Task One of the 21 day challenge: Name 50 people who have had an impact on you

22^nd April 2021 : TASK 1 : List of 50 people who have added value to your life

1. Yashwant Oke: My father. He was always a bit standoffish but once you were able to pierce his reserve, he was a good person to be around. Fiery, feisty, forthright (alarmingly so) and also a bit frightening when I was very young. We became friends as we grew up. I realized much later the reasons or the compulsions behind some decisions that he took. In a crisis one would feel very safe with him in your corner as he was not one to back down and was the eternal optimist. One thing to note was that he had little patience with people who were not intellectually well endowed.
2. Kunda Oke: My mother. She was the foil to my father. Many relations fostered and flowered because of her calm demeanour. My mother like ice and seldom lost her balance. Aai took keen interest in our studies and pushed and cajoled us if we were found wanting. She was the parent who was familiar with our teachers. An excellent cook and always one to support us and was the parent to gently chide us course correct when we were wrong. Sadly she spent her entire life under the shadow of my father. Passage of time and a bit of maturity helps one understand what our near and dear ones have to endure while we grow.
3. Harshad and Alka: My elder sister and brother. We never had a relationship as is shown in movies but we always knew that our siblings would be there for us in any difficulty. My sister is elder to me by seven years and my brother by one and a half. In spite of growing in the same household and having the same influences growing up, we have shaped as totally different individuals. I admire my sister for her grit (she had to suffer some injustice while growing up) and my brother for his language and analytical skills. My sister’s household at Kolhapur has prospered because of her prudent and often bold decisions. My brother in law has the good sense to heed to her advice!
4. Vidula Oke: My better half. We got married in 1997 but it seems just like yesterday. We share an easy camaraderie and have respect for what each one of us brings to the table. She remains eternally loyal to her family (from her side) in spite of the usual problems which all of us face. Vidula because of her loquacious nature, is now closer to relatives from my side than I am! Both of us share similar values so there aren’t many fundamental disagreements.
5. Gayatri Oke: My daughter. She appeared to be a precocious child as she grew up. Gayatri was always sure about what she wanted to do with her life. She was good at many things but has the ability of identifying and following what really interests her the most.
6. Uday Deshpande and others at Samarth Vyayam Mandir: Most children in our area would have been associated with Samarth Vyayam Mandir while growing up. Such was the allure of this place. This was a good avenue to learn Indian sports and also to learn how to operate and collaborate as a part of a group. Dedication, trust, loyalty… these are the values one imbibes at this vyayam shala.
7. Priyamvada Manohar (Manohar bai): The founder-principal of Lokmanya Vidya Mandir. We students had been in awe of this lady. The way she was attired, the way she spoke – it was dignity and erudition personified. She started our school in her society flat and then constructed large building where thousands learnt.
8. Rajadhyaksha teacher / Durve teacher / Prabhune teacher / D’lima teacher: My teachers at school. There are many more but these four made a profound impact on our class.
9. Vaman Karve: My father’s best friend. My father was very choosy while making friends. Vaman Karve was much more than a friend to him. It’s been 16 years since my father has passed away but we still are in touch with Karvekaka. He is stoic, practical and a very honest person. One can rely on his selfless advice on anything under the sun. He is that reliable uncle one hopes to have. He is that uncle with whom you can discuss about anything under the sun. Also, the way he took care of his wife Usha (she was not keeping well for many years), the way he took the departure of his daughters in his stride (all three have migrated to the US). He takes all this without any complaints or remorse. He lives in a sprawling 3 BHK flat – all alone. Karvekaka is a symbol of modesty and humility.
10. Kolhatkar kaka / Phalke kaka / Bhaskar Barve / Kanitkar Kaka and others: My father had a few other buddies who had made some impact on us while we grew. It would be time consuming to write about each of them. Suffice it to say that all these made some contribution in how we shaped up.
11. Gopal Oke: My father’s cousin. A maverick. A farmer at heart who was by some accident of fate working at Sachivalaya. He frequently made trips to his beloved village in Konkan – Bamnoli. He strived hard for the upliftment of locals at Bamnoli. His passion for his native place was inspirational.
12. Vidyadhar Oke: Vidyadhardada is Gopal Oke’s son and our cousin. What a multi-faceted person he is! VGO is one of the most practical persons I have ever met. There is never any confusion about any matter in his mind. He never wavers and is very lucid and firm about his beliefs. VGO’s forays in music, astrology, the pharma industry, books, plays, music direction etc. are legendary.
