The importance of being Manohar Joshi, albeit a namesake

PUNE, Dec 2: What would you do if you were Manohar Joshi? Does this sound like an invitation to the Chief Minister's chair? Well, it's no...

6 min readDec 3, 1998 12:00 AM IST

PUNE, Dec 2: What would you do if you were Manohar Joshi? Does this sound like an invitation to the Chief Minister’s chair? Well, it’s not. All it indicates is how you would handle the confusion if you, too, happened to be called Manohar Joshi. Just like more than a dozen residents of Pune are.

And while all these Manohar Joshis may not be sharing the CM’s birthday today, and of course the enviable fate line, the coincidence it seems has made their life just a little more interesting, even if only by default!

Take Dr Manohar Jawahar Joshi for instance, a well known surgeon, who has been in Pune for the past 40 years but has to nevertheless suffer from an identity crisis now and then when he is compelled to clarify that, however well-known, he is not the Manohar Joshi.

“I happen to be the vice-president of the Ratnagiri Educational Society and had gone there once for the college’s golden jubilee celebrations, where the CM was the chief guest.

So here we were, two Manohar Joshis on the sameplatform and had to be introduced as Manohar Joshi, the CM, and Manohar Joshi, the vice-president, raising laughs in the process. Often, even my patients ask me whether I am the CM and I have to patiently explain that if I were, I wouldn’t be there at the hospital treating them!”

For a resident of Sadashiv Peth in downtown Pune, however, sharing the illustrious name has in fact made life a little more convenient. Especially in his dealings with the Telephone Department. Every time the phone is out of order, all Manohar A Joshi has to do is call up and say, “This is Manohar Joshi speaking,” and the Department cracks into life.

He discovered the importance of the name the first time he called up to register a complaint. “I could hear them whisper among themselves Manohar Joshi is in town and his phone is not working.’ The men arrived at my doorstep and rectified the phone in 10 minutes,” he recalls.

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But politics does not interest this gentleman much. “But you should see the faces of the electioncampaigners who come to my house during polling and see the name-plate on the door,” he chuckles.

Of course, it does get tempting to use the trump card of the name now and then.

Says Dr Manohar Vasant Joshi, 52 Assistant Director, National Institute of Virology, “One morning, while going for work, there was a spot-check for driving licences. When the cop came to me, he asked me my name and I replied, Manohar Joshi.’ He thought I was pulling a fast one and asked for my driving licence. When he glanced at it, he seemed confounded but then seeing the smile on my face, put two and two together and said, “Maybe you are not him… but you can carry on. You could be a relative for all I know!”

Then there is Manohar Yashwant Joshi of Prasad Prakashan, son of the well-known Marathi writer Y G Joshi, who has reconciled to introducing himself as “I am Manohar Joshi, who is not the CM!”

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Interestingly, however, it’s not just today that the name is a heavyweight one. For Manohar Sadashiv Joshi, professorof English and Communication at the Ness Wadia College, the name elicited sufficient chaos as long back as 15 years ago. “I had gone for an interview for the post of a teacher, and to my surprise, found the board members asking the questions in a very halting and hesitant manner.

When I asked them what the matter was, one of them said, Well, you are a Shiv Sena leader, so we have to be careful of what we ask you.’ Since the politician Manohar Joshi was also a teacher earlier I could understand the resultant confusion. Then many call up asking to be put through to the secretary to Manohar Joshi. Since I do not enjoy this privilege, I usually reply that she’s gone out.”

For Manohar G Joshi, retired manager from the Industrial Finance Corporation, sharing the name with the CM, however, is a matter of pride. “After all, I belong to the same clan,” he says.

While Manohar Laxman Joshi, a manager at TELCO is one of the few for whom being the CM’s namesake has not meant much other than an occasionalleg pulling session at the office, for Manohar Dattatrey Joshi, now posted to Vidarbha as Assistant Director, Animal Husbandry, the coincidence has in fact resulted in unpleasant crank calls. “ About a week ago we got these phone calls in the middle of the night, from a person who used bad language and then threatened my father with dire consequences,” recounts his son, a nervous Prasad Joshi. “We don’t know for sure whether this is related to the name but there seems little other reason.”

