Former CJI BR Gavai and I were ‘Amar Prem’ of Andaz Apna Apna: Supreme Court Justice Vikram Nath

Supreme Court judge Justice Vikram Nath on Tuesday recalled that he and former Chief Justice of India BR Gavai were affectionately nicknamed “Amar Prem”, borrowing from the cult Bollywood film Andaz Apna Apna, during the period they regularly sat together on the Bench.

Justice Nath made the remark while speaking at the launch of Justice Gavai's book, The Voice of Justice: Justice Gavai Speaks.

Justice Nath fondly recalled the period when he and Justice Gavai regularly sat together on the Bench, saying members of the Bar had affectionately given the duo a memorable nickname.

“Many of you would remember the period when we (Justices Nath and Gavai) sat together as bench partners. Those were truly memorable days. And I still hear members of the Bar recalling them with great affection,” he said.

He added that the camaraderie he shared with Justice Gavai had not gone unnoticed by lawyers appearing before them.

“We were affectionately christened ‘Amar Prem’, borrowing from the master film Andaz Apna Apna. It was all in good humour and I must confess we quite enjoyed the title.” he said.

Justice Nath further said that the nickname reflected Justice Gavai’s personality and his ability to put people at ease without compromising the seriousness of judicial work.

“He has the ability to bring a sense of ease to any situation without ever diminishing its seriousness, whether in the courtroom or outside it,” he said.

According to Justice Nath, Justice Gavai’s warmth and good humour ensured that everyone - from young lawyers arguing their first case to senior members of the Bar - felt heard.

“A courtroom can often be an intimidating place, but his wit and natural ease reminded everyone that courtesy and compassion are not inconsistent with firmness or discipline.” he said.

Justice Nath said the book was “both timely and long overdue” because it captured the thoughts and ideas of a judge whose public speeches reflected the same constitutional values that guided his judicial work.

He remarked that while judgments necessarily spoke in the disciplined language of law, speeches often revealed much more about a judge’s values, institutional beliefs and vision for society.

“They tell us a lot more about the judge, the values he holds, the institutions he believes in, and the society he hopes to help build,” Justice Nath said.