Balancing
THE
I
n 1972, 28-year-old Mohan
Mirchandani bid farewell to
his pregnant wife, Nisha, and
boarded a plane from India to
Hong Kong. He promised her a better
future and, despite having only fifty
dollars in his pocket, it was a promise
he intended to keep.
Mohan lived frugally at first,
residing in a dingy room at the
infamous Chungking Mansions and
living off 20-cent condensed milk
sandwiches. He earned a meagre
income, picking and packing
magazines for long hours of the
day in a distant uncle’s warehouse.
Despite helping to significantly grow
his uncle’s business, Mohan’s efforts
went unnoticed and so, two years
later, he set up his own venture. He
began by importing and supplying
US publications to Hong Kong’s
major supermarkets and chain stores,
fast becoming the territory’s leading
distributor.
In 1985, Mohan fell out with his
biggest customer and, 24 hours later,
he boldly withdrew all his books and
magazines from their 27 stores. As
one chapter closed, another opened.
Determined to beat the odds and rise
to the top on his own terms, Mohan
took his first major step to fulfilling
his promise to Nisha, who had since
moved to Hong Kong with their
young daughter, Shonee. He placed
in Nisha’s hands the keys to a small
bookshop in Hopewell Centre. They
named it
Bookazine
.
Today, Bookazine boasts eight
thriving stores across Hong Kong and
a recently opened store offering party
supplies,
Partytime
. While Mohan’s
own life story has come to an end, his
legacy lives on. As
Bookazine
enjoys its
30th anniversary, his daughters Arti
and Shonee celebrate the man who
laid the foundation to family success,
one book at a time:
What was your father like to live
with?
BOOKS
S:
My father was always so happy
and positive, even during the worst of
times. He was a natural born leader,
loved and respected by everyone. He
developed an excellent gut instinct
about people and situations and
sometimes could avert challenges just
by turning up to a shop before the
problem occurred.
A:
Dad had this ability to
communicate with people of all
ages and all walks of life with no
differentiation. I loved so many
of his qualities: his ability to lead
effortlessly; his risk-taking attitude;
and his unwavering determination to
look after his family and give us the
best of everything, while still teaching
us the value of money.
Your father was often seen driving
around town in a brand new
Mercedes or Lexus. I guess the
adage that people who make their
own fortune struggle to spend it
When an entrepreneurial dad set up his own
business 30 years ago, who knew that his
brainchild –
Bookazine
– would still be thriving
today?
Angela Baura
finds out more.
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