To write for a man, whose heart always came before his head is indeed difficult. It is impossible not to recount his best qualities from among the several this ‘Prince among men’ had in plenty.

He was a genial King and someone each one of us loved in our own special way.

Rajiv achieved so much in this Life which many of us would not do in multiple rebirths. 

I can never forget his rich baritone voice putting me to notice when this ‘great man’ was thinking.

He was living proof of the ‘Power of Positive thinking’ and I am sure his biography, if ever one is written, will 100 per cent prove the theory.

Not once in my Life did he ever invoke the sympathy card despite a horrendous accident in a lift several decades ago. He lived ‘King size’ with the cards that Destiny had given him to play with, without a crib. He was brave to a fault and I have never seen him off mood when plagued with his myriad health problems. He would fight these in his mind, with his spirit, as if he were serving to win, in a tennis match on the last point for ‘Game, Set and Match’.

His indomitable spirit and happy frame of mind permitted him to enjoy his life whether it was about following Sadhguru, or Kamakhya Devi priests or sponsoring a kabaddi team. He knew how to celebrate and experience joy when it was meted out to him as he always multiplied it manifold for spreading happiness to others and sharing it with the less fortunate in Life.

He was a proud man, and rightly so, when you examine what he created in his lifetime despite the many interruptions for health reasons. He was immensely blessed with honest self belief and the confidence that he could defeat the biggest and the best on his day.

His creation ‘Luthra and Luthra’ is no mean achievement as building a national full service firm from scratch is a herculean feat. And he did it silently till one day he had his seat on the table, before the policy makers dealing with the destiny of the profession. 

He was blessed with a sharp mind, wit, intellect and native shrewdness which always stood in good stead for him. He would not suffer fools and the nay sayers who could not stand in his way to success and victory. I and Pallavi were fortunate to see him in action defending the Indian legal market from the ‘barbarians at the gate’. And he never surrendered. He epitomised Churchill’s finest speech that "we shall fight in the seas, we shall fight in the air, but we shall never surrender." 

It is very very rare to see so many good  qualities all rolled into one person. 

He was indeed a very Blessed Soul who has left some part of himself in everyone's hearts and minds because of his  extraordinariness.

Though destiny brutally mauled him, this Ceasar did not succumb with ‘Et tu Brutus’. He gave as much as he got and was always a valiant fighter when drawn into a full fight. 

He was generous for those whom he loved and admired, and what he did for Pallavi’s birthday, in Dubai, when seated in India is a legend in magnanimity. He was Mr Magnanimity notwithstanding anything. He was ‘Shriman Dildaar’. 

And all that has always got to emerge from kindness in the heart, and good conscience. He has left us with a lot to emulate. 

His juniors and lawyers will miss him a lot as his generosity and love was legendary. It came unadulterated directly from his heart, in its pure and pristine form. This is rare in our world and we cherish this hero, this Champion of ours because of what he was to all of us. He was simply Great and Godsent and he has touched so many hearts across the world through his life well lived.

He leaves behind his grieving widow, and two daughters, who have to carry forward his legacy and not leave it to the wolves to devour. 

May God give him liberation, moksh and refuge at the feet of the Lotus Master, from where the sweet essence of His Good Soul will permeate to our world!

The author Shardul Shroff is the Executive Chairman, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas