Nineteen-year-old Bhushan Kumar (Nanhooji) walks into the plushly appointed Noida office of the T-Series group, cellphone in hand and an equally youthful attendant in tow. Outside, Constable Karan Vir Singh, Delhi Police, stands armed with a carbine, his eyes flicking this way and that. Three hours ago Bhushan was in Mumbai. At the moment he is uncertain whether he will remain in Delhi for more than two or three days. In the last month I have had to shuttle between the two cities, he says. There is so much to learn.
It is no exaggeration. Gulshan Kumars only son and heir to his business empire has to make the transformation to business magnate in a hurry. This fresh-faced teenager and second-year college student may look more suited to the dance floor than the boardroom. But he now has to step into his fathers shoes; grapple with a clutch of hugely diverse companies with a combined turnover of Rs 350 crore, most of them loss making; take on aggressive competition; ward off rumours about a family split; and present a business-as-usual face to a market watching his every move. As the owner of 57 per cent of the equity of Super Cassettes, the flagship of the T-Series group (see box), and the groups brand new managing director, Nanhoo is clearly the boy to watch.
We move into one of the grand rooms in the building and Nanhoo takes his seat. Behind him, a wooden plaque bearing the words Managing Director stands upside down against the wall. Nanhoos hands cup his chin. On the left palm is imprinted the random ballpen scribble of the kind favoured by the very young. He notices it and withdraws his hand guiltily. Which reminds you of other scenes, in other times.
Scene one, 1991: Thirteen-year-old Bhushan, plump, coy, and his father Gulshan, being interviewed by Doordarshan. The camera pans to Bhushan. Which class is he in? the interviewer asks. Gulshan doesnt know. Bhushan smiles shyly, hugs a cricket bat for protection.
Scene two, September 1997, T-Series headquarters, NOIDA: Chander Bhan, the patriarch of the group and Bhushans grandfather, is crying. They killed my son, he says. Nanhoo shuffles, looks at Bhan, looks away, then looks back. Just a boy, you think. Awkward, unassuming, transparent, friendly. Irritated only when forced to mishandle his beloved Acura NSX Convertible for the sake of a photo shoot.
Today, we are meeting after a couple of weeks. Since the last time we met, Bhushan Kumar has shrugged off much of his diffidence. Then, he wavered between confidence (I will fulfill all expectations; even now Im signing all the cheques that my father used to sign) and uncertainty (I dont know too much of the Delhi end of the operations). Now his answers are more precise, definite.
His nine-to-eight schedule packs in a visit to every unit, meetings with executives, analysis of cash flows, and an evening review before breaking for home.
For the family, meanwhile, getting the business together is taking more time than expected. Chander Bhan, his three sons, Darshan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Gopal Krishna, and Bhushan were to meet at their Greater Kailash residence in Delhi last Sunday and take a decision on carving up responsibilities. The meeting did not take place because Chander Bhan had to undergo an unexpected bypass surgery. Earlier, it was expected that Bhan would become chairman and managing director. The bypass has changed all that. Bhan will now only be the chairman of the group and Bhushan Kumar, managing director. A clearer division of responsibilities, however, is yet to take place.
Bhushans uncles, however, have their own ideas of how things will work out. I will handle all Delhi operations, says Gopal Krishna, before adding, and will have the final say on Mumbai operations also. Krishan Kumar and Nanhoo will handle the business in Mumbai. Darshan Kumarji, the second eldest brother after Gulshan, will also look after the group.
Like Bhushans uncles, Chander Bhan and Sunil Wadhwani, director of T-Series and the companys senior-most professional manager, seem to realise that Bhushans induction into the business will not be easy. He is learning fast but I anticipate a three to four year span before Bhushan is fully involved with the business, says Wadhwani. I know enough about the Mumbai end of the business, says Bhushan himself. And Im handling all operations there. It will take me six months to learn about the other businesses.
Bhushan is cutting his business teeth on the all-important Mumbai operations with a little help from Krishan Kumar. The sales volumes that Gulshan Kumar had built through cover versions ( ie popular songs sung by new singers ) flagged because the market was saturated by wannabe companies all doing the same thing. As the next stage of its strategy T-Series had moved into acquisition of music rights of new films which were then sold in cassettes under the T-Series label. While the rights are mainly acquired from Mumbai, the groups manufacturing operations are all in Delhi.
In the past six months I was with my father in Mumbai, I learnt everything about business in Mumbai, says Bhushan, I am now in touch with several producers already. I will not have a problem in acquiring the rights to new films. What about the competition, companies such as Venus and Tips? Oh that, he says, After my fathers death and allegations of involvement of some other music companies, no one wants to go to them. Producers dont want their money to go down the drain if some guys are arrested. So everyone in the film industry is coming to us. It is now a straight fight between T-Series and HMV as in the old days.
Is he afraid that the people who murdered Gulshan may come after him? No, he answers, I have round-the-clock police protection.
Chander Bhan is aware that the market is watching the family closely. He insists that family ties have not cracked under the pressures of inheriting Gulshans empire. We will work together, he says, all rumours about an impending family split are wrong. Asserts Gopal Krishna: There is no tension in the family. We will project Nanhooji as the head of the group.
Wadhwani, Bhan and Bhushan are clear that the groups ties with singer Anuradha Paudwal will be maintained. Paudwals relationship with Gulshan Kumar was the subject of media speculation allegations were that the relationship was more than just professional. It was, and will be, a professional relationship, says Bhushan. She is a singer, says Bhan, She is paid for her work. We need her and vice versa. And we will continue to take on new singers. While industry watchers say the 75-year-old may not have much of an impact on the running of the group, Bhan is anxious to rebut all doubters. I was in this business for a long time, even before Gulshan, he says, People may think I will not be able to handle it. Well, that is their problem. Do they know, for instance, that it was I who discovered Anuradha Paudwal? I have my sons and my management with me.
As head of the professional management team, Wadhwani, a 1974 batch engineer from IIT Delhi, sees his role as a coordinator between the groups interests. It will be a while before the full consequences of Gulshan Kumars demise emerge. But Wadhwani says business will go on as usual. We wish to make it clear that Gulshan Kumar was irreplaceable. No one can take his place. But over the past few years he had put systems in place. We will not go under.
Nanhoo thinks he will manage, thank you very much. But he still remembers the time he used to take one from his fleet of cars out for a spin and just cruise for hours through the streets of Delhi or Mumbai. I dont get the time, he says, trying to smile. And Ive already lost touch with my friends. Im very young.
Manish Khanduri
I will fulfill all expectations. Even now, I am signing all the cheques that my father used to sign....Bhushan Kumar
