Sunday, September 16, 2001		VIP Toon Tales

VIJAY Merchant, the veteran cricketer who belonged to the era of Don Bradman, was in Delhi in 1969. A cricketer of repute who enjoyed the same popularity as Sachin Tendulkar does today, Vijay Merchant was attending a party given in honour of him by the local sports journalists in one of the hotels. I happened to be there with my usual kit — a drawing pad and drawing materials. In a few minutes, I was able to complete his picture and waited for an opportunity to meet him. He was in a jovial mood, exchanging pleasantaries and cracking jokes. I thought this was just the right moment to meet him. When I approached him with his sketch, his response was extremely encouraging. He was amused at the long nose I had shown in his sketch. He immediately went near a table and sat down to write on the sketch: "My chin was split open by Stain Nicholas in 1933. I wish it had been the nose instead. Then it would not have been so very important." He put his signatures at the end and dated it July 12, 1969.