Gitesh Desai was reading an email from India’s Ministry of External Affairs but before the words could sink in, he got a call from Houston’s Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray congratulating him. Desai was one of the 28 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awardees of 2019. The normally eloquent Desai says he was “struggling for words” during his conversation with the Consul General.

Desai was presented the prestigious award by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind at a special ceremony in Varanasi on 23rd January. He had “goose bumps while walking on the dais” to receive the award. He was also felicitated at his alma mater University of Baroda and in his hometown Jambusar in Gujarat.

A cherished recognition, Desai plans to hang the framed certificate in his living room. Desai came to the US in 1980 with an engineering degree from India, but the lack of practical experience, a US degree and fluency in English proved to be major roadblocks in getting a job.

In exasperation, he finally told an interviewer at Jack D. Gillum, an engineering company, “Henry Kissinger was an unknown person too until Nixon gave him a chance. Engineering formulas don’t change whether they are applied in India or the US. Just give me a chance.”

Desai got the job and soon proved himself.  He rose quickly through the ranks in every one of the four prominent companies he’s worked for – Jack D. Gillum, Stone and Webster, KBR and presently Wood where he is Senior Principal Engineer. He’s racked up a combined experience of 35 years in engineering and construction projects and has worked on assignments that were individually worth $12 billion. His present boss describes him as “a solutions oriented, goal driven problem solver.”

This description of Desai would be proved right once again in a completely different setting. Three months after he took the helm as President of Sewa International Houston Chapter, Hurricane Harvey hit Houston. His own house was flooded with 5 feet of water for two weeks. Desai gathered his passport, laptop and with the clothes he was wearing, walked out of the house and moved into a hotel. He began coordinating rescue and relief efforts from the hotel’s lobby and was in the forefront mobilizing 1250 volunteers who rescued 687 people stranded in their homes. Sewa International collected over one million dollars in donations including a $400,000 grant from the Mayor’s Fund for relief and rehabilitation efforts, the first ever such grant to any Indian American organization in the US.

Desai lost most of his belongings, personal memories, paintings and some rare books in the flooding but the three things, he says, he didn’t lose were “his positivity, hope and health” for which he is grateful. He stayed in a hotel for one year and has only recently moved back home occupying the second floor as the first floor still “looks like a war zone.”

Growing up in a traditional family environment, Desai was greatly influenced by his grandmother. In the 1940’s, she initiated several programs for women empowerment, opened four stores and, in a revolutionary move for those times, hired widows to run them. He comes from a family of freedom fighters and social reformers where Gandhiji’s influence ran deep. Desai recalls spending hours on the charkha spinning thread. The family encouraged wearing khadi, a practice that can still be seen in the natty khadi jacket and kurta churidar he sports at any Indian event.

At 11, Desai joined a Gujarati medium Gandhian boarding school where he learned “discipline and self-reliance.” The genesis of his activism was first seen in the 1974 Navnirman Andolan in Gujarat. As a student leader, Desai led students to protest against the rampant corruption which led to the toppling of the government. In 1975, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared emergency. Desai protested and was detained in prison for two weeks. After his release, he moved to Mumbai and then Dubai as he was on the Government’s Black list for his involvement in the protests against the Emergency.

The over 6 feet broad shouldered Desai is a familiar face in Houston.  He was on the Boards of the Indo American Charity Foundation, the Toastmaster’s Club, City of Houston’s General Appeals Board and President of the Indo American Political Action Committee. He led a delegation to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. lobbying for accountability, and transparency in the US financial aid to Pakistan to ensure it wasn’t being used to fund terrorist activities against India. In another delegation, he lobbied for a US-India Civil Nuclear Deal and successfully blocked a killer amendment against it in the US Congress.

Desai is also a certified yoga teacher. He loves reading, listening to Hindustani classical music and oil painting. But nothing beats driving down to Dallas every other weekend to spend time with his two grandchildren.

Empress Nur Jahan was the most powerful woman in 17th Century India. She played an unprecedented role in running the vast Mughal empire. Historian Ruby Lal explains why the history of her leadership is important to understand today.

She was named Mihr un-Nisa at birth and was later named Nur Jahan (light of the world) by her husband, the Mughal emperor, Jahangir. She was born only a few decades after Queen Elizabeth I, yet she ruled a territory far more diverse than that of her British counterpart.

