New Delhi: On a cold November evening, the amphitheatre at Delhi’s India Habitat Centre buzzed like a school reunion in full swing. Long before the event could formally begin, readers had closed in around Ajay Jain, founder of Kunzum Café, eager to get signed copies of his new memoir Charlie’s Boys. The frenzy delayed the programme by nearly an hour, yet it set the mood for a warm, unusually personal book launch.
For Jain, the night carried emotional weight. “It is one of the most significant days of my professional life,” he told ThePrint, looking out at a hall filled with friends, family, and former schoolmates.
Former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, a Columba’s alumnus and originally slated as the chief guest, could not attend due to personal reasons.
Charlie’s Boys takes readers on a nostalgic journey through Jain’s school days at St Columba’s, an institution with an alumni list that reads like a national who’s who.
And inevitably, that list leads straight to Shah Rukh Khan.
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When Jain’s ‘girls’ beat SRK
SRK, Jain recalls, was three years his senior, and even back then his charisma was impossible to miss.
The author describes how the future superstar thrived in everything from academics and sports to theatre.
“From very early on, he was everywhere,” Jain said, adding that Khan carried the same “larger-than-life personality” in school that the world now sees on screen.
Among his many memories, one incident stands out for Jain. It was after SRK had already graduated from St Columba’s.
It was an interschool theatre competition, and Jain’s team was pitted against Modern School, where Gauri Khan was then a student. SRK, despite having passed out of school, was directing his now-wife’s team for the event.
Jain’s group performed dressed as “girls,” a detail he recounted with amusement. They ended up beating Modern School, despite SRK’s behind-the-scenes training.
“It’s the only time I can proudly say, ‘Our girls beat his,’” Jain added, with a laugh.
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Who is Charlie?
Although Jain has authored several marketing and self-help titles, including Don’t Feel Stupid at 60, Travel Marketing, and Super Brand You, writing the memoir proved challenging.
He revealed that he attempted the project multiple times since 2010, but the narrative never clicked.
But, back-to-back visits to his school last year triggered a flood of memories, inspiring him to finally write the book in a diary-style format. He traced his journey from kindergarten to Class 12.
As for the title Charlie’s Boys, Jain hints at a playful backstory but prefers readers discover it themselves, only sharing that “Charlie was a master of discipline.”
The evening ended with a cake-cutting ceremony alongside his batchmates, the “50” candle symbolising 50 years since he first entered St. Columba’s in 1975.
“The memoir is a meet-up of the old me and the current me, it has multiple references and reflections along the way. Through my school, the book will remind you of yours,” he said.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)