• Hello and welcome to this special edition of Walk the Talk. My guest today is, well, there are many ways to describe him — ageless angry young man of Mumbai, cartoonist, and the Lion in Winter... so let me ask Balasaheb Thackeray which one does he prefer.

Call me a tiger.

• A tiger for all seasons?

All seasons, yes. There is no season. When I met Narendra Modi, I said here is a Gujarat lion. He liked it, enjoyed it.

• Considering that not many people say good things about him...

When there was some problem in the BJP (after the Gujarat riots) and every one was hammering on the Ahmedabad riots — no one was talking about Godhra — and everyone was demanding Modi must go. I was the only one to have asked Modi what he wanted to do. He said, “Yes Balasaheb, I am still thinking...” I said, “No, do anything but do not quit.” I told BJP, “If Modi goes, Gujarat goes...”

• Where would Gujarat go? Did you mean politically...

Today, they are actually ruling in Gujarat. They had, how many states at that time? Now all the states are with Congress. It could have been Gujarat also.

• You mean the BJP would have lost?

Of course. Definitely.

• So did Mr Advani listen to you?

He must have listened to me because Modi is still there... and doing well, going very fast.

... contd.