The Mughals ruled much of the Indian subcontinent for more than 300 years after they came to power early in the 16th century. It was one of India’s biggest and most powerful dynasties. Many of its emperors and royal women, including Nur Jahan, were patrons of art, music and architecture – they built grand cities and majestic forts, mosques and tombs.

And as the dynast’s only woman ruler, Nur Jahan is omnipresent in the folklore of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Stories about her abound in the homes, and near monuments, in Agra in northern Indian and Lahore in northern Pakistan – two major cities in the Mughal era, especially during her reign. Older men and women, tour guides and history aficionados tell stories of how Nur and Jahangir met and fell in love; of how she saved a village tormented by a man-eating tiger – she shot it deadwith a musket from her perch on top of an elephant.

Though people have heard stories about her romance and, infrequently, of her bravery, little is known about her dynamic world, political acumen and powerful ambitions. She was a fascinating woman who came to rule an empire against extraordinary odds.

She was a poet, an expert hunter and an innovative architect. Her design for her parents’ tomb in Agra later inspired the construction of the Taj Mahal. A remarkable leader in a male-dominated world, Nur didn’t come from royalty. Yet she ascended from the emperor’s harem to great heights as an astute politician and the favorite wife of Jahangir, ruling the vast Mughal empire as a co-sovereign.

There is a lot to be said about her upbringing, the supportive network of men and women by her side, the special relationship she enjoyed with Jahangir, her ambition, and her land and its people. The plural, rich and tolerant culture of Al-Hind – the land beyond the river Indus, as the Arabs and Persians called northern India then – allowed different sensibilities, religions and traditions to coexist.

Nur was born in 1577 near Kandahar (in present-day Afghanistan) to eminent Persian nobles who had left their home in Iran amid increasing intolerance under the Safavid dynasty to seek refuge in the more liberal Mughal empire.

Raised in a blend of traditions from her parents’ birthplace and their adopted homeland, Nur first married a Mughal government official and former military officer in 1594. She moved with him to Bengal, a rich province in eastern India, and gave birth to her only child.

When her husband was suspected of participating in a plot against Jahangir, the emperor ordered the governor of Bengal to bring him to his royal court in Agra. But Nur’s husband was killed in a battle with the governor’s men.

The widowed Nur was given refuge in Jahangir’s harem, where other women gradually started to trust and admire her. She married Jahangir in 1611, becoming his 20th and final wife.

Though few women were mentioned in official court records at the time, Jahangir’s memoirs from 1614 onward confirm his special relationship with Nur. And he painted an admiring portrait of her – as a sensitive companion, a superb caregiver, an accomplished adviser, a skilled hunter, a diplomat and an art lover.

Many historians believe that Jahangir was an ailing drunkard who no longer had the stamina or focus to rule, and that is why he gave up the control of his kingdom to Nur. But that is not entirely true.

Yes, the emperor was a drunkard and he smoked opium. Yes, he was deeply in love with his wife. But that’s not why Nur became a ruler to be reckoned with. In fact, Nur and Jahangir complemented each other, and the emperor never felt uncomfortable with his wife’s burgeoning influence as co-sovereign.

Soon after their marriage, she issued her first royal order to protect the land rights of an employee. Her signature in the order read, Nur Jahan Padshah Begum, which translates as Nur Jahan, the Lady Emperor. It was a sign of sovereignty and an indication that her power was growing.

In 1617, gold and silver coins, which bore her name opposite that of Jahangir, started circulating. Court chroniclers, foreign diplomats, tradesmen and visitors soon started to note her unique status.

One courtier described an incident where she surprised many by appearing in the imperial balcony, which was reserved for men only. This was not her only act of defiance.

Be it hunting, issuing imperial orders and coins, designing public buildings, taking measures to support poor women or champion the disadvantaged, Nur lived a life that was unusual among women at the time.

She also led an army to save the emperor when he was taken captive – a daring act which ensured that her name was etched indelibly in public imagination, and in history.

(Historian Ruby Lal teaches at Emory University and is the author, most recently of Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan, published by WW Norton in US; and Penguin India, in India.)

Film star Cate Blanchett, singer-songwriter Elton John and Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan received awards at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Monday for their work raising awareness about human rights issues.

