Mumbai: Proprietor of well-known ad company accuses builder of taking away site

Champak Zaveri (78) proprietor of one of Mumbai's oldest outdoor advertising companies called, ‘The Art Advertising Bureau' founded nearly 80 years ago. is shocked and dismayed at discovering that a prominent Tardeo hoarding, owned by him has been usurped by Nahar Builders since July 21. This outside hoarding site has been with Champak Zaveri's family since 75 years.

Champak Zaveri's representative points to the hoarding which Zaveri claims has been taken over by Nahar builders, at Tardeo. Pic/Datta Kumbhar

Zaveri says from his office at the Air-Condition Market in Tardeo. "This advertising hoarding, 40 ft(length) by 10 ft (ht) belongs to me, it is more than 70 years old. On July 21, just a couple of days ago, my workers went to the hoarding site to change the vinyl, which we do regularly. To their shock, they were not allowed to do so by the Nahar builders security and bouncers on the site. Instead, Nahar has illegally put its branding on the banner. How can they take it away like this? This outdoor hoarding is mine, I pay the municipal authorities R10,000 every month for it, how can it be taken away from me?" asks a distressed Zaveri, flourishing a receipt which shows he has paid R10,000 till July 31 for the space. Zaveri adds, "We have to pay the civic authorities monthly for the hoarding, I will renew the same in August.

Champak Zaveri at his Tardeo office

"This space means so much to me," said the Worli businessman, who lives at the swish Eden Hall building, near Haji Ali. "This company and the few hoardings that I now have, hold sentimental value. They were handed over to me by my mother, who passed away in 2004."

The municipal permit that proves the site is owned by Champak Zaveri's, The Art Advertising Bureau

Zaveri says that the builder has used muscle power, "goonda gardi and dada giri" to take away the hoarding. Zaveri, who also owns a number of horses and is a prominent face at the Mahalaxmi race course, Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) committee member and small time horse breeder, adds, "I have filed a complaint with the Tardeo police station." The paper has a copy of the letter which is with the police station.

Zaveri is determined to get his hoarding back. "How can somebody simply take away what is mine?" he asks and adds, "they will have to give it back to me."

Zaveri is the chairman of Tardeo's Air-Condition Market Building Society. He also owns another outdoor advertising company called Jyoti Publicity and a cinema house called Jai Hind talkies, in Umbargaon on the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra. He is married to the actor Bindu, who was a prominent Bollywood name best known for her vamp roles.

The company though now downscaled had some of Mumbai's most prominent outdoor advertising sites several at Girgaum and then at the old Mumbai-Pune road. It is more than 80 years old and was started by Champak Zaveri's father Pranlal B Zaveri, who died in 1986.