Danny Pinto – We love Every Body – Part 2



Thats Danny and me My Guru Khushwant Singh too did his interview many years back.He had flown down from Delhi for it for India Today

Danny’s most difficult assignment was the  Air India Kanishka Crash.Kanishka flew from Canada to India, and blew above Ireland.Most were Indians, and Danny had to handle 276 coffins coming in in a matter of a few days.This was 1985 I think

Air India hired  the Pintos.I asked Danny if the bodies came in one go.He said, no, they kept coming like 10 at a time.And their job was to deliver the bodies till the crematorium, if the bodies were of Mumbai.All the family members were given the no of Danny, and he had to pacify the family members ,and keep them informed.

They had to clear the  paper work at the Airport, and out of 10, like 6 bodies were of Mumbai.First the body to be taken to the house of the parents, then to the temple, crematorium, and the next day to collect the ashes too.

The outstation bodies had to be booked on trains or flights,and a person had to go with the body to deliver, and it stretched their manpower.after all to handle 10 or 20 bodies a day, and make all the travel arrangements must have drained Danny and Co.

The expenses were billed to Air India, and it seems that all the relatives of the Kanishka were happy with the arangments of Michel Pinto.

Death of Mark  Marchencas – The business manager of Sachin Tendulkar, and Ravi Shastri..Mark had bought out Tendulkar for 100 crores, for a period of 5 years, to maket him.Shastri too was a partner or something I don’t know.Mark died in a road accident in Nagpur.Seems he was traveling in a Pajero, and told his driver to driver more faster.Out of 4 people in the Car, only Mark Died.And Danny went to make the arrangements.Got his body to Mumbai, then to Banglore where his parents stayed, and then to Houston where his wife and family stayed.Shastri and Tendu’s wife Anjali were present throughout the formalities.

Ravi Shastri was so impressed with everything, that when Ravi’s father died, Danny was called to do  the cremation.

Dressing of a Dead Body –

Danny charges 300/- for the dressing of a dead body.The clothes are provided by the family.For men, they are shaved, hair done up,bathed first, and their best clothes put on, preferably a suit and a tie, with the shoes, which are polished by the staff.No jeans, only formal clothes, its like going to a party.

Ladies – Bathed by the male staff of Danny, as ladies are not in thisline.The household ladies are standing around to see no mischief is done.Make up is applied as also the lipstick of the deceased choice.

The Clientiele – They have all clientele, including Sindhis ,Hindus,Parsis, and even Muslims.They know what each religion wants to do accordingly.For eg for a Sindhi, they bring a new white bedsheet,in which the body is wrapped after bath, and as per what ever faith requires.

Billing – In our export trade, customers don’t send money sometimes, its total bad debts, or cut and send.I asked Danny about his Billing system. And Bad Debts.The reply was very interesting.Here it is in his own words.

Kamal, when the client phones,most know us from generations,so don’t ask.The new ones we give them a proforma invoice giving the cost as per their requirement.They pay around 1000 advance, fine with us.

We don’t phone for our money even after the funeral as we know they must be busy in the post funeral work, like Banks and other legal things.People come over on their own after a month, and pay us their dues, and very happily too.Family don’t cut any money, as they want to do the best for the deceased, and don’t want any curses from the departed.

Tips ? , well some give a 1000, some 10,000, we tell them to hand that money over to the staff at the place, I don’t want the staff to think I kept some part of the money with me, and they distribute it among themselves.

The staff members get more tips than salary at times, and this keeps them motivated.

Tea was ordered, and we chatted like long lost friends.Danny has a great sense of humour, and he was chuckling away reading an SMS his cousin had sent him,sipping tea.

He’s promised me that if he comes to Jaipur where he has many friends,he is going to pay a visit.And how am I going to introduce him to my friends, any ideas ?

Wiat for part 3  (Khushwant Singh interview, Other famous personalities he knows and whose services he has done, how he got his son Dion to join this line, imported coffins,their social work for society 24 x 7 , and other matters)

KAMAL MAHTANI