THE PLATINUM INNINGS OF MR SOLI SORABJEE

A erudite scholar, a living legend of law,an enclyopedia of deep rooted wisdom, a personality full of instant wit and humour, a great writer, a jazz lover ,a protagonist of personal liberty, an ardent protector of freedom of speech,  a human rights watcdog,the list of tratis is endless. Mr. Sorabjee, fondly “Soli”, lives life to the full to the day. Having been associated with him for over two decades, not a day passes without a reference to him. Age for him is just a number. Nothing flags him down. Always on the go, his presence at IIC is  a habit I fondly share with him.A chat to share, a case discussion,  a legal analysis, a joke cracked or a serious debate. He is always game. Who says he is slowing down. His mind works faster than ours. Ninety not out. He will clock a century.

As a lawyer, I share treasured fond memories with him. International conference venues over the globe, court appearances, events at IIC, book releases, discussions, seminars, engaging dialogues, fiery debates and creative writing. We have shared umpteen platforms. All our eight books have emerged with his blessings. Always an encouragement, a pat on the back, a foreword or a preface, a book release speech, he has never missed an event for us. Never a no. His thoughts, insights and views have always ignited our academic writings and professional goals. His punch line analysis sums it up. Innovation is his name of the game.

Brimming with energy meeting the  mind and the eye, his mind is as crisp as ever.  His warehouse of embedded knowledge is a remarkable characteristic feature. Jazz is the food of his love. His knockout innings as a stalwart in the legal profession are only one facet of his mult-trait omnibus personality. His zest and zeal to promote budding lawyers and espouse emerging young entrants has always held him in very high esteem in the fraternity.

Our chance meetings now at IIC have become memory banks. I now share with him stored data and reminisce old times. One can but not forget a treasured moment when on multiple occasions abroad at conferences, while traversing a street or visiting a book shop, Soli would stop out of the blue and spring up a lively conversation in the middle of nowhere. His recollection of old memories has not faded away. The past lives in him.

A fiercely independent personality, Soli has lived his life by his rules and played his game as he wanted to. His family is his biggest anchor of support. Mrs. Zena Sorabjee stands by him both as his pillar and his foundation. In her own right, she is a philanthropist and a well respected member of the Baha’i community. Trusted Dr. Jehangir, the renowned physician, is a call away. The legal eagle Zia, a stalwart knows no bounds. Hormazd, the autocar man, is par excellence in his own field. A  gifted  family, they are a well knit clan. Their Mumbai family home,  visited and described by my children Ankit and Aastha, not me, is a sprawling colonial bungalow and home to  golden age  generational memories. When my son Ankit recently visited Zena at Mumbai, he captured a unique picture from the family home of young Soli and his beloved parents.  Sparkle in the face and the eye glint of young Soli, still exuberates in him. See the picture and see him to believe it. Going strong, he lives in us to inspire us .