13. Bhagyashree Oke: VGO’s better half. She has shown enormous business acumen by running a successful jewelry business which she inherited from her mother. She was the person who told me the importance of cash flow in business.
14. Avani Oke: My sister in law. An academic and a super achiever! She wears her success very lightly.
15. Aditya Oke: My nephew. Younger to me by a few years but wiser than me in many respects. He is the eldest son of VGO and is an accomplished musician. Aditya’s wife, Vedashree is a very talented classical singer in her own right and is very active with her concerts and programmes.
16. Anand Oke: My nephew. Anand is the second son of VGO and is steadfast and is a very talented classical singer. He manages to remain cheerful in spite of their jewelry business appearing bleak and some personal issues.
17. Amod Oke: My third nephew and youngest son of VGO. He was a child prodigy and displayed talents in fields as extreme as astrology (learnt from his father) to playing the piano (he is a great fan of Yanni). He dabbles in software and web development and is now at a very senior position at Planet Marathi. Amod and his wife Poulomi are treading on a unconventional path by choosing to home school their two talented and intelligent children.
18. Meenutai: Dr. Vaidya. My cousin from Indore. She is a very successful gynaecologist based in Indore. She is an icon of modesty and grit. She raised her two lovely daughters on her own after she lost her husband very early in life. Meenutai also took care of her mother (my aunt) in her later years when she was suffering from paralysis.
19. Deepti Vaidya Natu: Meenutai’s elder daughter and my niece. I still remember being amazed when I heard of Deepti leaving Indore and coming to Mumbai for a job. She had no place to stay initially. So she made PG arrangements on her own. She is now a very successful stock trader and also continues to be active with a full time job. All this while raising two children.
20. Preeti Vaidya: Meenutai’s younger daughter and my niece. Coy and silent. Super achiever. Intelligent. Fighter. Practical. She will do anything for you provided you are in her good books J.
21. Kalyani Patrikar: My niece (Sujjutai’s daughter). She is always able to bring a smile on our faces through her amazing sense of humour.  She has an eye for detail and can practically converse on any topic under the sun. She is pursuing her PhD at IIT. She is also a great pal to my daughter Gayatri.
22. Dr. Parag Ranade: My nephew. A gentleman. A dependable man. Loquacious. Wonderful sense of humour. Self-deprecating and a loving father to two wonderful girls. Parag had to forgo his dreams to study abroad as his father was ailing (he lost his mother, Veena, my cousin while he was young). He is able to manage his huge house at Prabhat Road, Pune and is on excellent terms with our entire extended family. Parag is a dog lover. One striking aspect of Parag’s personality is that he is very good at languages and quickly gets to know any city intimately. I haven’t met any person who speaks ill of Parag.
23. Arun Topkar: My brother in law. My sister’s husband. A kind soul. He always wishes well of everyone. He is not really communicative so his good intentions are somewhat misinterpreted. I have been a beneficiary of his benevolence in the past.
24. Manda maushi: I have two aunts (maushis). Mandamaushi’s life story would bring tears to anyone’s eyes. She had to endure enormous personal loss. The trials and tribulations faced by my aunt make us realise how lucky all of us are. She remains very stoic.
25. Dr. Ravin Thatte: He was a client when we met some 25 years ago. Now we are family friends. I haven’t met a person like him in my entire life. He was the first person to fight an environmental battle in India and was also a RTI activist. He is a very successful, internationally acclaimed plastic surgeon who has also done exemplary work in Indian philosophy.
26. Jayesh Mehta: Again a client first and now a family friend. Jayesh’s enthusiasm for life and his sense of humour are unparalleled. We have spent so many evenings chatting about everything and nothing! We share our passion of good food. I had the good fortune of knowing Jayesh's mother intimately. She was an extraordinary lady... way ahead of her times.
27. Kedar Limaye: My buddy from college. Kedar has been very impressive since his childhood. He is one of those persons who gets surrounded by admirers. Very sharp and very successful and willing to dabble in many diverse businesses at the same time. He is an ardent bhakta of Pula Deshpande and is an aspiring musician. Kedar loves his drink and is a very generous and kind friend.
28. Mahendra Bhide: My buddy from college. We shared the same bench on my first day of college. Mahendra has very middle class values and we share our love for PL. He has now shifted to Pune after a long stint in the Gulf.
29. Abhijit Vaidya: The genius or the brain in our college group. Abhi comes from a modest background but shows what can be achieved through sheer hard work. He wears his success very lightly and always finds time to chat with us ‘commoners’.
30. Nilesh aka Batty: The adhesive of our college group. Batty has single handedly ensured that all of us stay connected. I try to imbibe this quality from him but fail miserably.
