When Robin Never Grew Up - Prahlad Kakkar

Prahlad, who was called Robin in his younger days, was born in 1948 (24 March). His journey has been filled with infinite variety and innovation. So one would expect nary a dull moment when sitting down for a chat session with him. That's just what correspondent Nidhi Jain experienced as he tickled the funny bone with his punch lines/one liners and his cheeky smile.

FAST TRACK?.NOW AND THEN? From the beginning, everything in Prahlad's life revolved around his fascination with and for women. The first was his grandmother who wanted this cheeky chit of a fellow, otherwise from an illustrious family of doctors, engineers, and his dad being an army officer, to join the Indian Foreign Services. Instead, Prahlad landed up doing an honours degree in economics and later went on to complete a film appreciation course. With academics done and dusted, he joined an advertising agency in Jor Bagh, Delhi, merely because of a beautiful girl name Farida Pandey?

Fast Forward >> He has managed to diversify his passions, and reached a stage in his life where he can freely set the pace.

THE OTHER SEX?"Don't understand them, just love them unconditionally," says Prahlad on women. His hectic schedule doesn't deprive him of not enjoying the company of PYTs. The long locks of hair trying desperately to hide under the trademark hat, the thick beard and that mischievous glint in his eyes. This ace ad guy doesn't go unnoticed with his female friends. Prahlad's greatest motivation has been women who are not second best to anybody, have substantial character, and are stimulating and interesting too. He absolutely detests incapable women conditionally bound to men. Therefore, he thinks that if he had a daughter she would have been hell on wheels (he's managed three very different in character sons though).

LIGHT ME BABY ONE MORE TIME? Prahlad is a big Cigar person. The only Indian to have his signature line in cigars named PK series which has two varieties, a Churchill size one of about seven inches and a smaller Robusta cigar called the Shergar. The leaves of his cigars, the filler and wrapper, are from the Dominican Republic and from Cameroon and Ecuador respectively.

MISTER OF SPICES? His restaurant business stems from his 'instinctive flair for cooking'. And according to Prahlad, he has a great sense of Andaaz, has always been a fish and meat person. (Laughs) Another reason for access to beautiful young women was cooking as his face was his misfortune which wouldn't have gotten him anywhere. Food fascinates him; the reason that his office sports a full fledged kitchen. An impassioned foodie, Prahlad is experimental with his cuisine and he detests the word boring when attached to food. It all started with a request from Shashi Kapoor's wife Jennifer to open Prithvi Caf?. His Irish Caf? was a great hit with a secret formula 'pouring cream from behind the spoon'. Being a typical Punjabi, good sumptuous food can't go out of his blood for both to eat and to deliver, that is resulting in plans to deliver home cooked Punjabi food and Chapattis (phulkas) --- Prahlad Kakkar's 'PAPA PANCHO'.

DEEP BLUE WATER?Prahlad's first tryst with diving was at Mauritius, and he believed that no knowledge is complete if it's not shared. He used to take the Konkan Express to Cochin enroute to Lacadives (old name of Lakshadweep) where he owns two scuba diving schools along with his wife Mitali. He is always amazed with its pristine, natural beauty and quality of diving.

JAZZ AND BLUES?Since Mumbai city didn't have any club for Jazz, he introduced one, for which the membership is only available for musicians. They play for themselves, but not by choice.