Talented Tushar 

Time is 330AM…the personal butler was about to go to the bed to sleep peacefully. After a day-night long work serving many a guests…….he took bath…..sat in the bed…consulted the cell phone to check on any further requests from his guests ….now, time is 345am…message says that one guest needs service…that too to be executed in 15 minutes…he springs into action…combed his hair….wore his uniform…..reached the guest room….executes the request of the guest flawlessly ……period. 

Talented Tushar Sharma(22) the personal butler at the Leela Palace, New Delhi was narrating the above referred incident that had happened with him two days back. “I was staying in the hotel itself for the last seven days… during this period, on an average I slept 2 to 3 hours a day’s only….I had multiple guests to attend…and their times zones were also very different”, says Tushar. 

I saw him at the lobby lounge for the first time yesterday…he smiled at me in such a way, as if he has been knowing me for generations. Incredibly infectious smile. Inimitable body language, wherein his humbleness was vivid and evident. Resplendent demeanour too. This happened just before the photo shoot at 1PM…I was not happy with the pic…requested him to appear at the same place at 2PM…at that time he was with another guest. At 430PM, when he met me in the elevator, he apologised for the lapse from his side, agreed for a photo shoot in the next few minutes…he is so quick footed, energetic and cheerful…always switched on to serve. Selflessly. 

Remember: he got acquainted with Karate-Taekwondo when he was just 14. He won a state silver medal in 2016.Bagged CBSC Cluster gold medal next year. The ligament tear at the age of 17, forced him to join IHM Dehradun. The loss of karate world has been a gain to the hospitality sector. Today, he wins gold medals on a daily basis in the form of blessings and appreciation from the guests at the Leela he serves.

After passing out, through campus placement, he got job as an F& B trainee in Taj Maldives(5 months). His next stop was Leela Jaipur(4 months).Raffles, Dubai was his next hotel, where he worked only for one month, and returned to India, to join Raffles, Udaipur( 8 months). 

 “I am the only child of my parents. I chose my family, which is why I left the job in Dubai. My parents are my friends. I always get solutions whenever I needed the same. Always, I would love to remain humble. That is what my parents have taught me” says Tushar, known for his efficaciousness as a personal butler. He is also known for the high decibel ringtone of his cell phone….so that he will not miss any calls from his guests. 

Anupam Das Gupta, General manager of this hotel quips: “Tushar, works selflessly and tirelessly as a butler to look after the smallest to the biggest needs of our discerning guests”.

His parents live in Nainital,(five hours drive in a car from New Delhi). He has completed six months at Leela Palace, New Delhi. Today, he is the face of the butler team. “Leela is treating me very well. I would like to pay back by serving our esteemed guests seamlessly” 

An NRI guest, settled in Canada, also dazzled and delighted by the intentionality of Tushar’s service delivery admitted: “Oh, anything you need, he is just a text away!” Tushar Sharma’s favourite hobby is this: spend time with his parents. Importantly, his cell phone will be silent at his home. He remains peaceful and blissful enjoying the serenity at his home. 

 Text and Pic: R Kesava Mallia in New Delhi