31. Ravi Sharma: Sharma uncle. Sharma uncle’s contribution to my running is immense. He explained to me the importance of focusing on finishing a run rather than worrying about the timing.
32. Naveenchandra Hegde: Our guruji from SPMC. He is a multi-faceted personality with a very strong social connect. Naveen is principled, optimistic and always cheerful. One can safely discuss anything with Naveen and be sure of excellent advice.
33. Pranav Mehta: My friend from college. Pranav is instrumental in turning my life around at 42. He is the one who encouraged me to run. Prior to meeting him at Shivaji Park I had never contemplated running as an activity. I owe so much to Pranav.
34. Nihal Shah and Manisha Shah: This Gujarati couple tirelessly takes our twice weekly exercise classes at Narali Baug. They certainly have made a deep impact on me. Our shared passion of exercise and running has made us very good friends in a short time.
35. Sharad Utekar / Nagesh Mungekar / Dhananjay Kulkarni: I became friends with this trio about six to seven years ago but it seems we have known each other for our lifetimes! We feel free to talk about anything at all with each other. Pulling each other’s legs, voicing concerns and anxieties, sharing happiness comes naturally with these people. One is politically connected while one is a high ranking police official yet there are no barriers between us.
36. Tasneem: This lady is a task master. I wonder why she took keen interest in improving my suryanamaskar technique. She is perfection personified as far as yog is concerned. She has been a practitioner for many years and remains very young at heart.
37. Sameer Tamhane: My buddy from SPMC. Sameer is clear headed, level headed, fair, transparent, practical and dependable person. He has keen interest in politics, history and is well read about whatever opinion he places in front of us. A successful mentor and is a very difficult person to ruffle.
38. Manoj Tilwankar: My neighbor and one of my earliest childhood friends.
39. Hemant Palande / Anand Ware / Rajesh Chakradeo: Pals from my society. Not a day goes without meeting them or discussing about them.
40. Chandrashekhar Vaidya: Shekhar dada used to stay on the same floor as ours. He is now 75 years old and is the president of our society. He has had a glorious career at Godrej after his education at IIT and IIM (Calcutta). His emphasis on following a process in anything you do is commendable. Shekhardada is a stickler for punctuality and has excellent inter personal skills. Always one to speak his mind.
41. Aniruddha Rahalkar: A curious friend from my society. Brash. Profane. Indulges in smoking and drinking. In short a person one should be avoiding. But the reality is totally different as he is one of the most popular guys in our society. He is mischievous but also very helpful. He may appear irreverent but is ethical in his business.
42. Abhay Gondhalekar: One very wealthy person from our society. His appearance and behavior are in contrast to what he has achieved. Abhay doesn’t talk much as he prefers that his work speaks for him.
43. Kaustubh Kirtane: One of my earliest employees. KK was born in a very poor Brahmin family and had to give up his education. Much later he completed his graduation and also did courses at IIT and other places. He is now a professor of design at a university in MP. His life story has been very inspiring.
44. Madhu D’souza: Madhu is the person who made me believe that even we can do good quality work. She was the first ‘real’, qualified artist employed by me. Madhu’s contribution to our fledgling business was immense.
45. Sanjay Bhatkar: My ever cheerful first employee. By his own admission, Sanju was a maverick and did not stick around any employment for a long time. He stayed with me for more than fifteen years. He died under tragic circumstances.
46. Deu and Bhikaji: Two of our domestic helpers. I realized much later in life how under privileged they were. They had literally nothing to look forward to in life but they carried on with whatever fate had given them with dignity.
47. Naval Ravikant: Businessman, philosopher, thinker. I got acquainted with Naval through Twitter and I was hooked. He has a unique philosophy towards looking at life.
48. Shane Parrish: Shane has changed lives for the better for many of his subscribers. I stumbled across fs.blog a few years ago and I long to read his writings every weekend. His goal is to help us master the best of what other people have already figured out.
49. Uday Kale / Vidyadhar Patwardhan / Gokhale kaka / Limaye kaka: These four and I make a good group of Brahmins in our yog class. We belong to different age groups but gel very well. I have learnt a lot from each of these gentlemen.
50. Dr. S.G. Karmarkar: We got to know Dr. Karmarkar when our baba suffered a heart attack. Dr. Karmarkar now is Vidula’s physician for her diabetes and BP. Dr. Karmarkar is old school and does not over prescribe. We are fortunate to have met him.
51. Rajan Naik: One of our oldest business friends. He has made an impression on all of us.
52. Hrishikesh Parandekar: We met about 32 years ago when we were studying for UPSC. I haven’t met a more intelligent and dedicated person since. We do interact but not so frequently. He always had the burning desire to reach the top and he had this uncanny ability of making everything appear effortless.

