Lodha who?

17 July 2004

The Birlas are questioning whether Priyamvada should have made Lodha the beneficiary of her will. But isn''t it her will anyways? asks Uday Chatterjee

Priyamvada Birla shocked and awed the Birla parivar and the nation by demonstrating that she had a will. And by doing that, she displayed a rare trait for a traditional Indian bahu who is not supposed to have a personality of her own in the first place, let alone a will.

Priyamvada passed away on July 3 and on Monday, July 12 a salient feature of the will was read out to the senior Birlas. That set the cat among the pigeons. The Birla kartas were sent smarting, the Birla bahus cowering, Priyamvada was smirking all the way to heaven and a gentleman named R.S Lodha was laughing all the way to the bank.

Lodha, a rank outsider, has become the sole beneficiary of Priyamvada''s legacy worth over Rs 5,000 crore.

Who Lodha, how Lodha, why Lodha and why not Yashovardhan Birla are the questions now being asked by all and sundry.

The first thing we come to realise about Lodha is that he can be as elusive as the Scarlet Pimpernel. Try to contact him at his office and he is at home. Contact him at his home and he is in office. Contact him simultaneously at office and home and he is perhaps, in New Delhi.