Shobhaa De | TCS ki ‘Duniya mein, logo ko dhoka kabhi ho jata hai’

Asha Bhosle was sent off in grand style earlier this week. She left us bereft, but we still managed a smile watching the undisputed “Empress of Sangeet’’ making her final journey through the crowded streets of a city that stops for no one. But Mumbai did pause for their beloved “Ashatai” during the impressive state funeral that saw celebrities from all walks of life pay homage to a woman who gave the world her most precious gift: her divine voice.

Dressed in sea-green silk, her face serene and radiant, Ashatai looked set for her mega-performance in heaven, where angels were already rehearsing Dum Maro Dum to welcome the diva to her new home.

Quite by chance, I went back to my favourite song of hers, which perfectly encapsulated her unique talent, versatility and magic. It remains an iconic number from her gigantic repertoire of close to 12,000 recorded songs. “Duniya mein logo ko dhoka kabhi ho jata hai”, sang Asha, who faced more than her share of dhokas throughout her life. In this insanely entertaining film (a spicy South Indian masala dosa genre), this “cabaret” from Apna Desh (1972), struck out for multiple reasons, not the least being the absurdity of the sequence -- the unmatched combo of Asha and R.D. Burman, matching tempos, modulated voices and heavy breathing to Anand Bakshi’s double-edged lyrics. This was also a seminal moment for the incomparable Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz jodi, gamely going along with the crazy “denouement”, in a movie (remake of a Telugu hit) that cashed in on every known trope of the time. Mumtaz goes from playing Chanda, a buxom coconut vendor to Madame Popololita (genius name!), a blond bombshell in a sequined gown. As for Rajesh Khanna’s transformation from a simple (but yummy) municipal clerk, to an “international” gold smuggler wearing a fire-engine red velvet suit and trendy sunnies (goodness!) This was high parody at its zaniest.

But… but… Apna Desh is as much about today, as it was about our desh in the distant 1970s. The storyline remains constant: A corrupt neta, his henchmen, unscrupulous contractors who cause delays and deaths of citizens, and the neta’s goons, who frame innocents, include the municipal clerk who swears vengeance to clear his own tarnished reputation and save his trusting brother. The baddies stop at nothing: not even stealing temple jewellery, the ultimate paap!

Errr… are we talking about 2026 or 1972??? Every illage, town and big city in India has its version of Seth Dharamdas (Om Prakash). The cast changes.

The script remains the same.

Asha’s coquettish voice always belonged to the “other woman”, never the wife. That's what made her songs irresistible.

While I was totally absorbed rewatching the delectable Mumtaz faux-seducing villains in Apna Desh, as Rajesh Khanna switches from playing a robed, bejewelled Arab sheikh to Mumtaz’s lowly “servant” (complete with, horror of horrors, black face makeup), a corporate hurricane that originated at the TCS (BPO unit) in Nashik before landing at Bombay House, took panic-stricken bosses totally off-guard when it swiftly became an unprecedented national scandal. A monstrous dhoka that had been brewing since 2022 hit the headlines out of nowhere, triggering panic attacks at the highest level, with desperate damage-control on.

TCS, an Indian multinational tech giant, is spread over 150 locations across 46 countries. The current crisis has shaken the image of India’s most respected business empire in India.

Close to 80% of TCS’ dividend income goes to Tata Sons, which owns 71.74% of TCS. Like a social media relationship status, this one is also “complicated”. The Nashik BPO unit employs roughly 120.

But wait… something sinister was afoot since 2022. The BPO unit was brazenly operating without mandatory corporate scrutiny. Despite the oft-repeated “zero tolerance” policy, a lethal conspiracy to subvert, convert and intimidate female colleagues surfaced last week, sending shockwaves through corporate corridors. Nine people have been arrested, including team leaders. They are accused of serious misconduct, while an SIT gets down to work, probing further into the morass. Sandeep Karnik, Nashik’s police commissioner, has written to the NIA and ATS, as more facts emerge. Where did funding to the team (ring) leaders come from? That’s the key concern, as questions are raised about extremist organisations infiltrating, blackmailing, harassing and brow-beating women, targeting the most vulnerable segment, those between 18-25.

It’s shocking and puzzling why over 78 emails sent to HR were systematically ignored. Had an undercover operation by female cops not been ordered, the exploitation would have carried on unchecked!

This can’t be an isolated case. TCS moved swiftly, suspended operations and began a work-from-home system to reassure employees. But this gross security lapse raises questions that go beyond TCS and a toxic work environment in the Nashik unit. Since 2022, a dire plan was hatched under the noses of seniors. How come nobody caught on? Nobody squealed? We are talking about India’s security, to say nothing of threats faced by helpless women employees, too terrified to expose their tormentors.

This makes it a far graver issue than mere corporate misconduct by rogue male employees.

Was there a cover-up? If so, who sanctioned it?

Then comes a twist. Almost as tantalising as the catchy cabaret song immortalised by Ashatai: What if all this is the result of corporate rivalry? Internal sabotage? Those who are jealous of the pristine Tata image and dominance? In a global environment where a megalomaniac (Emperor of Dhokas), who thinks he is Jesus Christ saving lives, can hold powerful world leaders to ransom, while he abuses, curses, bulldozes and threatens humanity, perhaps our desi dhokas will dissolve into insignificance soon enough, as we resume our mundane lives worrying about gas cylinders and spiralling prices.

Apna Desh aisaitch hai...

Hello! Here’s a nutty nugget to amuse ourselves with, while we sweat and fret: After Pakistan finished gloating and crowing over hosting the crucial US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad, there is the small question of unpaid bills! The owner of Serena Hotel, which provided five-star luxury to the VVIPs, is cribbing about not receiving a dime from the Pakistani government for the services rendered. Cribbed the petulant man: “I know it’s a proud moment for Pakistan, but we also need to run our business! We spent crores on the event but haven’t received

even 10 rupees from the government.” Tauba, janab! Yeh toh Bahut bada dhoka ho gaya!

Errrrr… Why not dip into the $3 billion financial support that has been so generously given by Saudi Arabia?