Newsrooms are by nature inured to news of death, and so the pall of gloom that has descended with the news of the passing of a dear former colleague, Shishir Vinay Bhate, is testimony to his popularity, yes, but also to the impact he left behind in the years he helmed the Business Desk at
Rediff.com.
Tall, slender with a serious mien, Shishir was anything but. His outward air of strict disciplinarian hid a raconteur who would come alive at office shindigs, and he had a gift for the sharp repartee -- a legacy from his lawyer dad, we were to learn later.
As chilled out as he was offsite, at work he was a focused head of department who strove for excellence and exactitude at the workplace. He also excelled at breaking departmental silos.
Gentleman, is a word many of his former colleagues use for him, and he was one. Always affable, always willing to help, Shishir left a lasting impression on those who interacted with him.
When he quit Rediff.com after many years -- like with Hotel California, at Rediff too you can check out but you can never leave -- to join another portal in Bengaluru, the office felt bereft.
In one of his blogs Shishir wrote movingly about his lawyer father and the influence he had on him, concluding, 'Dad died in his sleep. I'd like very much to go that way, too.'
The gods must have read him and decided to grant his wish, for that's exactly how he went, too.
There will be no conventional funeral. After paying respects at the Manipal Hospital mortuary tomorrow morning Shishir's mortal remains will be donated to a medical college.
His father would have been proud.
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