Anil was younger son of busy father. His elder brother Mukesh was also busy working with the father, busy bee Dhirubhai Ambani. Anil’s seniors were always talking of projects and constructions and rushing away from home on important business. In such an environment a child has no normal childhood. For some kids it could be hard and confusing. But Ambanis were no normal people. They were and are all extra-ordinary creatures. So, that abnormal atmosphere did not affect Anil. Infact, he grew up in the same mould imbibing the extra-ordinary traits of his sire and learning ropes of the trade. He also inherited his father’s busy bee mind and physical energy. The brothers although did not have to go through the kind of struggles their father did.
Anil Ambani admires his father Dhirubhai’s incredible skills, craft, dreaming fever and his capacity to translate dreams into reality. During the course of interviews Anil has revealed his view and sentiments regarding his father. Given below are some impressions Anil had articulated of his illustrious sire, Dhirubhai.
Every person has his own pet word for others that has different or no definition in his own life. Omer Khayyam named that innate inspirational power ‘Moving finger’. Some people call that cosmic driving force ‘God’. For others it is kismet or supernatural power. For my father Dhirubhai Ambani that word was ‘Destiny’.
- He believed in action and speed but had faith in destiny as well. But was what Dhirubhai did or achieved only his destiny? He thought destiny had two aspects—One, the effort we put in to achieve some thing. Other is what comes of it. The effort is our’s but the outcome may not be exactly to our liking.
Papa thought our knowledge must essentially guide our efforts. And after that the direction of the efforts should be towards the goal we have sets for us. The three factors must be co-ordinated to move on in harmony. We everyday read handicapped people like dumb, blind, deaf etc gaining excellence in various fields of their choice like music, arts or some other industry. My father used to say if such handicapped persons could achieve such greatness and reach such heights why the people with whole bodies and mind could not achieve those heights? Papa used to take the name of ‘God’ rarely, infact very very rarely only when the situation was totally unexpected or extra-ordinary and fully decisive. - He firmly believed a man could make of himself whatever he wished. Every man was not born with a fate to get high education, but anyone could gain good education in the school of practical life or make his body healthy.
Whenever Papa had to say something about the word (destiny) or difine it and explain its rationality or related its relevance in his own life, he used to say ‘Yes, I do believe in destiny. It had some contribution to whatever I have achieved.’ (But he was no blind believer in destiny like some people are.) It is not totally illogical. The science also believes in it and calls it ‘X-factor.’ There always is some X-factor in everything. - I have never heard or seen Papa invoking God for something or praying it. He used to say God was no peon to be thanked for something or spoken words of praise or accused of something.
- The only occasions I heard him invoking or saying ‘‘Oh God! What a view!” was when he stood on Khandala hillock and surveyed beautiful scenes of Sahyadri hills yonder or during a Kenya Safari when he watched mighty and shimmering lions or saw massive soil erosion in Newzealand hills. At such occasions he would become silent, look stunned, emotionless. eyes wide open, ears alert and his lips would whisper ‘Oh God!’
- For Papa destiny was his God (The X-factor of rational world). May be, it meant faith in work that words could not do but could be realised by doing a work.
- “I believe in you, I believe in Reliance, I believe in Reliance family, I believe in share holders, I believe in my dealers, I believe in my customers and I believe in my friends. What else God should want of me? Are not all these people his images? Is it not believeing in his images, his creations? Reliance is only a means to serve God I work for Reliance…I think for Reliance…all 24 hours of the day, seven days of the week, twelve month of the year and shall carry this on for all years of my life?” my Papa used to say.
- It was Papa’s selfless sentiment and his dedication to Reliance that and he said—‘‘One day Dhirubhai will be gone but the Reliance employees and share holders will continue to run it. Reliance has become such a true dream where Ambanis have little relevance.’’
