Many years ago when Rahul Bajaj visited Bengaluru, just like many other famous people, the chairperson of Bajaj Group, made a pit stop at Vimor to purchase sarees. “I was overwhelmed when he came to our store. Somebody very close to him brought him to our store. When he introduced himself as Mr Bajaj, it struck me that he was ‘The’ Mr Bajaj,” says Pavithra Muddaya, co-founder Vimor, a boutique saree store. Muddaya, who fondly remembers Bajaj as a “very simple and pleasant person”, was saddened by news of his demise which took place on Feb 12 in Pune.
It’s an incident that took place many years ago, but it’s still fresh in Muddaya’s memory. But since it was before they officially started keeping records, Muddaya can’t clearly recollect the exact nature of the purchase. “I know he bought some silk sarees,” says Muddaya, adding that she still recalls his ‘pleasant personality’.
Now leafing through her ‘address book’, there’s a sense of satisfaction at the number of dignitaries who have visited the store. “Back then, we didn’t have a guest book. Our focus was not on who came to our store, that’s why I don’t have a picture with anybody,” says Muddaya. Living in the time of social media where self-promotion is at its peak, Muddaya has no regrets about missing out on it.
“All our customers were/are the same to us. I think a lot of these celebrities like it that we don’t ask them for photographs. They appreciate that anonymity,” says Muddaya, adding, “The brand has grown organically with people appreciating our work.”