[Seek]

Got to know of this news late and am shocked. While I never interacted with BD Sir directly, I purchased my Safari Storme with confidence knowing BD Sir is there at tata motors and that he will always be there to help should something go wrong! Such was his presence and ability to help anyone and everyone. Rest in peace Sir.

[sandeepmdas]

I am not following TBHP on a daily-basis as I used to be, due to work pressure. Missed this most-shocking news....

What a loss...

Rest in peace sir. Deepest condolences to his family.

[GrammarNazi]

Great loss indeed!

His memory, to me, is about passion along with commitment to work & resolve.

Rest In Peace Sir.

[Shubhendra]

A tribute to the legend......
This AV clip was prepared few days back for 'Annual Offroad Carnival 2016' during which this clip was shared with all the guests/offroaders and BD Sir was remembered.
You will be sorely missed sir :( :(

https://youtu.be/qo90m8iNJkI

Regards,
Shubhendra Singh

[amitc7]

R.I.P. Probably the most interesting and friendly knowledgeable petrol-head I have come across through this forum.
I was just thinking where his new posts were and came across this. Heaven's just went off-roading.

[DirtyDan]

He and I were friends. He had a candor and a perfunctory honesty that I suspect put him at odds with management and damaged his career. This often happens when your knowledge is head and shoulders above your bosses'. He once told me is some detail what it took politically to get Thar launched and he told me in dismay what the reaction of certain key executives was to its launch. It impacted his health, I think.

Here below is one of my favorite posts of his. Goodbye, my friend. See you around the universe.

************************************************** ************************************************** ****

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Muneem - I can totally visualise what you must have gone through. The scene is right in front of me. You wearing the dealership uniform, you running around, you begging the car washer to help you everytime, you getting fired for no fault of yours, your shirt sleeves getting solied (if your uniform has a full sleeve shirt), you standing next to a posse of policemen while they ignore you totally for some time, you getting deputed for a training programme at the last minute which leaves you confused on how to go, you standing in train for 350 kms etc etc. It is sad but true that common sense and decency has taken a backseat in today's world.

Now you have left the job but some other poor soul will go through the same rigmorale. You must be bewildered and must be wanting to know the REAL reason why this happens to you and many others like you. Well, here it is.

The "so-called" controlling guys in the company sit in citadel towers, work in cubicles, pressing laptop buttons from morning till late evening making excel files having so many rows, columns and colours on one page that the only thing I can make out of it is that it is a horribly made Rangoli. These guys generally consider it below their dignity to talk to anybody except other guys like them (and they are a close knit tribe, believe me) and they only make presentations to the big bosses in conference rooms behind closed doors where tea is served with saucers. These bosses nod and say "humm, humm" and if anyone asks for some explanation, it is considered a sin worth being hanged for because there is always a sidekick (in Marathi he is called "pillu") and this pillu tells everybody in hush hush tones that the boss is busy, he has to go for another "meeting". These bosses are perenially in "meetings" or "travelling abroad". During presentations, these bosses suddenly get calls on their blackberries so everyone has to be quiet and after the call there is an off-topic discussion between two bosses, then the boss gives a blank look so everybody is further confused.

Now if these presenters and their bosses visit dealerships and they get additions to their Jet Airways Platinum card miles to do it, the dealer principal goes out of his way to take care of them, airport to airport, throwing everything else to the wind, which includes inconveniencing customers etc. Tea is again served with saucers but for some unknown reason, the cups here are always half full. The quality of tea is also not so good. The dealer principal says "sir - everything will be done", tells his sales / works manager to do it, the guys nod and say "yes sir" to everything and then the laptopwallah confuses them completely with his "rangoli". By the time the bosses are seen off at the airport, nobody knows what to do now, so somebody tries to do something and therefore poor you are told to do "something". These laptopwallahs generally change jobs or get internally transferred within 3 years so it does not matter to them. They know when to change before things come to a head. The dealer principal also knows but pretends to be unknown because he is finally doing his "dhandha" (business).

WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN? Because these guys do not know that there is something called a multijet engine, they do not know that a Palio has cable operated gear shifter, they do not know that the engine mounting cross member is brilliantly designed, they do not understand camber, caster, king pin inclination, do not know what is scrub radius, do not know what to do if a car pulls to one side, do not know that only toe can be adjusted by design, do not know why an engine emits black smoke and what to do about it, do not know why the speedometer shows 80 kmph when the car is moving at 20 kmph etc etc. Days and months are spent deciding on the colour of tiles to be applied in a workshop and guys have a full time job doing it, sometimes with the end result being a workshop looking like a disco, but a hard core technical discussion on the car taking place at highest level? No chance! If at all, for that there is another department where more excel files are flaunted as each complaint occupies one row of an excel file - THE CUSTOMER BECOMES A STATISTIC.

All this is coming straight from my heart but I guess I am like this only. What I have mentioned is true. On top of that, some customer actually buys the car also and it is natural that he will say that it was the worst decision of his life. Poor fellow.

