Still debon-Air India

The Maharaja is no longer the mascot of Air India alone. The gent with the handlebar moustache, striped turban and curled-up shoes will now also be the colourful representative of the new entity called, um, Air India, formed out of the blessed union between (the old) Air India and Indian (the old Indian Airlines). Maharaja-lovers were crossing their fingers hoping that in the zeal to bring in everything new and shiny, Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel does not send the lovable royal packing. He hasn’t and for expanding his duties as a mascot, Mr Patel deserves a bright, striped pagri himself.
The Maharaja was born in 1946 as part of the decorations in the new offices of Tata Airlines (precursor of Air India) in Bombay. The first Maharaja was a pudgy, dignified but clearly fun-loving Indian ‘maharaja’ on a flying carpet and smoking a hookah. He was inviting the world outside to exotic India. Very soon, this maharaja became the Maharaja, capturing the jovial bonhomie that both Indian and AI represented.
24/05/07 Hindustan Times

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Categories: Air India May 2007