The Hindu Business Line : My best man

Some say it is the style, others insist it is the bearing . Some women will bet their last rupee on a man who still has it in him to offer her his chair or open the car door for her. Yet others will swear that it is confidence and kindness that they admire in a man.

Power, money, attitude... what do those from Venus seek from the species from Mars? Hundreds of books have been written and millions bought and read by men across the globe, in their search for an answer to the million-dollar question: `What do women want?'

We decided to ask some of India's well-known women what they look for in a man. Is there a male icon...and, if yes, what makes him one?

ZEBA KOHLI is the original sugar baby. She is the Managing Director of Fantasie Fine Chocolates, the premium brand of hand-made chocolates. "A man with a razor-sharp mind, in top shape physically and mentally, has a great sense of humour, is humane and, yes, very well groomed," says Zeba.

"And yes, he gets brownie points if he has loads of business acumen, a decisive mind and is moderate in his living. I have known Azim Premji (Wipro Chairperson) from close quarters and seen him grow his business from an oil company to the huge entity it is today; what fascinates me is his simplicity and humility."

Another favourite, Tata group Chairperson Ratan Tata "seems to be driven by some inner fire and determination and this is evident from the way he has driven the empire forward."

She wrote Surviving Men, a novel that won over the hearts of countless Indian women as she ruthlessly de-constructed the Indian male psyche. Socialite, best-selling author, and keen social observer, SHOBHAA DE insists there is no such thing as a male icon and that it exists only in the imagination of romantic women who invariably attribute over-the-top qualities to men.

"True icons can only be found in mythology and that's where they belong," she says. The Indian purshottam or perfect man is simply not her style. "Perfection is boring. I find Ram a bit of a wimp, I prefer Ravana — dashing, wicked and passionate. Homer got it right in The Illiad when he created Achilles, the brooding warrior-god. But anyone who has watched Troy will agree that despite Brad Pitts' almost edible and delicious presence in the film, it was Eric Bana's Prince Hector who stole the show."

Nelson Mandela tops her list of contemporary male icons with his inspiring and courageous life. "Mandela is also an extraordinarily attractive man and projects enormous sex appeal and star power." The current crop of media-created male icons don't interest Shobaa at all, nor do the cricket gods. "Which movie star of today can even hold a candle to earlier heroes like Dilip Kumar," she asks.

Here is her wish list for a male icon. The sexiness and mischief of Lord Krishna; the valour and loyalty of Arjuna; the charm and calm of Rajiv Gandhi; the wit and energy of Shah Rukh Khan; the cunning and shrewdness of Chanakya; the foresight and vision of Azim Premji; the love and loyalty of Lakshmana; the sheer idiocy and mass-appeal of Spiderman; and, oh yes, the guts and daring of Ravana.

Gourmet chef and foodie KAREN ANAND has some of India's most high-profile men eating out of her hand... well, almost. Be it at a barbeque party at her charming Pune home or at an event for corporate clients. "Antonio Banderas is one who absolutely sets my imagination on fire. He is the kind of guy you want to meet after a hard day's work. In addition to the oodles of sex appeal, he has done a lot of offbeat films, including those of cult director, Almodovar Pedro." Anand Mahindra "is a cool dude. I don't know if people know this, but Anand set out in life studying filmmaking and may be because I am passionate about films or may be it is his sense of humour and his ability to strike the correct balance between work and the rest of his life."

In the dog-eat-dog world of two-wheelers, where fortunes are made and broken faster than the revolutions of the hot wheels, the diminutive SULAJJA FIRODIA-MOTWANI, Joint Managing Director of the Kinetic group of companies, stands tall.

She rubs shoulders with male counterparts, some of whom have been veterans in the business long before she even finished schooling. She has come out of the shadow of her father to lead the company right into the heart of the battle for profits.

Legendary cricketer and world cup-winning captain of the Indian team, Kapil Dev tops her list of favourite men. "He is a complete sportsperson, personifying talent, spirit and teamwork. I have been a keen sportsperson myself and I think that the sports mindset is very special. Kapil has that `never surrender' spirit which won us the World Cup through an amazing turnaround when, at one point, all odds seemed stacked against us. I also admire how he has turned into a top golf player now! He has become an inspiration for millions of Indians. I have been working closely with him as he has been our brand ambassador."

When a film star cancelled his appearance for a promotional event at the last minute, Kapil gallantly stepped in, says Sulajja. "He charmed the audience with his sense of humour and openness. His humility is what endears him to everyone."

ANURADHA DESAI heads the Rs 1,800-crore integrated poultry business of the Venkateshwara Hatcheries group. She grew up in a poultry farm, picking eggs, feeding birds and cleaning up the sheds when other girls her age would have spent time dating, getting hip hairstyles and hanging around discos. As Chairperson of the World Poultry Congress, Anuradha held her own at a gathering of some of the world's best minds.

"My father, Dr B.V. Rao, is the one man I look up to in times of difficulty. I learnt from him the simple lesson that everyone has the right to dream and pursue that dream to make it reality. When we began in life, we had next to nothing but I learnt from him that hard work, no matter how menial, gets you respect from within and from those around you."

Bajaj Auto Chairperson Rahul Bajaj is also someone she admires and respects. "I find his outspokenness refreshing."

"By virtue of being married to him for 25 glorious years, Anand tops my list of favourite males," says ANURADHA MAHINDRA, Editor of Mumbai's society magazine Verve and wife of Mahindra & Mahindra chief Anand Mahindra. Anuradha is the brain behind the magazine which chronicles the country's men and women of substance and style. She is, incidentally, also the woman behind Man's World, the magazine that looks at life from the male point of view. "I can't honestly say that I know any single male who embodies the qualities that would get him icon status... but there are men whom I admire immensely for qualities that make them stand out in a crowd," says Anuradha.

V.S. Naipaul "for his depth of knowledge, the intensity of thought and the sheer simplicity with which he expresses them through his writing."

Former US President Bill Clinton whom she met on his last visit to India. "He endears himself with his ability to engage with those around him so effortlessly. For the two minutes that he shares with somebody, he is completely focussed on that person and nothing else around him matters."

Bollywood's Big B, Amitabh Bachchan "for the baritone that has stood the test of time. There is an enigmatic quality to the man and that voice which I find so enchanting."

M&M Chairperson Keshub Mahindra and her father-in-law, the late Harish Mahindra, Chairperson of Mahindra Ugine Steel. "I have known both as men of great integrity, values and ethics and I have learnt a lot from them." Architect Charles Correa "for his intelligence, enquiring mind, willingness to learn, openness to new ideas but, foremost, for the fact that despite being so sought after, he is a complete home body, committed to his wife and family".

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Poles apart!

A golden stitch in time...

India, ahoy!

Stop at the mall

Beyond kitchen politics

Doing business with relish