There are many people with whom I am no longer in regular touch like Sudha Kannan, Dr. Jaideep Gogtay, Pradeep Balgi, Vartika Narang, Dr. Varshaa, Parminder, Deepakbhai of Supreme and many others. These are all acquaintances made through my business but each one has contributed in some way.

Mythological figures (Krishna, Arjun, Ram, Lakshman etc.) and historical figures (Savarkar, Tilak, Shivaji, Gandhi etc.) also make a deep impact on our psyches. I am no exception. All of us draw from these figures.

The impact caused by fictional characters like Dr. Gregory House, Malcolm (Jurassic Park), Tyrion (Game of Thrones), Alan Shore (Boston Legal), Robert Ford (Westworld) etc. has also to be considered. These are usually aspirational role models. They are people whom we admire and wish to be like.

The kind of literature we read shapes our personality. I was fortunate to read the works of Pula Deshpande, Ayn Rand very early in life and also had the good fortune of being introduced to fiction writers like Michael Crichton, Jefferey Archer, Tom Clancy, Frederick Forsyth, Alistair Maclean and many others. These days I try to make sense of Will Durant, Richard Dawkins but usually draw a blank.

Then there are people like Premal Parekh, Vivek Bajaj, Varinder Bansal etc. who have helped me learn basics of stock investing and trading.

Names like Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Hridaynath Mangeshkar, RD Burman also can be considered as they have made a profound impact on our lives.

The list provided above is limited to those who have made a positive impact on me one way or the other. There are several people/acquaintances/relatives who are not included in this list simply for the reason that they taught me what not to become. I have deliberately left out all the people who have had a negative influence.