Blanchett, an Australian, received a Crystal Award for her work with people who have fled their homes. British singer-songwriter John received his for his charitable work with his AIDS foundation. Indian Khan’s was in recognition of his work championing the rights of children and women in India. The Crystal Awad is given, by the WEF to artists who make a positive change in society.

The awards were presented at a ceremony in the village of Davos, in the Swiss Alps, where some of the world’s top policy makers and executives have begun gathering for the annual meeting.

Blanchett, who has won two Oscars, was named a goodwill ambassador for United Nations refugee agency UNHCR in May 2016. As part of her role, the actor has travelled to Lebanon and Jordan to meet refugees displaced by the Syrian conflict.

She warned of the consequences if more was not done to help people forced to flee their homes. “Lost generations of uneducated, disenfranchised and displaced children not only represent a vast loss of potential but also a threat for future global security and prosperity,” she said. More than a million people have fled parts of Africa and the Middle East to Europe in the last few years.

Nirali Patel, an Indian-American staffer for Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Brendan Carr, has been named by FCC chairman Ajit Pai as his special counsel on January 18th. “I’m pleased that Nirali is joining my office as Special Counsel,” said Pai in a statement.  “She has a wide range of expertise and experience in communications law and policy issues and will be an asset to my team,” the Ajit Pai, the Indian American FCC chief added.

As a legal adviser to Carr, Patel advised on media, wireless, public safety, international, consumer protection and enforcement matters, the FCC said in a news release. Added Carr of the outgoing staffer, “She has been an invaluable member of the team, bringing a depth of knowledge and thoroughness to every issue she tackled.”

Prior to that, she served as a deputy chief in the Competition Policy Division of the Wireline Competition Bureau.  Before joining the FCC in January 2017, Patel was counsel in the technology, media and telecommunications practice of Hogan Lovells US LLP. Previously, she practiced communications law at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and Sidley Austin LLP. Patel graduated summa cum laude from the American University Washington College of Law and received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Ajit Pai has played a crucial role in an administration whose policies stand squarely in the crosshairs of the nation’s emotions. The revoking of the Net Neutrality policy by Pai has been decried by detractors as a corporate shill strategically positioned in the nation’s capital. Charging him with “ruining the internet,” protesters have threatened Pai, his wife and children, covered his house with disparaging signs and taken to the internet with accusations and calls for his removal. Protesters have even established AjitVPai.com, a website that encourages visitors to contact the FCC about Pai’s actions. The site also explains how, without net neutrality, ISPs such as AT&T, Time Warner Cable and Verizon can block or dramatically slow users’ access to some sites.

The expected wave of litigation against the Federal Communications Commission’s repeal of net-neutrality rules has begun. A group of attorneys general for 21 states and the District of Columbia sued Jan. 16 to block the rules. So did Mozilla, the maker of the Firefox browser, public-interest group Free Press and New America’s Open Technology Institute. Others may file suit as well, and a major tech-industry lobbying group has said it will support litigation.

The rules barred companies like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon from interfering with internet traffic and favoring their own sites and apps. FCC chairman Ajit Pai’s push to undo them inspired both street and online protests in defense of the Obama-era rules. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who is leading the suit, said that the end of the net neutrality rules would hurt consumers and businesses.

Chintu Patel and Chirag Patel, Co-Chairmen of Amneal Pharmaceuticals, were honored as Persons of the Year 2017 for their monumental corporate success and philanthropy by The South Asian Times on Jan 13, 2018 at a gala reception in Syosset, NY.

Joining in presenting the plaques to the duo were Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty, Congressman Steve Israel, and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone.

Chintu and Chirag Patel have taken Amneal in 15 years from a family business to fifth largest generics drug company in the USA with $2 billion revenue expected in 2018. They have also set up family foundations called Niswarth and Irada with large humanitarian projects in India.

They were featured on the cover story in The South Times New Year Special issue of January 6-19, 2018. At the event last weekend at the North Shore Synagogue’s grand ballroom, the two Patel brothers were introduced by Kamlesh Mehta, Publisher and Chairman of The South Asian Times.

Assembled at the reception to cheer the honorees as well as celebrate the remarkable success and contributions of the Indian American community were numerous community leaders, entrepreneurs, publishers and officials. Notable was the presence of two Padma Shri honorees Dr. Dattatreyudu Nori and Dr. Sudhir Parikh.

