Parsiana has covered many
aspects and achievements of three
generations of the Dhondy family
Navroze D. Dhondy
My first memories of Parsiana date to the mid-1970s when ad hoc copies would land up at home brought by an uncle or aunt from Bombay while on a visit to Allahabad. My grandmother Nawaz and mum Meher would eagerly look forward to news of the community. Off and on I saw copies of this rather dainty magazine at my in-laws, the Ghandhi’s home, where it would be devoured in great detail by my father-in-law, Dossabhoy!
During the 80s and 90s, my dear mother started contributing articles to Parsiana, and along the way we began a regular subscription, not only for the folks at Allahabad but also a special one for my aunt Khursheed Minocher in Quetta. This brought her family great joy as they felt close and connected to the community through the various reports and articles.
Sometime in the 1990s, Parsiana published a multi-page story on my journey as an ad man traversing the country from Allahabad to Delhi-Bombay-Bangalore, etc, starting with TBWA Anthem and then to Percept as its chief executive officer, moving into the corner office and driving change in the advertising industry. I felt humbled, yet proud and delighted that the beacon publication of our community had recognized these achievements.
But over the last two decades the bond became deeper, with my occasional writing, first about my rather fortuitous interaction with J. R. D. Tata, which was picked up by Air India and covered in their magazine Namaste as well. Or about the way the movies came to Allahabad via our family’s 100-year-old cinema, The Palace Theatre, which became the epicenter of art, culture, films, theater and magic shows in that city.
Above: Kaikhushru Pallonji Katrak Dar-e-Meher in Delhi photographed by Navroze Dhondy (right)
Parsiana went deep to understand the psyche of our community, questioning dogmas and doctrines, suggesting reforms and change, and being a torchbearer of the Parsis not just in India but around the world. Each edition had something special and informative, giving a nice twist to age old theories, or profiling people who stood out and made a difference.
During the last few years I spoke often with the late Farrokh Jijina, a senior editor who unfortunately left us too soon. He frequently sent me messages about some post I had put up on Facebook or Instagram, making me jokingly ask him, "Farrokh… Are you stalking me?” But on a serious note, he was the one who kept pushing me to write more, send more contributions, discuss my madness for photography and also featured the Creatigies calendar which has become an annual obsession at work and home.
Parsiana has covered so many aspects of our family, from my wife Nilufer’s Kitchen Secrets, where she created a bunch of Parsi masalas, to the happy reporting about daughter Anahita’s successful launch of the iconic SodaBottleOpenerWala, the Bombay-Irani restaurant which took Gurgaon, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and even Bombay by storm.
When, in 2011, the Delhi Parsi Anjuman celebrated the golden jubilee of the dar-e-meher (often referred to as the agiary), the Parsiana representative attended all the sessions. With his camera slung around his neck, he went about asking many residents of Delhi about their experiences. He also voiced his opinion during a debate, complimenting the Delhi Parsis for being open-minded and forward-looking.
Anahita Dhondy (center) with mother Nilufer (l) and grandmother Vera Ghandhi
Creatigies calendar
There were many discussions with Parsiana on my passion for photography, cricket, writing and of course the community. Chats about Uncle Nari Contractor, an article I wrote in the book Indian Cricket — Then and Now, the creation of the Hero Cup, the madness of the Indian Premier League and so much more.
The most special moment was when Parsiana featured a collection of photographs taken by several folks from near and afar, of the community in its varied moments, avatars and moods. When the magazine landed on my desk I was delighted to find that the cover carried the photograph I had submitted of the Delhi dar-e-meher where the building was silhouetted against a rising sun literally at the crack of dawn.
Since all good things come to an end, so will Parsiana with this issue. My eyes are moist as I pen these last few lines. To say that we will miss Parsiana is an understatement. It will truly leave a void which will be hard to fill.
May Parsiana’s light always shine on!