Tatha means grandfather in Tamil. My dad is a Tamil Iyer, and I call his father Tatha. Tatha is 75 years old.
He loves sports, politics, and filter coffee.
We have a routine whenever we visit my grandparents in Mumbai — Tatha and I go to an Udupi restaurant called Swades in Versova. We both enjoy our dosas and hot chocolate there.
Tatha was only 27 when he, along with his cousin, started his business in Mumbai, India. He used to run down several flights of stairs just to receive a phone call, as getting a phone connection in India in the 1970s wasn’t easy. His work took him all over the world, and he has so many fascinating stories about how the world was back then and how business was done before the digital age.
Being a vegetarian, it wasn’t easy for him to travel across continents — but that never stopped him from following his dream or staying committed to his work. Thirty to forty years ago, vegetarian options were very limited in the West and Southeast Asia. His patience and grit helped him through long meetings in remote parts of the world where he sometimes had to survive on just a few salad leaves, fruit, and bread.
Tatha loves cricket. Before he retired, he used to organize inter-department cricket matches for his company. I’ve even watched an IPL game with him at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai two years ago — it was an amazing experience to attend with both my dad and grandfather.
Tatha also loves football. When my dad was the school soccer team captain, Tatha used to always go and watch him play. He would sometimes even join them for beach soccer.
He also enjoys golf. He started playing about 15 years ago and still plays as often as he can. I’ve accompanied him to the driving range in Singapore and hit a few balls with him.
Maybe I should start learning golf too — so I can play a few rounds with Tatha.