This is my third trip to Jaipur in less than a year. In all my visits, I have tried to meet with Padmanabh Singh, better known by his nickname, Pacho. He hails from the ancestral rulers of Jaipur.
His great-grandfather Man Singh II was the last ruler of the princely state before his grandfather Maharaja Bhawani Singh. Bhawani Singh’s only child is Pacho’s mother, Diya Kumari, currently the deputy chief minister of Rajasthan as part of the BJP government. So, Bhawani Singh had to adopt his grandson to ensure patrilineal customs.
Pacho, 26, is globally renowned already. Arguably, he is among India’s best known names abroad in the august company of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah Rukh Khan. Pacho grew up in Jaipur, but studied in the UK and then Rome, Italy, where he became involved in the country’s fashion and luxury scene thanks to his movie-star looks.
He featured in many international magazines and even did a campaign for Dolce & Gabbana. Back home in Jaipur, Pacho is not only bringing more international culture and savoir-faire to the Pink City, he’s also its biggest ambassador. My trips to Jaipur have involved events that did concern him somehow—a polo match that he captained last year and his wildly famous Holi party this year.
I never managed more than an introduction. But now that American sportswear brand US Polo Association has signed him on as a global brand ambassador, I requested an interview. It was a “maybe” five minutes until Pacho, his man.