Congressmen Israel and Suffolk County Executive Bellone, while congratulating Chintu and Chirag, who they have known personally, praised the Indian American community’s role in bringing the two great democracies of India and US closer. Amb. Sandeep Chakravorty echoed their thoughts. Steve Israel said “Chintu and Chirag have not forgotten the past while keeping an eye on the future,” reflecting on how they have retained the best of Indian culture and family values while having a long time vision to serve humanity.

Chirag Patel in his acceptance speech talked about the infinite human potential, adding “One side is business success, but the same thing applies to greater purpose in life.” Tremendous growth of Amneal notwithstanding, he said, “We are not stopping, we have multiple projects in bio-technology.”

Chintu Patel said so far they had kept a low profile but a persistent Kamlesh Mehta convinced them to agree to be Persons of the Year 2017 arguing that their story will be inspirational for the community and it also conveys the importance of family values. Chintu said their father, Kanu Patel, is their inspiration who is still active at 75. He also thanked his team at Amneal, which employs more than 5,000 people. Many attendees told Kamlesh Mehta to make Person of the Year an annual event, and felicitate many more Indian American achievers.

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., representing the 17th Congressional District which includes much of Silicon Valley, was named by The Nation as the “Most Valuable House Newcomer.”

The Indian American congressman was sworn into office in early January after defeating longtime incumbent Mike Honda, another Democrat, in the November 2016 election.

In making the selections of Khanna on the 2017 Progressive Honor Roll, The Nation wrote, “Capitol Hill’s steadiest champion of congressional oversight on war-making, Representative Barbara Lee always needs allies. She got a great one when Khanna arrived in January. Lee’s fellow California Democrat jumped into a leadership post with the Congressional Progressive Caucus (as did two other outstanding newcomers, Washington’s Pramila Jayapal and Maryland’s Jamie Raskin) and emerged as a savvy champion of net neutrality.”

The Nation went on to write, “But the law-school instructor made his boldest mark as an advocate for the restoration of constitutional checks and balances. Khanna decried the use of tax dollars to “bomb and starve civilians” in Yemen and—working with CPC co-chair Mark Pocan and libertarian-leaning Republicans—drafted legislation to block US support for Saudi Arabia’s brutal assault on that country.

According to The Nation, “In November, Khanna and his allies forced a debate on the issue, getting the chamber to vote 366–30 for a nonbinding resolution stating that US military assistance for the Saudi war was not authorized by Congress. That was a small step. But with support growing for Lee’s effort to overturn the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, which has served as an excuse for military adventurism, Khanna says the Yemen vote signals that the project of “re-orienting our foreign policy away from our Saudi alliance and away from neocon/neoliberal interventionism” is finally beginning.”

In addition to Khanna being named to the honor roll, The Nation’s 2017 list included U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., as Most Valuable Senator; most valuable reading of the constitution was U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.; U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, as the most valuable Senate watchdog; U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., as the most valuable House progressive; and U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, D-Mass., as the most valuable House speech, among many others with progressive values.

TiE-Boston, which celebrated its 20^th anniversary at a black-tie gala attended by its founding charter members, past presidents and over 300 guests, on December 18^th, bestowed its highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award, to entrepreneur and philanthropist Venkat Srinivasan, who has founded eight companies and is credited with creating 1,800 jobs and over $2 billion in value for shareholders.

“I am honored and humbled that TiE-Boston selected me for this award,” said Srinivasan. “I salute TiE and the many charter members for fostering entrepreneurship so passionately.  Entrepreneurship is a key solution to society’s many challenges.”

“Venkat embodies the true spirit of TiE by building good companies, empowering employees and entrepreneurs, and giving back to solve big problems and help society at large,” said TiE-Boston president Praveen Tailam in a statement.

“He has been associated with TiE for a long time and has always inspired budding entrepreneurs by investing his time and capital, and is well-respected by fellow charter members for his philanthropic work,” Tailam added

The other awards were bestowed in the following categories: Distinguished Service to Philanthropy: Sekhar Naik; Health Innovator of the Year: Derek Haas; Rising Entrepreneur of the Year: Allis Tweed-Kent; Charter Member of the Year: Rishi Bhalerao; and Volunteer of the Year: Arjun Venkatachalam.

The gala also held a “Fireside Chat” between Harvard Business School Dean Nitin Nohria and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Venkat Srinivasan. The TiE-Boston Board awards the Lifetime Achievement Award when an individual has made a lasting impact in the business community, and a significant contribution to the success of TiE-Boston.

