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Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

AI’s Maharaja smiles joyfully

All 30 grounded aircrafts now fly Mumbai : Air India’s Maharaja is all pleased as punch at 80. After years of huge costs and efforts, the last of the grounded 30 aircraft – inherited by the Tata Group during the privatization in Jan. 2022 – is now resurrected fully and took to the skies gracefully on Monday.   The aircraft is the gleaming VT-ALL, a Boeing 777-300ER, that was gathering grime since February 2020, and becomes the final among the two-and-half dozen aircraft that have been revved...

AI’s Maharaja smiles joyfully

All 30 grounded aircrafts now fly Mumbai : Air India’s Maharaja is all pleased as punch at 80. After years of huge costs and efforts, the last of the grounded 30 aircraft – inherited by the Tata Group during the privatization in Jan. 2022 – is now resurrected fully and took to the skies gracefully on Monday.   The aircraft is the gleaming VT-ALL, a Boeing 777-300ER, that was gathering grime since February 2020, and becomes the final among the two-and-half dozen aircraft that have been revved up and revived in the past few years, AI official sources said.   It marked a symbolic milestone for Air India itself - founded in 1932 by the legendary Bharat Ratna J. R. R. Tata - which once ruled the roost and was India’s pride in the global skies.   Once renowned for its royal service with the iconic Maharaja welcoming fliers on board, in 1953 it was taken over by the government of India. After years of piling losses, ageing aircraft, decline in operations and standards – almost like a Maharaja turning a pauper - it returned to the Tata Group four years ago.   This time it was not just the aircraft, the brand and the deflated Maharaja coming into the large-hearted Tata Group stables, but a formidable challenge to ensure that the airline could regain its old glory and glitter. Of the total around 190 aircraft in its fleet were 30 – or 15 pc – that had been grounded and neglected for years.   At that time, the late Ratan N. Tata had directed that all these valuable aircraft must be revived as far as possible and join the fleet. Accordingly, the VT-ALL, languishing at Nagpur for nearly five years, was ‘hospitalized’ at the Air India Engineering Service Ltd., its MRO facility in May 2025.   New Avatar Then started a thorough, painstaking nose-to-tail restoration of an unprecedented scale, in which over 3000 critical components were replaced, over 4,000 maintenance tasks executed, besides key structural upgrades like the longeron modification, engines, auxiliary power units, avionics, hydraulics, landing gears and almost every vital system was rebuilt or replaced.   After the repairs, the old aircraft was reborn, under the gaze of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and technical assistance from Boeing, and the new ‘avatar’ jetliner emerged with the highest global safety standards.   The aircraft cleared all the rigorous checks, a successful test flight, earned the mandatory Airworthiness Review Certificate and then made its maiden commercial flight from Monday, March 16 – after a wait of six years.   Sturdy Fliers Created in 1946 to become an instant global icon, the Air India’s mascot Maharaja now sports a youthful and chic look, a welcome with folded hands, closed eyes, featuring a bejewelled turban, stylish jootis, and a textured kurta in Air India’s new colours. He is prominently visible at various touch-points in a flyer’s journey, such as First Class, exclusive lounges, and luxury products.   Today, he commands a mix fleet of around 190 narrow and wide-body Airbus and Boeing aircraft like : A319, A320, A320neo, A321, A321neo, A350-900 and B787-8, B787-9, B7770200LR, B-777-300ER. With the merger of Vistara and agreements signed for 10 A350 and 90 A320 aircraft, the Maharaja’s fleet is slated to soar to some 570 in the near future.

Chhava enlightens non-Marathis on Sambhaji Maharaj

Updated: Mar 3, 2025

Mixed reactions followed highlight the extent of to children's exposure to stories of Maratha empire

Chhava

Mumbai: The film Chhava is a major hit on the box office. However, another stark reality that has come to light through a series of reactions coming in from potential Indian audiences from across the country have been mind-boggling.


The reactions were totally mixed. On one hand, a Noida based young professional Bhavana Singhi said, “I haven’t watched it yet. Is it probably something about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj?”


Singhi’s reaction was an eye opener. Not many knew about Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Some just knew that he was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s son.


While on the other hand, Urdu speaking Mumbai resident, Saba Shaikh said, “I remember learning about Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in school, but back then, it was just a small part of our history lessons. I had no idea about the depth of his story and the incredible bravery he showed. I was truly moved by how the film highlighted values like bravery, sacrifice, and standing up for what’s right, his principles that go beyond any one community or religion. Chhaava not only gave me a deeper understanding of Sambhaji Maharaj’s legacy but also left me with a sense of pride and inspiration.”


Indian born New Zealand resident Carissa Paul said, “Our active exposure in school through History books was limited to just knowing about Shivaji’s conquests but even that was I think very general when compared to say how much more we covered about Mughal empire or even the south’s big empires. And of course the main freedom struggle. I only knew of Sambhaji as Shivaji’s son and nothing much else to be honest.”


Through the film, Marathi audiences got a realistic experience of what they had already heard from their elders. However, for a lot of non-Marathi speaking viewers, it came as a surprisingly neglected part of history.


Viewers do believe that there is a wave of Bollywood films on Maratha history. Speaking to The Perfect Voice, popular actor Uday Tikekar said, “Producers make films to make money or send them to film festivals. Formulae like love triangles, or the genre that defines films like Pushpa, are done and gone. So now what? Producers do a lot of brainstorming on what sells, what’s stale and what can now work and what’s new. They look at it as a commercial project. Maratha history Is an untouched topic. Although Sambhaji Mahraj’s contribution is not just confined to Maharashtra, he was less known across India. It was a risky project. However, fortunately it was a success. We Maharashtrians are happy that Sambhaji was introduced to the non-Marathi population, however, once topics on Maratha history are done and gone, they will shift to something else.”


Some experts pointed out that films like Jodha Akbar is a classic example of undue romanticism of the character of Akbar which was too far from reality. Such films make it difficult for the viewers to take serious cognizance of such movies. Carissa Paul said, “I usually like to make sure that I also find out more about the actual history and not depend on a Bollywood movie to accurately represent all the historic facts. However, having it in mainstream commercial cinema definitely improves the chances of people knowing about people in our history and developing an interest in knowing more.”


Paul highlighted, “Marketing is very important. Popularity of any movie depends on if it has a main stream actor and right kind of promotional strategies.”


Mumbai born viewer Sumit Gupta said, “I knew about Sambhaji Maharaj because it was mentioned in our school history book and our teacher used to explain further details and tell us stories about him. The movie actually gave even more details and gave us a feel of the intensity of the torture bestowed upon Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj by the Mughal emperor.”


Gujarathi speaking Chandana Buch said, “Before watching Chhava, I didn't have a personal connection to Maharashtra or its history, having grown up outside the state without Marathi friends. Therefore, I had no reference point to gauge the accuracy of the film's portrayal. However, watching the movie with my Maharashtrian friend added another layer of depth, as he shared his knowledge of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's multilingualism and the brutal circumstances of his death. I was deeply moved by his unwavering resolve in the face of torture. What struck me most was the film's portrayal of Chhatrapati Shivaji and Chhatrapati Sambhaji's stance on religion. Contrary to popular misconceptions, they didn't oppose any particular religion, but rather resisted the ruthless and oppressive rule of the Mughals. This nuanced understanding of their legacy was a valuable takeaway for me.”

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