Great Story: When a legendary actor ‘Big B’ met the great entrepreneur ‘JRD Tata’.
The legendary Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan often shared great learning incidents which he had experienced during his travels.
He once said: "When I was in the peak of my career, I was once traveling by plane. The passenger next to me was an elderly gentleman dressed in a simple shirt and pants.
"He appeared to be middle class and well educated. Other passengers perhaps recognising who I was, but this gentleman appeared to be unconcerned with my presence. He was reading his paper, looking out of the window, and when tea was served, he sipped it quietly. Trying to strike a conversation with him I smiled.
The man courteously smiled back and said 'Hello'. We got talking and I brought up the subject of cinema and movies and asked: 'Do you watch films?'
The man replied, 'Oh, very few. I did see one many years ago.'
I mentioned that I worked in the movie industry.
The man replied: 'Oh, that’s nice. What do you do?' I replied: 'I am an actor’
The man nodded: 'Oh, that's wonderful!' And that was it. When we landed, I held out my hand and said: 'It was good to travel with you. By the way, my name is Amitabh Bachchan.'
The man shook my hand and smiled: "Thank you. Nice to have met you. I am J. R. D. Tata!"
I learned on that day that no matter how big you think you are, there is always someone bigger.
"Be humble, it costs nothing."
Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata (29 July 1904 – 29 November 1993) was a French-born Indian aviator, entrepreneur, chairman of Tata Group and the shareholder of Tata Sons.
JRD Tata received a number of awards. He was conferred the honorary rank of group captain by the Indian Air Force in 1948, was promoted to the Air Commodore rank (equivalent to Brigadier in army), and was further promoted on 1 April 1974 to the Air Vice Marshal rank.