Since 1997, TiE-Boston has been supporting entrepreneurs by offering education, mentorship, networking, and funding opportunities. What makes TiE unique is that the organization connects entrepreneurs with each other and other stakeholders in the ecosystem, including seasoned serial entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, service providers, and early customers. TiE-Boston is a chapter of TiE-Global, the largest global not-for-profit organization fostering entrepreneurship. TiE-Boston members leverage the global network of members from 61 chapters in 18 countries. TiE has 12,000 members throughout the world, and has contributed over $250B in wealth creation. For more information, and to become a member of TiE-Boston, visit boston.tie.org.

Jobin Panicker of Los Angeles, California won an Emmy® Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Jobin is a television reporter and anchor for NBC (KSEE24 News) in Fresno, California. He won in the area of writing and he has been honored with seven television awards dating back to 2010. Jobin Panicker, son of Orthodox Priest Fr. Yohannan Panicker (Mecherayil Veedu, Kundara, Kerala, India) and late Lilly Panicker. Jobin is married to Jenni Panicker.

Jobin was born in New York but raised in Southern California. His journey as a reporter began at Gonzaga University, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism. While at Gonzaga, he and his wife (then girlfriend) joined the cheerleading squad, thereby securing courtside viewing for every Zags basketball game. From Gonzaga, Jobin traveled east to Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communication. While there, he earned a Master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism. After the ‘Cuse, he set off for the “real world” and started working as a reporter for WBOC-TV in Salisbury, Maryland. Jobin was there one and a half years when he got the desire to head back west He flew home to CA and has settled nicely into Fresno. He is married to a local attorney (his college sweetheart). Jobin plays pick-up basketball games at the gym in his spare time. He and his wife love watching the Zags and the Lakers and going to the park with their shih tzu, Samosa.

By Sudhansu Digal

Fr. Varghese Paul, SJ has received the LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD from National and International Compendium (NIC), New Delhi last month. The Award Certificate says: “Lifetime Achievement Award Presented to Fr Varghese Paul, SJ, Director, Catholic Information Service Society Ahmedabad, Gujarat For Outstanding Achievements in Chosen Field of
Activity at New Delhi on 2nd November 2017”. The colorful Award certificate is signed by Dr. N.S.N. Babu, Ph.D., Executive Director.

The NIC’s letter dated October 1, 2017 communicating the news says: “The selection of the Awardees is general however based on the information gathered by us through our extensive research, which we make to identity the progressive patten of the dynamic men and women
of India. We also use all the contacts at our disposal for the said purpose”.

Fr Varghese received the LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD by Registered Post
as he was unable to go to New Delhi to receive the Award in the Award Distribution function.

Fr Varghese has earlier received JEWEL OF INDIA AWARD form International Institute of Education & Management on 25 July, 2016 in a special Award function held New Delhi. In the same year Fr Varghese Paul also received STAR OF ASIA AWARD Certificate of Outstanding
Achievement on 30th September.

As a bi-lingual writer promoting love and harmony in all his writings Fr Varghese is a widely read author in Gujarati. He has written and published 45 books in Gujarati and 4 in English. His books are also translated in to Hindi, Malayalam and Bangali. His books are published
by big publishing houses like R R Sheth & Co. Mumbai-Ahmeabad, Rannade
Prakashan, Ahmedabad and Gujarat Sahitya Prakash, Anand, etc.

His latest book Paryavarnani Samipe on Environmental sensibilities, published by Rannade Prakashan in 2017, was released in public functions at Ahmedabad on July 16 and at Mumbai on Nov 24, 2017. Here are pictures of Award Certificate & of the book realizing function
held at Maniben Nanavati Women’s College, Mumbai.

The Book Realizing Function was held as part of an International Conference on Re-imagining The Text: English Studies and Digital Humanities. The Conference was jointly organized by the College (MNWC) and the Guild of Indian English Writers, Editors and Critics (GIEWEC).
Fr Varghese presented a research paper on YOUTH AND THE DIGITAL MEDIA.

Indian American Indra Nooyi and India-based bank heads Chanda Kochhar and Shikha Sharma are among those recognized by Fortune magazine’s Most Powerful Women in the word. In the 20th year of the Most Powerful Women in Business list in the U.S., Fortune recognized 26 chief executives controlling $1.1 trillion in market cap. It also featured seven newcomers, one returnee and nine women in the tech industry, it said.

