Bal Thackeray's grandson Aditya is just 19 years old, but seems to have his head firmly on his shoulders. The shiv sena scion gives Varun Singh a rare insight into the thackeray household

He has inherited the most powerful surname in Maharashtra and his family enjoys a considerable political clout in the state.

Yet, when Aditya Thackeray, dressed in a white T-shirt, blue jeans, spectacles and a stubble on his face, walked into the MiD DAY office this week, he showed no airs of belonging to an illustrious family.

The 19-year-old was like any other teenager who loved talking about cricket, movies, music, photography and his social work.

Though he resembles his father Uddhav a lot, Aditya insists he is more like his grandfather, Bal Thackeray.



Are you like your father?
People say when I don't talk much, I'm like my dad, but when I'm at my entertaining best, I'm more like granddad. My dad is a reserved person, but my granddad is an extrovert. He loves to have people around him. But yes, I share some of my dad's features.

What's your equation with your grandfather?
I meet him often, but late in the evenings. He is a big cricket fan and loves to watch T20 matches. But I don't. Although I like watching T20 cricket, Test cricket is what I prefer. Grandpa also loves watching TV and he's more into cassettes and VCDs. He is not adept with new-age technology. But we chat for several hours and he even performs magic tricks for me.