Stars in the number game

After June 2003, the Indian stock market will do well. The year 2004 will prove to be good for the media and entertainment industry.

And if the names of the two Indian states, Kashmir and Gujarat, are spelled differently, it may resolve their political problems.

These are some of the recent predictions made by the numerologist father-son duo Bansilal Jumaani and Sanjay B Jumaani.

The number experts have apparently written to the government of India to spell Kashmir as Kashmier and Gujarat as Gujarath.

"The names of the states fall under number 9 which is the number for war and destruction," points out Sanjay B Jumaani sitting at his small home-cum office in Mumbai.

And if you do not believe him, remember that the Jumaanis suggested the name for the Hrithik Roshan superhit Kaho Na Pyaar Hai.

More recently, they also recommended that Sourav Ganguly change the number of his T-shirt from 99 to 24 for the cricket World Cup held earlier this year. He did, and scored three centuries in the tournament.

Little surprise, then, that Ferriera Mansion in Mumbai's Mahim area is among the most fashionable addresses today, frequented by the city's rich and famous, including film stars, sportsmen, corporate big wigs and media companies.

Last week, former Bollywood actress Neelam visited the Jumaanis to seek advise on the brand name for her new jewellery line. Promptly, the numerologists christened it Neelam Jewels.

The father-son duo, responsible for changing the names and thus fortunes of both commoners as well as top-notch celebrities, seem to be the entertainment industry's most wanted numerologists today.

After the success of 'K' syndrome recommended for the Balaji Telelfilms' serials, it is learnt that Star Plus requests all its producers to meet the Jumaanis to get a fix on the name of their serials.

According to Sanjay Jumaani (who added his father's initial B also to his name) in case of television serials, the name of the soap should be in harmony with date of birth of the producer as well as the storyline.

For a corporate house, interestingly, the calculations are done on the basis of the product that the company makes.

"We see if the product is water, fire or air-related or it has some chemicals," says Sanjay Jumaani.

"However, success is a blend of good fortune and hard work. Numerology can open one door and show the way. But it is for the person to run on the track," he adds.

Among the business clients the Jumaanis have consulted include Remittag Software and the spellings for all their brands. Owners of Tribhovandas Bhimji and Khaitan are the other names on their client list.

The number wizards are now getting calls from places like Dubai and London. And apart from the Indian celebrities, they have also consulted the Queen of Nepal on personal matters.

Sanjay Jumaani says that he's got the numerology mantle from his father. However, initially he did not show much interest in the figures and worked as a marketing manager with a private company.

"But my wife insisted that I must try it out. So I began by changing my name-- I put an extra 'a' in Jumaani and added my father's initial to my name," he says.

Soon, he found himself quitting his 17-year-old managerial job to practice numerology.

Sanjay's father Bansilal Jumaani, was a financier and his interest in astrology and numerology was limited to being a hobby.

Though he quietly practiced it for the last 20 years, Bansilal started being recognised by the entertainment industry after the success of Kaho Na Pyar Hai.

The Jumaanis are unwilling to divulge their rate card for corporate clients and media companies. However, they charge Rs 3,501 from ordinary people.

Numerology is a precise science, they believe. It categorizes people on the basis of their names and date of birth and in turn assigns them numbers.

"Every letter is assigned a number so that the sum total of the name should be in tandem with the date of birth. That is the mantra to success," says Jumaani.

There are five or six methods of making predictions, they say without obviously divulging the actual process.

According Sanjay Jumaani, 80 per cent of their predictions some true. "But it is not that we've never failed," he admits.

The numerology game comes with a warning though: nobody should play around with numbers. It could prove fatal.

Vital trivia

• The year 2003 will lead into a peaceful and harmonious 2004. Terrorism will be on the decline.
• Flats numbered 4, 8 and 9 bring misfortune. Number 3 and 6 are good. Seven is spiritual and the rest are neutral.
• Avoid using dots below your signature. If you underline your signature, make sure that the line extends beyond the name.
• Those born on dates 4, 8, 9, 13, 17, 18, 22, 26, 27 and 31 are troubled people. They need to change the spelling of their name.