 "Amruta Fadnavis")
When one holds a public office, enduring the vicissitudes of fame are par for the course. For the spouse of a VIP, however, such an existence can include exhilarating pros and unimagined cons. That's something Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has learned to come to terms with — and as some would say — the hard way.
Our lunch venue is at the sprawling Varsha Bungalow, the Chief Minister's official and imposing residence in the heart of Malabar Hills complete with gun-toting security personnel, patrol cars and the accompanying bureaucracy. As we meet during the Ganpati festivities, the menu will be vegetarian, I am told. En route to the dining hall, I am greeted by my hostess, who at first appearance could easily be mistaken for a TV soap star and at 40 may well be among the youngest in her position.
She was born to parents based in Nagpur. Her father, Sharad Ranade, was an ophthalmologist, and her mother, Charulata Ranade, a gynaecologist. Her early years were spent learning music, playing tennis and assisting her parents in social projects that included free eye check-up camps for the under-served. She is emphatic that her performance in the classroom was remarkable. “It was always first or second in school, nothing else,” she says. Was that because of an unbridled love for academics? “No, it’s because I am very competitive,” comes the answer with a slow-spreading smile.
Our thalis, made of an alloy of nine different metals, arrive along with glasses of water and extras. It's a colourful medley of classic Marathi fare that includes dal, a cabbage preparation, spiced soybean, green beans and yogurt. Fadnavis is served a mixed green salad speckled with red pomegranate grains. I throw her a quizzical look. “Too many sweets, too much eating out the last few days,” is the explanation.
So what's it like to be a VIP's wife? I see a smile appear. “It's easier to get things done quickly. Every door opens, you always get a reception, and the associated respect and prestige is wonderful.” she says. The downside? Her life is always under public glare. “I get trolled online for singing — which is my hobby; I'm actually mocked,” she laments. For the record, while Fadnavis counts Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar as her all-time favourites, she also experiments with Toni Braxton and Celine Dion ballads.
And then there are the barbs. Only recently, social media was rife with speculation that Axis Bank, where she's worked for the last decade, was on an account-opening spree for police officers. The suggestion was the accounts were awarded to Axis because of her husband's position. Fadnavis, vice-president and corporate head for West India at Axis Bank, says those accounts were opened several years ago — well before her husband became chief minister. Then she shrugs as if to say those are things you can do precious little about.
Before coming to Mumbai, Fadnavis got a BCom degree from the GS College of Commerce & Economics in Nagpur and then an MBA in finance from Symbiosis College in Pune. After that she joined Axis Bank in 2003 as an executive trainee. Then, around 2005, she was introduced to her husband-to-be by her parents through some common friends. “The marriage was completely arranged with horoscopes being compared and all.” After a couple of months or so of knowing each other the couple decided to take the plunge.
Was two months long enough time to take a decision of a lifetime? "At the time Deven (Devendra) was a second-time MLA from Nagpur West and we knew nothing about politics but had heard that he used his position for a lot of social work and bringing about change, which resonated with my parents and me," she says, adding that she made it clear from day one that she would not be tied to the kitchen by her apron strings and would have a life of her own. "He was okay with that," Fadnavis says.
She has actually built a life of her own. In recent years, Fadnavis has walked the ramp in New York as a showstopper to promote the cause of young girls, has sung with Amitabh Bachchan, adopted two villages to help modernise them, worked with acid attack victims and even won awards for playback singing. “I'm a different person when I'm on stage,” she tells me.
I take a bite of a crisp roti and scoop up some green vegetables. They're not oily but have a fiery after-kick. I try the dal which is similarly punchy. Seconds later, waiters magically appear to replace empty segments on my plate. I realise this is a trap and that the thali will never be over unless I dismiss the waiters once and for all.
What irks Fadnavis about India? Her answer would match that of any young urban educated professional, expect she has an inside track. "It's clearly the poor infrastructure and heavy traffic but I can tell you that new project files have been cleared, work has started and those things will make a difference when completed."
Part of the problem is that all the talent in this part of the nation ends up in Mumbai. Decentralising the city and developing satellite towns is one solution. For example, moving government offices to townships nearby would reduce the incoming traffic to certain pockets of the city. "Cities need more parks. There ought to be a park five or 10 minutes from all homes," she adds. The other issue she feels strongly about is farmer suicides. People killing themselves for Rs 25,000 is frustrating, she says. "We have to create systems where landlords can't push people to their deaths because that perpetuates a cycle. Children of such people also go ahead and commit suicide," she says, adding, efforts are on to change things around. She then talks about scientific farming and a water conservation scheme named Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan that aims to make Maharashtra a drought-free state by 2019.
I'm done with my lunch and taste a little bit of the gulab jamun placed in front of me. "That's homemade... from Nagpur," she says. When will India's political parties come together for a common vision instead of adopting a winner takes all approach designed to obliterate the Opposition? "There's a reason for that and you have to ask what is the driver of politics? Ask any young person who wants to get into it and the real reason will be fame, money and power — not to bring about empowered change in the society." The other issue is that we have just too many political parties in the system, not to mention extremities of wealth, she adds.
A growing concern is that India is staring at a protracted economic slowdown. Is that something that concerns the banker in her? "We are in a down cycle and there are liquidity issues, and there is a definite slowdown that is more pronounced in some sectors than others — namely, real estate, manufacturing. More liquidity ought to ease the stress and it's important to realise that this is a cycle and that it will get better."
What is that one wish the chief minister's wife has? "I wish for India to be a super power but with compassion, without losing our core values and while keeping tolerance in place."
That's a platform that might have a political future one day...