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By and large, however, most of these namesakes take the coincidence in their stride, more inclined towards seeing the lighter side of it all. “I feel good and get a lot of mock respect from my collegues,” smiles Manohar Ganesh Joshi a senior production manager at B G Shirke even as Manohar Gopal Joshi a typist in Kothrud feels it has not made any difference to him one way or the other.

Which is presumably natural. For what’s in sharing a name and vicarious fame after all? Had it been fate too, then we would havebeen talking. Right Mr CM?

with additional inputs from Saikat Datta

Sunanda Mehta

Sunanda Mehta is the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Pune. She is a distinguished journalist, columnist, and author with over three decades of experience in the media industry. Educational background: A merit-lister in her 12 th in CBSE (5th rank in Humanities) Sunanda stood first in History in the Board for which she was awarded the Dr Tarachand Gold Medal. She is a triple-graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (History Honours) from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, Bachelor of Education, Delhi University (on scholarship) and Bachelor of Communication and Journalism, University of Pune. Professional Background Role: As Resident Editor, she oversees the Pune edition of The Indian Express, managing local news coverage, investigative features, and editorial direction for the city. Author: She is an accomplished author, known for her biographies. Her notable books include: The Extraordinary Life and Death of Sunanda Pushkar published by Pan Macmillan (2019). The book was long-listed for the Atta Galatta award for nonfiction and Auther award for best debut author. Majestic Musings - Translation of poems from 100 year old Badshaian from Punjabi to English (2023) Behind the Big Screen- the untold stories of child actors published by Bloomsbury India (2024) Focus Areas: While Sunanda has reported on various subjects from civic to political to investigative and crime, her forte remains long-form human-interest stories, heritage and gender issues. Core Column: "Against All Odds" Sunanda curates and writes a signature series titled "Against All Odds," which profiles individuals who have overcome significant personal, medical, or professional challenges. Recent notable articles (2025) The Story of Dr. Harinder Dhaliwal (July 2025): A Pune AFMC topper who became a neurologist in Canada despite becoming paraplegic. Jayoo Patwardhan’s Cancer Journey (Jan 2025): How the National Film Award-winning designer defeated cancer. Partha Iyengar’s Emergency mid-air (Aug 2025): The story of how Gartner’s India head survived a massive heart attack during a long-haul flight. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage continues to explore deep personal narratives and Pune’s socio-environmental landscape: 1. Personal Narratives & Closure "'I grieved for him 10 years after his murder, found closure to unsolved case'" (Dec 14, 2025): A poignant feature on Vineet Alurkar, son of the late Pune music legend Suresh Alurkar, and how digitizing his father’s collection helped him heal. "A 40-day journey home: how Christopher Benninger's partner gave him the gift of memories" (Nov 23, 2025): A moving tribute to the late acclaimed architect Christopher Benninger and his final trip to the US. "'After 38 years I finally met my biological mother'" (Sept 28, 2025): Chronicling the journey of an adopted daughter from Zurich searching for her roots in Pune. 2. Civic & Heritage "'Vetal Tekdi belongs to common citizens'" (Oct 20, 2025): An interview with environmental activist Dr. Sushma Date on the community-led protection of Pune’s vital green lungs. "'Military village' Apshinge recalls living through war days" (Aug 12, 2025): A report from a village in Maharashtra where nearly every household has a member in the armed forces, focusing on their legacy and current anxieties. 3. High-Profile Commentary & Investigations "Malegaon blast acquittals: 'I was expecting this verdict'" (July 31, 2025): An interview with former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian following the controversial acquittals. "Grounded, license cancelled... she decided to soar higher" (March 30, 2025): The story of Dr. Harpreet A De Singh, Air India’s first woman pilot from 1988, and her transition to leadership and meditation. Signature Style Sunanda Mehta is known for her empathetic storytelling. Unlike standard news reporting, her features often read like narrative non-fiction, focusing on the psychological and emotional resilience of her subjects. One of her articles in The Indian Express titled 'The Quality of Mercy' was converted into a film Rubaru Roshini produced by actor Aamir Khan. She is a strong advocate for Pune's heritage and environment, frequently using her platform to amplify citizen-led movements. X (Twitter): @sunandamehta and @ExpressPune ... Read More

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