The publication broke the list into two separate areas — a U.S. edition as well as an international one on September 24th. In the U.S. version of the list, PepsiCo chair and chief executive officer Nooyi came in at No. 2, the same position she ranked a year ago.

Fortune said, “PepsiCo filled the long­ vacant role of president in July, sparking talk that the CEO might be heading toward retirement. But Nooyi claims she has no plans to step down, and why should she? While revenue was flat in 2016, profits jumped 16 percent, and the stock has outpaced most of its Big Food brethren as the industry tries to adjust to massive consumer shifts.” Nooyi, Fortune added, has responded by moving the portfolio toward healthier fare. The company recently launched a premium water line and in 2016 acquired kombucha maker KeVita.

The international list featured Kochhar, ICICI Bank managing director and chief executive officer, at No. 5, the same rank she had in 2016. Kochhar, Fortune noted, has led India’s largest private lender for eight years, and under her stewardship ICICI Bank has thrived. In the 12 months ending Sept. 7, 2017, the bank’s market capitalization rose 20.2 percent to nearly $30 billion. Revenue climbed 9.1 percent in 2016, the publication added.

Kochhar also proved a smooth operator during crisis. Her bank was quick to respond last November when the government announced its surprise demonetization of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, partnering with retailers and small businesses to facilitate digital payments, according to the magazine.

At No. 21, dropping two spots from the previous year, was Axis Bank managing director and CEO Sharma. This summer, following resignation rumors, Sharma was reappointed to serve another three-year term as the head of India’s Axis Bank, Fortune said.

The announcement capped a tumultuous time for the private lender, India’s third largest, which has reported consistent drops in quarterly profits and was the subject of acquisition rumors, it said. “Now that she has been reconfirmed as CEO, Sharma can focus on beefing up the bank’s digital services, which includes expanding its digital payments app’s reach. In July, she announced that Axis Bank had acquired Freecharge, a digital payments company,” the publication said.

Topping the U.S. edition, just ahead of Nooyi, was General Motors chair and CEO Mary Bara. Rounding out the U.S. edition’s top five were Lockheed Martin CEO, chair and president Marillyn Hewson; Fidelity Investments chair and CEO Abigail Johnson; and Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg.

The international edition, in its 17th year, was topped by Banco Santander group executive chair Ana Botin and featured 11 newcomers. The women just ahead of Kochhar at No. 5 were GSK chief executive Emma Walmsley, Engie CEO Isabelle Kocher, and Gree Electric Appliances chair and president Dong Mingzhu.

Former Indian American tennis champion Vijay Amritraj’s life story will be told through a biopic. He said that the film will delve into how parents’ love can make a child’s dream come true. A boutique film studio, Cinestaan Film Company, has acquired the rights to make the biopic.

Talking about the biopic, Amritraj said, “Parents love compassion dedication and hard work under the most trying circumstances can make a child’s dream come true even if he or she is nowhere near good enough in anything. I am humbled that a company like Cinestaan Film Company would want to tell my story but this is about mothers, children and overwhelming love.”

He has achieved many firsts as India’s number one tennis champion. Amritraj has also shown his prowess as a sports commentator. The celebrated sportsman, who also had a brief acting career featuring in “Star Trek” and “Octopussy,” was honored with a Padma Shri in 1983. In 2006, he established the Vijay Amritraj Foundation, and was named the UN’s Messenger of Peace.

Interestingly, his son Prakash Amritraj will be producing the film with Cinestaan. “I’ve always felt beyond blessed to have my greatest hero and my father be the same person. While the world knows of his numerous achievements, my brother Vikram and I have always felt if everyone was to know his character and the love that made him; the world could truly be a better place and more seeds of love, inspiration, and hope will be sown,” said Prakash. “I can’t be more excited to bring this story to the big screen.”

Rohit Khattar, the Chairman of Cinestaan Film Company said, “Before Vijay, no Indian sportsman has been celebrated on the world stage in this manner. We all felt so proud as Indians to read about his triumphs overseas and today we, at Cinestaan Film Company are thrilled to help bring his incredibly inspiring story to the screen. Many who know of Vijay’s successes will be in awe when they see the challenges that were presented to him in early life before he achieved greatness, as we were when we heard it first hand from him.”