Bishistha Gupta grew up surrounded by dolls and teddy bears. Today, things haven’t really changed much for the 39-year-old doll-maker ? the talent behind Fun Toys, one of the country’s leading soft toy companies. Bishistha, whose hand-crafted dolls and stuffed animals are extremely popular among kids and even grown-ups, is the director of Fun Toys. Nevertheless she insists that her husband, Lob Gupta, is the actual driving force behind the company and the one who pushed her into harnessing her talents properly.

Lob, a graduate from Narsee Monjee College in Mumbai, is the managing director of Fun Toys. In 1981, he set up a company dealing in plastic products and eight years later, he started Fantacy Creations, with an initial investment of Rs 7,000 and Bishistha designing the soft toys. Gradually Fun Toys came into being and the present turnover of the company is Rs 5 crore. Fun Toys’ products are exported all over the world and the Guptas are opening up one retail outlet after another.

The couple has been married for 28 years and have two sons ? Avineet and Amantran. Both say that theirs is a life-long romance that only gets stronger with the passing years.

Bishistha:

I was just 14 when I first met Lob at a cultural programme. He was 22 and I liked him almost instantly, so you could say that it was a case of love at first sight. Lob was a very bright student and I found him extremely intelligent. He was caring and responsible, and over the years, these qualities have only become more pronounced.

Both Lob and I come from very different families. Mine was a joint family and a conservative one at that. As the youngest, I was pampered to no end by my grandparents and relatives. Lob’s was a smaller family consisting of just his parents and his twin brother, Kush.

We got married after a one-year courtship when I was just 15 years old. My family was quite apprehensive and against the marriage since Lob was not established at the time. As a result, I became severely depressed ? I couldn’t imagine marrying anyone else. Fortunately, they slowly came around.

Lob was the one who encouraged me to continue with my studies and work. I completed my graduation after getting married and without his co-operation, it would have been impossible. Those were the fun days. I studied in City College and after returning home from classes, I’d go to our factory to teach doll-making to the girls we employed. I started out with just three girls and today, 70 people work with us. I look after production while Lob oversees the marketing aspect of the business.

What I love about Lob is that he is very encouraging and has inspired me to be confident about my work. I have learnt a lot from him and the most important thing is that he not only respects what he does but also appreciates the efforts of other people. Moreover, he is a perfectionist and never fails to keep commitments.

Any husband and wife are bound to have disagreements and we are no exception. I am very sentimental and can’t express myself properly. I always expect Lob to be able to read my mind ? something, which is not always possible. However, after so many years of togetherness we feel closer than even before. Lob means the world to me and has always been there whenever I needed him ? just like a best friend. I couldn’t have been blessed with a better companion and friend.

Lob:

It was January 22, 1976 when I first met Bishistha at a musical programme in which I was performing. My brother Kush and I had a small group and we used to sing popular Hindi film songs. That day at the Academy of Fine Arts, Bishistha came for our programme and after the show, came into the greenroom. I still remember what she told me ? that she’d come to see my girlfriend as she was under the impression that Mumbai boys had many. I told her to go back home and stand in front of the mirror and then she’d see my girlfriend. That’s how it began. It was her beauty and simplicity that captivated me.

Soon we realised that we couldn’t do without each other. At first, we lived in Mumbai but later, we shifted to Calcutta. I was a little apprehensive initially, worrying about how she’d adjust after marriage, as she came from a joint family where she was pampered like a princess. But Bishistha did everything that was expected of a daughter-in-law. I have a niece ? my elder sister’s daughter ? who used to live with us then and Bishistha had a gala time with her and Kush. Her joint family background made her all the more accommodating and helpful. It wasn’t long before she won over everybody’s hearts.

Bishistha and I are good friends but we also have our share of fights especially when I want to spend unnecessarily. In that sense, she is conservative, which is a good thing. At least, there’s someone to rein me in when it comes to splurging money on my whims. What I like about her is that she’s very honest and transparent and also looks out for the people who work for us.

One thing that annoys me though, is that she is too sentimental and gets very emotional. Sometimes it seems like she is driven by a set of rigid principles, and then things become difficult to tackle. We disagree but we never fight in front of our children. Though we are busy and work together, we look forward to our leisure time together too. In fact, working together has only helped to strengthen our relationship. It has been a beautiful journey with her thus far and I am glad to have found a friend and soulmate in Bishistha.

Photograph by Rashbehari Das