When he began 61 years ago with the intention of ?passing time? while awaiting his Intermediate commerce results, Samir Kumar Ojha had no idea that fish would be his future and the key to his fortune.

?My father set up a fish stall in Hogg Market in 1934 and secured licences for six more, but there was no pressure to join him or make the trade a family business,? recalls Ojha, the man who supplies Calcutta bekti to the likes of Hilton Towers and Grand Hyatt Regency in Mumbai.

The seven stalls, about 50 sq ft each, haven?t grown much since his father?s days. And daily fish sales still add up to one-and-a-half tonnes.

What used to be consumed by foreign ships and military camps now end up in the kitchens of the ever-expanding chain of restaurants that Ojha ? better known as ?Dulal? in the fish trade ? supplies to.

The ?no-bargain? principle also remains the same, but what has changed dramatically is the price point: the fillet fish with skin he remembers selling at Rs 4 per kg, now goes for Rs 350 a kg.

Those who swear by Ojha?s Calcutta bekti make an impressive list: from the tables of private customers in Singapore and London and Mainland China outlets across India to The Oberoi Grand, Hyatt Regency, Mocambo restaurant and Calcutta Club in the city.

Ojha sources about 60 per cent of his fish from wholesalers in Howrah and Sealdah and different fishing centres in the Midnapores, Canning and Diamond Harbour. The rest of the fish comes from Andhra Pradesh, Chennai, Gujarat and Mumbai.

Ask him about his famed fillet technique and he insists that it is nothing special. ?Practice makes perfect, and that applies here too,? he smiles.

What makes Ojha special is his reliability. ?He never fails, whatever the requirements are,? says S. Aparajita, purchase superviser of The Oberoi Grand, on Ojha?s supply list since 1944.

Debasish Ghosh of Mainland China adds: ?He is not a supplier to us, but a member of the family.?

Ojha arrives at his New Market fish address around 3 pm and stays put till 8 pm, overseeing big catering and party bookings, day-to-day functioning, filling tenders and checking existing contracts.

At 8 pm, he heads back home to Salt Lake. After dinner ? fish, of course ? and some telly, his ?real work begins?, on the phone.

?After 10 pm, all the hotels and restaurants call to place the next day?s orders. This carries on till well past midnight,? smiles the clean-shaven man of medium build.

From a lifetime of experiences, Ojha still cherishes the day he represented New Market at Writers? Buildings when Dr BC Roy had called a meeting to control fish prices.

?I got him to exclude fillet fish from the price quota,? he smiles proudly.

Another fond memory is that of Gouri Devi (Uttam Kumar?s wife) looking for lobsters for a dinner being hosted for Gulzar.

The business is now structured, with Samir Kumar Ojha at the top, his youngest brother Saroj managing procurement, son Shivaji the sales manager, and nephew Saurav handling the accounts.

But beneath the success, a struggle goes on. ?The demand is so high but due to government restrictions, we are not able to meet this high level,? rues Ojha.

Another problem is the condition of the workspace.

Come monsoon and the problem of a leaking roof and messy puddles magnifies. ?All we having been hearing for 20 years is that a project is on and matters will get better soon,? says Ojha.