Love makes goon turn into businessman

He was a school dropout and a street smart goon when he fought with his father and ran away from his Lamington Road home to England in 1958. Today, Satyendranath Nerurkar has a lavish home in London. He was one of the top five printers in England before he sold out his printing press and settled down in Goa.

Nerurkar’s family had literally boycotted him after he married an English girl Jean Savage in 1961. The girl transformed him from a goon to a leading entrepreneur. She has penned down her experiences in a novel, Journey to Love. The novel will be released on Sunday at MIG Club in Bandra.

“I would rob passerbys and use the money for alcohol and cigarettes,” recalled Nerurkar. “After some time I realised that I would soon be killed by a police bullet if I continued robbing people. I decided to go to England to work at a printing press. The printing business was not new for me as I had primary knowledge of making plates,” he said.

“Till the time I boarded the steamer for London I could not converse in English. In fact, my friend Amarnath Kamath had written a letter for me to the London School of Printing. I got an evening job at Lenon Art Company. I would earn one pound per hour. I met Jean there and married her 18 months later,” he said.

Jean taught Nerurkar English and social etiquette. With her help, Nerurkar made progress in the field. First, he bought a house and later the printing house, Eagle Printing Press. His clients included Wimbledon Tennis Association and some leading banks.

“I never completed my school education and I remained a goon till I met Jean,” Nerurkar said.

The Nerurkars are here in Mumbai and have been visiting the city every year during Ganeshotsav for the last 24 years. “My family members are still here in Mumbai. I have only one real friend – Mohan Wagh, a producer of stage plays,” Nerurkar said.