What is required is a total overhaul of the whole system where only guys who understand cars call the shots and only have guys with them (not under them) who understand cars and deliver good results in simple ways.

QED!

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[grkonweb]

Originally Posted by DirtyDan

He and I were friends. He had a candor and a perfunctory honesty that I suspect put him at odds with management and damaged his career. This often happens when your knowledge is head and shoulders above your bosses'. He once told me is some detail what it took politically to get Thar launched and he told me in dismay what the reaction of certain key executives was to its launch. It impacted his health, I think.

Here below is one of my favorite posts of his. Goodbye, my friend. See you around the universe.

************************************************** ************************************************** ****

Every line he has written in this post truly captures the reality on ground. Unfortunately corporate world doesn't appreciate hard working, technically sound people like him but value excel analysts and flamboyant PowerPoint presenters in suits.

We will not see the likes of Behram Sir again for a long time. A legend in the automobile community he will live in our hearts and memories.

Perhaps, just thinking aloud, Team BHP should consider establishing an Award in his name to recognise excellence in technically proficiency for automobile engineers. That would be an apt tribute to him and spread his legendary feats to the young generation. Or organise Annual Memorial Lecture in his name and invite eminent/knowledgeable people to deliver a talk. Or call his close associates to share their experiences of working with him. Another way could be organise a mega OTR event every year in his name.This way we perpetuate his memory and honour him.

[sunit5]

Just got to know, really shocking, we are indeed going to miss him. RIP !!

[kashif_baig]

Originally Posted by GTO

Team,

Just heard the terrible news that our dear friend & Distinguished BHPian Behram Dhabhar has passed away. I believe he had a heart attack.

May you rest in eternal peace. The world is poorer without one of it's leading lights.

[Rugged]

Dear DB Sir,
Its been a year since you left us.... seems like yesterday! :(
Yet your invaluable inputs/suggestions/advisory will continue to enlighten many generations in future.

Rest in peace ...Sirji ! God be with you.

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by Rugged

Dear DB Sir,
Its been a year since you left us.... seems like yesterday! :(
Yet your invaluable inputs/suggestions/advisory will continue to enlighten many generations in future.

Rest in peace ...Sirji ! God be with you.

So aptly said...Never saw anyone with such energy, interest & jaw dropping technical insights - who was such kind and humble a person. The interactions that I had with BD Sir personally, will always be cherished. One of the biggest losses for the forum, the enthusiasts, the industry & the people.

Rest in peace - as he would call himself - BAWAJI! Blessed to have known you.

Was watching Cyrus review a Mercedes performance car on TV the other day & just realized its been an year since we suffered the massive loss.

[r_nairtvm]

RIP Behram !!!

I know its rather late but I got to hear about this only today. God knows how I missed this thread as well.

I first met him during one of the Himalay Rally in mid 1980s. I was there as part of support crew of one of the drivers of a factory supported team

He was a nice man and 100% straight forward and a total petrolhead.

Had stayed in touch off and on!

You will be missed!

Ram.

[KartikeyaL]

Time flies, today 10.08.18 marks 2 years since his death !

[Parm]

May god bless his soul and may he Rest in Peace.

I have a photo of him in Auto Expo and had the pleasure of talking to him and share experience with him

I hope he had a share of his inputs in the GS800 for the Indian Army.

[arun1100]

It's three years since you left us, Sir. Such a wonderful person you were; the Fiat and Jeep fraternity miss you a lot.

Your golden words - "Just remember - there is only one way to do any job and that is the correct way. Either you do a perfect job or you do not do it at all. There is no other way. "

Guys, I am writing here regarding the sad demise one of our very own - Behram Dhabhar who loved cars, loved them even more to tinker with, loved them greater than that to restore and resurrect lost cases and if it was a Fiat so much the better for it. I heard today from my friends in Tata Motors that he passed away on his way to work, suffering a mighty stroke that snuffed his life away. Behram was truly one of a kind. Focused on the one thing he loved as much if not more than his family and friends which were cars of any and every type.His life was all about cars and how to make the good even better. Some might say he had an eccentric streak but pray tell me which passionate Bawaji doesn't have that? He was truly a gem and I liked one other trait of mine he had in himin even greater measure than me: his ability to call a spade a shovel! I also do not know how many know this or will also care to acknowledge it but Behram was the spiritual and real father of the Mahindra Thar, full stop! His work on creating this epic vehicle has gone unheralded for he created it out of nothing and only due to his enthusiasm. Guys like him are a rare diminishing breed. I will miss him for sure. My thoughts are with his family and I hope they have the strength to take it in their stride. Knowing the way he was built, I am sure Behram will start tinkering the Lord Almighty's favourite set of wheels up in the big blue yonder for he was like that and we all would wish him to be like that in his new abode. Godspeed Behram and thanks for the memories.

Tribute by Mr Adil Jal Darukhanwala in 2016