The Same Old Bulsara Eyes ….

“My uncle and Freddie were classmates at St. Peter’s in Panchgani. They were very good friends and Freddie spent quite some time with my uncle’s relatives in Mumbai during the holidays. Then they went their separate ways.

Years later, around 1974, he happened to be in London and was having a meal at a restaurant. A man detached himself from a small group nearby, and came up to him, and asked if he was ‘X’. It was Freddie. My uncle did not recognise him at all – he looked completely different from school-boy Freddie.

Naturally once he said he was Freddie Bulsara, my uncle was delighted and they chatted for a few minutes, Freddie asked about his family, catching up on old times a bit. And then he left with his friends.

The funny thing about this is that my uncle had absolutely no clue that Freddie Bulsara WAS Freddie Mercury. He was not into rock music, and this was way before the internet. He was just happy to meet his good friend from school.

Freddie never, ever mentioned the Mercury name that day either. When he asked for the check, the waiter told him Freddie had paid his bill, my uncle was pleasantly surprised.

Few months later, when he went to a record store to buy some albums, he saw Freddie’s face on an album cover. Only after asking the clerk at the store did he realise that his old school friend was now the rock star Freddie Mercury. He still had the same old innocent Bulsara eyes.”

Noorie (fan)
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A wonderful memory. Freddie was always so warm and of course, generous! His status changed, but never his heart, same old Farrokh!