Hotelier, environmentalist, entrepreneur, educationist, antiquarian, ornithologist, author, globetrotter — this man is a versatile personality. From being the owner of a small vegetarian family restaurant to being the head of a five-star hotel chain, Dr Vithal Indira Vyankatesh Kamat has come a long way.
“Sincerity and dedication to your work is my only key to success,” the humble man says at the launch of his book Yash, Apyash ani Me (Success, Failure and Me) that talks about the role reversal between him and his mother. “A few years ago aai (mother) was diagnosed with three mental disorders — Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Dementia — a rare occurrence. There was a time when she wouldn’t remember anything, even my name. She would forget what she had eaten. Everyone told me she would not recover. That’s when I decided that it was time for me to give her the love that she had given me all my life. I left everything and decided to dedicate all my time to her. This book is about the role reversal and today she is perfectly fine,” the 66-year-old tells us.
EXPERIENCES AND MORE
What inspired him to jot this down? “I believe that all of us are authors. We just don’t write. My principle has always been to achieve what I dream of. So I can’t write fiction. What I can write about is my experiences, and I did just that, and here’s the book for all of you to read,” he answers. His writing inspiration is Behram Contractor, an acclaimed journalist, known for his simplistic writing.
While Dr Kamat chose to write about his mother’s condition, mental health is still a taboo in India. What must we do about it? “Our assumptions and superstitions must go away right now,” he quickly answers.
The pioneer of creating Asia’s first five-star ecotels — environmentally-sensitive hotels — Dr Kamat has bagged several global and national awards. “My idea was to create a system that can function even without me, and I have done that. My hotels and the business function smoothly even in my absence,” says the owner of Fort Jadhavgadh — the first museum hotel in Maharashtra, near Pune. Dr Kamat believes that heritage and culture can be used as a great tool to give an experience of a lifetime to people from various parts of India and abroad. This property is from the Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj era.
DOING HIS BIT FOR SOCIETY
As an environmentalist too, Dr Kamat has been responsible for plantation of more than 20 lakh trees. “We can’t command nature except by obeying her,” he insists. Even the profits earned through the sale of this book will go into funds for organ donation, tree plantations and elderly care. “A few years ago, I came across various incidents of senior citizens being abused emotionally by their own offspring. This really hit me hard and I knew I had to do something about it. Gratitude is one feeling that is largely lacking among today’s generation. I therefore strongly advise people to not give away all your earnings to your children while you are alive and tell youngsters that gratitude is attitude,” he says.
“Money and medicine are not everything. What you need is mankind — a large heart and patience. That’s all our parents need from us,” says the child in him. He has even dedicated a museum to his mother. Having collected over 35,000 exhibits as an antiquarian, he has set up ‘Aai’ — the Mother Museum at The Orchid Hotel, Mumbai, and Fort Jadhavgadh, Pune, the proceedings of which go to charitable institutes.
Having written Idli, Orchid and Will Power and Udyojak Honarach Mi in the past, penning down this book was quite a challenge for Dr Kamat, given the sensitive nature of its content. “One big challenge was time since my priority was tending to my mother and not writing. Another was not offending anyone while I write my experiences and the emotional toll it took on me while I was reading it,” he narrates.
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY LAWS ARE ARCHAIC
Speaking of the hospitality industry and the need of the hour, Dr Kamat says, “The government rules are still 50-year-old. While they expect us to compete with international brands, they don’t want to change the rules and procedures. The government should be more flexible and broadminded when it comes to this industry. One suggestion I have made is to form a committee of experts who can guide them regarding this, but nothing has been done so far,” he sighs, adding, “There is no shortage of talent in our country, we just need the right platform and guidance,” says the super energetic and healthy Dr Kamat who credits his zestfulness to healthy eating and his Karate black belt.
