Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons, passed away at the age of 86 on Wednesday night at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. He was among India's most respected and loved industrialists, who took Tata Group to new heights and touched the fabric of the nation through his contributions across different areas including philanthropy. Ratan Tata was honoured with the country's second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2008.
From Tata Salt to Air India (owned by Tata Group and established as Tata Airlines), Ratan Tata achieved success in multiple ventures. But, the only time he faced failure was when he entered Bollywood and bankrolled a film under his banner Tata Infomedia Ltd. Starring Amitabh Bachchan, John Abraham, and Bipasha Basu in the leading roles, the romantic psychological thriller Aetbaar was released in 2004.
To promote the movie before its release, Indiagames also launched a mobile video game based on the film. Aetbaar also tried to cash in on the chemistry between John and Bipasha in the 2003 successful erotic thriller Jism. But, eventually the movie was a massive flop at the box office and failed to even recover its budget. Directed by Vikram Bhatt, Aetbaar was made in Rs 9.50 crore and earned Rs 6.30 crore net in India, facing losses of Rs 3.20 crore as per Box Office India portal. After Aetbaar's failure, Ratan Tata never invested his money in the film business again.
On Thursday, Amitabh Bachchan even remembered the late business tycoon as he shared a photo with him on Instagram. Along with the picture, he wrote, "An era has just passed away...his humility, his great resolve, his vision and his determination to accomplish the very best for the nation, ever a pride. It was my greatest honour to have had an opportunity and privilege to work together towards common humanitarian causes. A very sad day...my prayers."
Ratan Tata was one of the world's most influential industrialists yet he never appeared on any list of billionaires. He controlled over 30 companies that operated in over 100 countries across six continents yet lived an unpretentious life. He enjoyed a perhaps unique status - a corporate titan who was considered a 'secular living saint' with a reputation for decency and integrity.
READ | Amitabh Bachchan sold his house, went bankrupt, requested Yash Chopra for work, comeback film was blockbuster, earned...
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