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Died: Zarir Manchershaw Bhathena, 67, joint honorary secretary of The B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital (PGH) and trustee of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), pursuing parallel professions as a chartered accountant and builder; on June 24, 2020 at the PGH following cardiac arrest.
During the last 32 years when he served on the executive committee of the PGH, Bhathena had impressed his colleagues with his "honesty, integrity, humility and unstinted dedication and commitment… He displayed extraordinary acumen in negotiations, be it with suppliers or labor or otherwise, and shared his wealth of experience as a grassroot worker,” commended PGH president Homa Petit. Their association dates to the 1970s when Bhathena represented Dara Sorabji and Company to carry out a special audit of the Hospital Medical Stores. "His independence and comprehensive report” convinced the committee to bring him on board.
"As a colleague and office bearer of PGH he devoted his time and expertise in the financial management of the Hospital,” remarked Hector Mehta who along with Bhathena officiated as joint honorary secretaries of the institution. Describing his colleague as "a multifaceted personality” who was "tenacious by nature (and) hardworking,” immersed in different causes for more than 14 hours each day, Mehta considered his forte as tax advisory matters. Earlier, Bhathena had related the style of functioning at PGH as "cooperation between the trustees and others. We admit to mistakes, we don’t stick to our egos. The main thing is not to have an ego.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His words were limited, his deeds, bountiful, affirmed his co-trustees, committee and staff members. "When he would speak, everyone would listen to whatever he had to say. And whatever he had to say would always be concise, correct and candid. He never minced words and while he was kind , generous and friendly towards all, the few who wrongly tried to cross swords with him found in him a formidable warrior who fought with the tenacity of a Trojan,” commented his Punchayet co-trustee Noshir Dadrawala on social media.
"He joined the BPP with the sole intention of changing things and to bring back the trust on the right track as he saw it,” stated BPP trustee Kersi Randeria in the Parsi Times weekly (June 27, 2020) owned by him. "Even in his short stint with the BPP he accomplished many things… for the Punchayet,” acknowledged Randeria, adding, "As a chartered accountant, his eye for detail was a revelation and an amazing asset for the BPP. The accounts staff looked to him for guidance and direction…” When Bhathena briefly contemplated walking out of the BPP for health reasons (he was diagnosed with brain cancer), among those who reportedly persuaded him to reconsider his decision were the accounts staff.
Viewing himself "as a performer, not a politician,” when contesting the 2015 BPP trusteeship elections, Bhathena had remarked, "My action plan includes strengthening the BPP administration and building bridges, both with donors and general members of the public (see ‘Propriety, property, poverty,’ Parsiana, October 7, 2015).”  Fifteen years prior when Bhathena had contested the election against sitting octogenarian trustee Silloo Kavarana, he had lost by a narrow margin of 23 votes.
His dream to construct the 25-storey Hilla Towers in the compound of the 144-year-old M. J. Wadia Fire Temple at Lalbaug came to fruition in 2007 but only after he withstood tremendous opposition. He had to encounter 34 injunctions that sought to impede his progress, face calumny campaigns when his detractors with placards denounced him at a community event, and was even hauled to the Supreme Court where the matter was dismissed but his faith in his cause emerged stronger each time. When presiding over the thanksgiving jashan in March 2007, Dastur Khurshed Dastoor had lauded Zarir’s "courage of conviction” and the determination "to do something” (see "The tower and the temple,” Parsiana, April 7, 2007).                             
"He was passionate about work. The more challenging it was, the greater his fulfillment,” remarked his wife Jasmine, remembering how he slogged in the early years. A reputed chartered accountant and a consultant to national and international companies such as Hutchison Max Telecom, Balsara Group, etc, Bhathena successfully ran his firm Z. M. Bhathena and Company, chartered accountants, as well as Dara Sorabji and Company, the firm where he had apprenticed and later bought over.
His enterprise, Hilla Builders Private Limited, was known for putting his stamp of quality on housing projects. Hilla Apartments, Hilla Mansion, Hilla Sagar, Hilla Garden View were all named after his mother for whom "he had immense love and respect,” stated Jasmine. Following the demise of his father Manchershaw when Zarir was around three years old, it was Hilla, a homemaker, who had raised her two sons. After his schooling at Don Bosco, Zarir studied commerce at the National College and then qualified as a chartered accountant.

 

 

 

 

 

Never forgetting his humble beginnings, Zarir was known to support umpteen community organizations with his professional and financial flair: He was a board member of the Zoroastrian Co-operative Bank Limited; for the Zoroastrian Student Teacher Association, he annually gifted pure gold medals to the toppers of SSC, ICSE and HSC examinations in memory of his dear parents. His quiet and bountiful charities were not known even by his immediate family.
In the midst of all his commitments, he ensured that he made time for the family too. Sunday evenings were invariably reserved for them when a trip to the movies or a dinner was always on the cards, recalled Jasmine appreciating that "he never refused me anything in our 40 years of marriage.” Affable and large-hearted, he loved to play host to family and friends.  
Calm and composed, Zarir believed, "There is a solution for every problem by proper and systematic application of one’s mind and heart. Nothing can be achieved without proper planning, realistic goals and enthusiasm.”
The benevolent builder is survived by his wife Jasmine, son Berges and brother Jimmy.                                                

 

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