge of "wholesale sales." Sunil actually started the Bangalore edition of The Times Of India when it was not the leader it is today. After doing all the back-breaking spadework, my informants tell me, he forsook the fruits of his labour to try his hand in the dotcom boom. After the dotcom bust, he returned to the Times group as Vice-President (Corporate).Now he will have his second innings in the marketing world.

R.Sundar: This new Delhi-based CEO-designate of The Wall Street Journal (in India), one is told, is the son of a Customs officer who cut his marketing teeth in the advertising department of the Times, Mumbai. Known as a very people-savvy person, he is one of those who's been in everyone's camp at the same time. A quality that should help in the days ahead.

Filmfare awards

The Filmfare arards will not be the Manikchand Filmfare awards any more. Filmfare has quickly parted company with Manikchand, its faithful and lucrative (we are told) sponsor, because the alleged underworld links of the gutkha king who owns the company have made him too hot to handle. In fact, the superstitious types shake their heads, cross their hearts and point to the Rs 5-crore Maybach as an unlucky "vahan" (vehicle). The two people who acquired this ultimate status symbol, Dhariwal of Manikchand and Mukesh Ambani of Reliance, are having a car-load of problems these days. Well, you can't expect them to ride in a Victoria, can you?

New Week

The re-designed Week was launched at a function held at the Hilton Towers . The Kottayam-based Mathew family who run the Malayala Manorama group is very popular in Mumbai judging from the large turnout.

Hot HT

Media types received a bottle of spicy chilly sauce masquerading as an invitation for a "hot" party hosted by the Hindustan Times. The label promised fire-eaters, sizzling dancers, bombshell bar girls, all-in-all a "real dynamite party". Well, welcome to the hot new entrant in the Mumbai party circuit. Bombay Times, are you listening?

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