Senior Birla's wall of fame for children

Remaining collection already been given to Birla Academy of Art & Culture in Kolkata.

When AV Birla group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla moves into his new home on Altamount Road in Mumbai in the next few months, he will have over 800 old and contemporary Indian paintings to choose from to adorn the walls of his house.

Basant Kumar Birla, Kumar Birla's grandfather, is bequeathing half of his famed art collection to his two daughters Jayshree, Manjushree and to Kumar in equal proportion. The other half of the collection has already been given to the Birla Academy of Art & Culture in Kolkata.

"Even after giving half of my collection to the academy, I am left with 2,500 paintings. There are caricatures, Kalighat pots, the paintings of Rabindranath and Abanindranath Tagore. Even though most of the paintings belong to the old schools, there are contemporary paintings too. All these will be divided among the three," BK Birla told Business Standard from Kolkata over the telephone.

He refused to talk about the value of the collection. "I am not a trader. There have been offers from some US investors, who offered to pay Rs 80 lakh to buy one painting, but I will not sell them," Birla said. He is also confident that neither of his daughters, or grandson, will sell them. "They will not make money by selling them. I don't know about the next generation," he added.

Does he have any favourite painting? Will he send some of his favourite canvases to the Kumar Birla home? "Every painting has its own charm. The Kalighat pots are unique. And so are the miniature Kangra paintings, the Rajasthani, the Bikaneri and the Pahari style canvases. I will not practice any favouritism, when giving them to my daughters and Kumar. My grandson will have a lot of artefacts and statues to decorate his new home," BK Birla said.

Kumar Birla is an avid art collector himself. His private collection includes paintings by MF Hussain, SH Raza and contemporary artists like Pradeep Shinde and Prabha. His father, the late Aditya Birla, was a reproduction artist. He did a series of 13 paintings, most of which were reproductions of classical paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Eugene de Blass, MF Hussain and Yoshi Kazu Shivakawa.

BK Birla will give Jay Shree Tea and Industry to daughter Jayshree, and Keshoram Industry, to another daughter Manjushree, while Century Enka will go to Kumar.

However, no decision has been made on his 33 per cent stake in the flagship company, Century Textiles & Industries. "I don't own the company fully. There are other shareholders like Chandrakant Birla, SK Birla and the late MP Birla's wife, Priyamvada. There is complete harmony in the boardroom and I see no problem in deciding my successor in this company. I have something in mind as I am 84 and will not live forever. But nothing has yet been finalised," BK Birla said.

Apart from the companies and paintings, close to a dozen schools in four cities and some in other towns as well as a few Birla trusts, will also be distributed among the two daughters and grandson.