Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Businessman who spotted a gap in the supermarket curry market and built a ready-meal empire; his chicken tikka masala became Britain's national dish.
On the island
Eight records
Call of the ValleyFavourite
Shivkumar Sharma, Hariprasad Chaurasia and Brij Bhushan Kabra
This is so soothing and when you are travelling, for example, in the valley of Kashmir and you hear this early morning as if you are in the valley of Kashmir.
he reminds me of uh my youth and uh we probably we grew up together. It was my school days and I I was uh absolutely crazy about films and I I don't think I missed a single film of Dean Martin.
it is extremely popular song played in my time in the in the wed wedding and all, and it has stuck in my ears.
Now he reminds me of America all the time, and I I love United States, but I love it as a visitor. I won't I would be uncomfortable living there.
Hariprasad Chaurasia and Zakir Hussain
I love instrumental Indian music. It's a great soothing effect, and I'm particularly partial to mister Chaurasia and Zakirusen, the great tabla player, g son of a great father, Ustad Alarakha.
Pavarotti's music and his voice And the amount of energy in his voice gave me so much of energy and enthusiasm that I said to myself, Why am I despair? Yes, I've lost the facty, but I'm alive. My family is alive, nobody is hurt. And that gave me so much of sort of courage.
I admire Dolly Parton because she overcame a tough childhood. She was extremely poor and she had the determination and talent to become successful. And also as well as being a great entertainer, she's a very astute businesswoman which I can relate myself to with her.
I like Tina Turner because she has a very powerful voice, like Dolly Parton. She has a lot of guts, a lady with a tremendous energy and drive. Her music has livened up many of my parties at home, and this would remind me of my friends and families in UK and in India.
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:31Tell me about the day it dawned on you that what we needed was a good curry dinner.
I returned from the United States, completely failed in my venture there, which uh which was a disaster for me. But then I said, I'm not going to allow my entire research and the technicalities which I have learned in the United States, but I'm going to employ it here to my benefit, but I must find a gap in the market. What should I do? I'm a cook, basically. I thought that so many Indian restaurants came up and I said, Some day, someday, this same food will Land on the shelf of the supermarket with vengeance. And it did. … For three Saturdays, I went and bought Indian food from several supermarkets, and I would open it, I would heat it as per their instructions, and try to eat it. And I tell you, I was extremely disappointed. And I said to myself, I think what it lacks here not only the spices or authenticity, but I think there is a big gap in their manufacturing method because technology is important here. And I had the technology which I had learnt in the United States. So I said, this is it. I'm going to come out with a Authentic Indian Curries.
Presenter asks
4:53How old were you when [your father died]?
I was about seven and a half to eight years old. … And uh my youngest sister was a baby in arms in my mother's arms. … It was a tough time.
Presenter asks
The keepsakes
The book
Nelson Mandela
Because I think he epitomized in my mind the man with the tremendous courage. Magnanimity and forgiveness I mean, despite the fact that he was in prison for so many years, and when he came out he shook hands with all his friends. And indeed with his enemies. Such a man is my hero.
The luxury
TV, video player, and a collection of videos of cricket matches
My luxury, if you allow me to take video, I mean completely T V and video. Freak and a collection of videos of all the cricket matches with the matches hanging in the balance up to the last two, three balls. It would be fantastic I can enjoy myself, without my wife disturbing me that you cricket fanatic.
You were a little boy of eight at the time. How did you react towards [your father's death]?
I was I mean, we were all devastated. I mean, I distinctly remember the body of my father actually lying in the room where we were living. My mother was absolutely beating her chest, and my sisters and all the family members were crying. And I said to my mother, in my old childish, naive manner, that Mother, don't cry. When I grow up I will take care of everything.
Presenter asks
10:37What was the effect of [visiting London in your late twenties]?
I had seen this London, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, only in the movies, black and white movies. So I came down here. and hundreds of people came to see me off because it was a big thing. … So I came down here, and I remember the first night I came straight from my very small hotel in Victoria to Piccadilly Circus. and I saw all the lights, and I said I am here. And next morning I went around like every tourist would do, Madame Toussaux. changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, and I loved it. I fell in love with this country, and I said to myself, in aga in a very naive manner, that some day I would like to come and do some business here.
Presenter asks
15:40What did you put your money into [in New York in 1980]?
First of all, I was a stranger. Like he says, it was a strange country to me. In America I started the frozen food factory. I put up a very nice factory. And my idea was to sell this like I did eventually here. … But I think I was twenty-five years ahead of time. I started producing and then I opened eleven restaurants. Eleven restaurants. … But Indian the idea was to produce Indian food in the in a commissary, send it in a frozen condition and freshen it up there and serve it to the customer. Didn't work. I mean it was a disaster. The Indian food didn't work. No, the people food both they were they did not catch the imagination of Americans or New Yorker. Indian food was not popular.
Presenter asks
19:16What was it like [when your factory burned down]?
In those days we had about two hundred and fifty people, and they were still in in their protective clothes and Wellington boots because they had no time to change. They all came out and my senior executives and my brothers and my daughter, they all brought them out. So they were all safe. That was a great relief to me. But uh they were crying, they were sobbing. And I said to myself, I feel like crying, but I better hold there.
“My mother was everything in my life. In those days, if somebody had to say that would you sacrifice the best thing in life for the sake of mother, I would have said yes.”
“I have got enough fire in my belly and I got I need a bigger platform, so I'm going to go abroad and take this business there.”
“Every night I bend my on my knees, I am on my knees and thank him for what he has given me. I came with nothing. This society, this country has given me everything health, wealth and honors, and that to twice. So I am Extremely thankful to my Maker.”
“I hate that word ethnic minority. We are in the mainstream. Our boys and girls, our second generations are educated in this country. Gone are those days when in on in sixties and seventies when I used to come to England at the Heathrow Airport, I could see only the Asians sweeping the floor or minding the toilets. Now they are on the on the counter of immigration and they are practically in every industry.”