For decades, stitching has been a way of life for the Palls. And the last to carry forward the tradition is a dynamic entrepreneur, who, as a kid, wanted to become a fighter pilot. With no regrets at having to give up his dream, Fasel Pall of A.D. Pall and Brothers
feels that he was tailor-made for the traditional profession.

Fasel is the third generation in this family of tailors and cutters in Jamshedpur. With a client-list, which reads like the who-is-who of Tata Steel and city bureaucrats, the Palls can justifiably make the claim of being the best in their business here.

?Carrying forward a heritage like business is not easy. To live up to the standards set by my grandparents was initially tough and, honestly, even today, after twenty years in this trade, I feel I am still a novice,? remarks Fasel, known as Fuzel and, better still, Fuzzel among his friends.

The sprawling shop that stands in the city now was actually conceived in Patna way back in 1919. It was a joint venture between his grand-uncle Ahmed Din Pall and his grand father Hakim Din Pall. Since then, the tradition has continued with the name of A.D. Pall and Brothers. ?My grandfather H.D. Pall established the Jamshedpur and Ranchi branches of the shop. Today, my cousins take care of the Ranchi branch while I picked up the city unit. I joined as an apprentice to my father Haji Muzaffar Ahmed Pall and my uncle Mansoor Ahmed Pall in 1984,? recalls Fasel, who has his roots in Kashmir's Sialkot region (now in Pakistan).

Though Fasel was always sure he wanted to carry forward the tradition, his elder brother had other ideas. ?Sahir, my elder brother, decided to study medicine. Today, he is posted in Gaya as the regional head of the Who's polio eradication programme. I did try to venture out after, but, somehow, I landed up in Jamshedpur,? says this ex-Loyolean.

Fasel had to settle for Jamshedpur Co-operative College when he could have pursued his graduation at Kirori Mal College, Delhi University. ?I stayed on for the sake of our family business... there are no regrets. I even did my management from Annamalai University. I couldn't let my business languish and if my parents thought that I could live up to their expectations, I had to,? says the obedient son, who has not just carried the family tradition well, but also changed to suit the times.

Fasel is an awe-inspiring figure when he is at work. ?There are very rare occasions when I get going with the scissor. Though my father is too old to handle the tailoring work, my uncle still does the cutting. Stitching is done by our labourers. I get involved only if there is some young guy looking for a modern cut or if a lady comes for trousers or blazers. Older customers are handled by my uncle. I think they prefer him doing their work,? chuckles Fasel.

Fasel credits his skill to his ?nanaji? Fazel Hussain Pall, who had trained in London and was the official tailor of Srinagar's Raja Hari Singh. ?We still have a big shop in Srinagar run by my mamaji. From him, I got something that I will treasure all my life,? Fasel says. He is not talking only about the tricks of the trade. ?There is a book I have bequeathed on rectifying errors which occur during stitching ? a step by step explanation of the ways to correct such stitching errors is a rarity and, as far as I know, nobody else has it. My nanaji had got it from London and the original is at home,? reveals Fasel as he shows the photocopied version of the book.

Most customers of A.D. Pall and Brothers are old and loyal, clients who have been regulars for years. These are the customers who feel the safest when the older Palls are around. ?Despite my dad's failing health, I rather have him is around. My uncle still prefers to do the cutting and I think that is the best for our entity. Our customers feel that they get personal attention from them,? Fasel beams.

Fasel has worked out the way to maintain the clientele. Fasel believes small greetings on festivals or even a smile while passing by could help maintain that coterie. ?Simple things like sending New Year cards, meeting people at clubs, paying them occasional visits, dropping in a hello at intervals can help keep your customers close to you. This helps to offer a more personal touch to the customer-tailor relationship. One very important thing I learnt from my father is to personally attend to clients, but without tampering with principles,? he adds.

As for the shop at Ranchi, he feels the scope is immense, but then Jamshedpur is warm. ?I have stayed here all my life and there is no way I will leave it. I have grown up seeing the people here and it is easier for me to associate with them. Moreover, my cousins are doing well in Ranchi and my other cousin is carrying on the unit at Telco. Right now, it is more important that I concentrate on building the brand,? adds the entrepreneur.

Twenty years into clothing people, Fasel found his own ground when he set up a business centre in 1991. ?It was in partnership with my friend Pervez Akhtar and we started off with a photocopy machine at the Muslim Library, as Unipall Enterprises. Today, we are running a full-fledged business centre. We updated the whole system, did up the interiors, air-conditioned the place and introduced more services,? Fasel states. Today, corporate houses line up at Unipall Enterprises to set up their PA system and at times even to take suggestion on various issues. ?My lineage has paid off, my hard work has shown results and we are still growing. I balance my two workplaces and things are just fine, by God's grace,? confides Fasel.

Having dressed B. Muthuraman, J.J. Irani, Russi Mody and other top administrators and and bureaucrats, Fasel knows that his strengths should be directed towards giving the best to them. And to carry forward the rich tradition of A.D. Pall, making it the one-stop-shop for the new crop. With his determination, Fasel has many more cuts to carve and many more lives to dress.

Savvy Soumya