Vijay Amritraj, former Indian Davis Cup captain and an Independent Director on the Board of Hotel Leelaventure, pays tribute to Capt CP Krishnan Nair, Chairman emeritus and founder of the Leela group.

I met him about 35 years ago, when he was in his early 60s, and the first thing that struck me was his overwhelming energy. It was in Mumbai in his house that I met him. He had not yet started the hotel business and was running the lace business. They used to live on the site where the Mumbai hotel stands today. The thing that struck me most of all was his amazing zest for life and his energy, as though he was already in the fifth set. He was always a very upbeat person. It was very infectious, his energy.

When you walk away from him, you always felt energetic and full of life. At that point, the Bombay airport was due to be built close to their residence. They decided to get into the hotel venture and launched the first project here in Mumbai. I came on board at that point in time as the first director.

I was still playing and was on tour quite a lot. We helped in raising finances for the first property and it turned out quite spectacular.

His mantra was very simple. He said: “To build the best possible hospitality house that you can find”. And, the second mantra was: “Always guest is God.” He created an environment and an atmosphere that was unmatched; an environment standpoint where everything was green.

He and his wife, Leela, after whom the chain is named, actually did every piece of vegetation in the hotel. Environment was their love. They enjoyed gardening. Everything that you see in all the hotels – the flower arrangement, the décor, the entire atmosphere and the environment – was created by the two of them. His strength lay in the fact that he was a people’s man. He knew everyone and related to everyone. All the people in the hotels, be it the doorman or the gardener or the room service staff or the food and beverage people, they were all taken in by his energy and his ability to relate to people. He treated everyone with an immense amount of respect.

He always had this ability to charm any one he met. His love for people was strong. He knew the freedom fighters like Subhas Chandra Bose and Krishna Menon was a great mentor of his.

I am privileged to be part of this hotel chain. He completely raised the standard of hospitality industry in this country. Every property that he built was unique and each one raised the bar a little higher. He brought in the best chefs, the best restaurants. The food and beverage was unmatched, the décor exquisite, the presentation special. You always left the hotel with the feeling, “wow I want to come back.” He was a hands-on person and also had this great ability to identify people and delegate work to them.

On the environment side and the atmosphere at the hotels, both he and his wife were hands-on. There was someone to execute. But then they were coached and trained and told in a manner that was quite different from anyone else. As were their two sons, Vivek and Dinesh.

I am launching a new television show that will air from July 12. We are talking to 10 icons in the country. The first person that came to mind for me was him. I got an opportunity to sit down with him one-on-one, about two months back at the Leela in Mumbai. This was the last time he was giving an interview of any kind. He was like my Dad. I felt exceptionally close to him. His optimism for this country was overwhelming. When he decided to hand over the reins of the company to his sons, he was very clear in his mind. The fact remains that he was turning it over to very good hands. Captain Nair was able to make those judgments with a clear mind and a clear conscience. Icons are always concerned about letting go. He let go when he was completely sharp in mind and focussed and knew that Vivek and Dinesh were extremely well-trained and well qualified and responsible in handling a venture such as this in a manner that he would and continue to raise the bar of hospitality as he would have.

For me, he was always Chairman at board meetings, but outside the board meetings, I always called him Uncle. When my dad passed away a year-and-a-half ago, we got a wonderful message from Captain Nair and everyone else in the family. Whenever someone passes, the first thought always goes to the spouse who is left behind. Aunty Leela is a strong person and wonderful person who was his partner in everything.

I always admired him as a true global Indian, an icon of immeasurable proportions and a real pride of India.

Capt Nair was a great husband, a wonderful father and grandfather, but importantly to me, a great mentor and inspiration. I will miss him dearly and I mourn his passing, but I will always celebrate his life.

(As told to Business Line .)

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