Shakun Harilela’s favourite item in her home is the solid gold cutlery, not because of its beauty, but because of what it represents. “My father had sets in all his homes around the world so that we would always remember his words: ‘Stay humble. Rice doesn’t taste any different, whether eaten with a plastic spoon or a gold one’.”
Known by her friends and family as Schy, her father is the late Hong Kong hotelier, Dr Hari Harilela, who named her after Shakuntala, the title of one of celebrated Indian playwright Kalidasa’s works.
Shakun’s 39-room family home, now a tourist landmark in Hong Kong, housed four generations and was where she learned to cycle, swim, and skate. In addition to teaching her good manners and etiquette, her mother was a master of hospitality, knowing exactly what to do at every event. “She is the epitome of grace and elegance, and is my inspiration to age well. I want to emulate her.”
Her parents travelled together for 10 months every year, so she was brought up by two amahs, Leung Ngan Fai and Kwan Tsui, who left rural China in the late 1940s. “They worked with us for over 60 years. They held the master keys to every room, storage, and door, and were well respected for their honesty and good values,” says Shakun. She adds that they taught her the importance of hard work, honesty, generosity, simplicity, and kindness. They also pushed her to get full marks at school — “99 percent was not good enough for them!” Shakun held their hands until their last breath.
At 15, the prodigious young teenager, who completed Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged at 10, went to the University of Nevada Las Vegas to pursue a degree in linguistics. It was an unusual decision for that time. Most women opted for Sara Beattie College in Hong Kong to learn to cook, sew, write shorthand, use makeup, and do all the other things that make a supportive wife and partner.
Shakun worked to support herself while academic scholarships paid for her education. A National Dean’s List student every year, she graduated with high distinction and earned a full scholarship for her Master’s degree and six months of free study and lodging at Paris’ Sorbonne University.
Before she could leave for Paris, however, the call came for her to return to Hong Kong for an important event: her arranged marriage.
After two years, she divorced her husband. Shakun was only 21 years old with a two-year-old daughter, Pavitra. “She is my gift from this brief relationship. She’s loving and kind, and her name in Sanskrit means purity, which is what she is. I am so proud of her. She has taken the best of East and West and put it together so well, and has brought so much joy not only to me, but to the entire family.”
After a couple of years living in the US with her daughter, Shakun returned home after her father asked her to come work for him. He wanted someone who could speak English and Cantonese.
Like Father, Like Daughter
Life with the family was akin to a glorious warm hug.
“Family love is very important. My father always said money isn’t the most important thing, it’s family. Even today, when someone has lost a partner or their heart has been broken, they would return to this home to heal with the love and support of the family,” says Shakun.
My father had sets in all his homes around the world so that we would always remember his words: ‘Stay humble. Rice doesn’t taste any different, whether eaten with a plastic spoon or a gold one’.
Shakun explains the reason for the solid gold cutlery in her homes
Much to her father’s delight, Shakun began her career in the filing room for the Harilela Group, which owns dozens of hotels across the globe, including The Hari London and several Holiday Inns. “As the only person in the office with a Bachelor’s degree, he offered me the option of starting at the top with an office and a secretary, or at the bottom. I chose the latter,” says Shakun.
There was a cacophony of clacking typewriters and metallic drawers opening and closing throughout the room. During an era before digitisation and cloud service, she would file correspondences, invoices, letters, and more, slowly learning the different aspects of the business.
Her father had his fingers in many pies. In addition to hotels, he had made other real estate investments. Among the properties were private homes and penthouses all over the world, banks in New York and California, and even a metalware factory in Malaysia. With her photographic memory, she began to see how all the pieces fit together.
Being the boss’ daughter didn’t mean that she had special treatment. No one knew who she was and Shakun rotated through multiple departments, from F&B and housekeeping to marketing and admin, to understand the hotel business. Despite the long hours and backbreaking work, Shakun never complained.
In spite of making deals worth more than a billion dollars, Hari Harilela was a humble, consummate professional. Shakun recalls how he remembered everyone’s name and was polite to a fault. They were once waiting for the lift in New York for a meeting. Every time one came, everyone in the lobby rushed in. Whenever the lift was full, Dr Hari, who had an honorary doctorate from Pepperdine University in California, would hold the door open for the passengers. Afterwards, there would be no more space for him.
Photo: Cher Him.
“This happened at least six or seven times before I stepped in and said, ‘Dad, let me handle this. Otherwise, we will never get to our meeting!’” Shakun reminisces fondly.
With the family, his care for people was even more evident. As he and his wife aged, he didn’t want her to walk too much, so he bought her a wheelchair. “He loved her with a passion that was beyond anything else,” Shakun says.
Dr Hari himself stayed active, playing tennis three times a week. Even as he was losing his health and vitality in his later years, he continued to entertain friends and associates.
Hong Kong mourned Dr Hari’s passing on 29 December 2014 at the age of 92. A number of notable people came to pay their respects to the family at their home, including then-City Executive Leung Chun Ying.
Life After Death
Dr Hari’s influence was widespread. In addition to hotels and factories, he donated millions to different causes, including the Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund and the Singapore Indian Development Association, which received $250,000 each in 2012.
Inspired by her dad’s philanthropic ways, Shakun tries to give as much as possible. Children and animals are close to her heart — she has five cats at home — and she gives quietly where she can. “I learned from my father to give back to society and to extend your table wider when you have more. Giving a child a chance at life is very important to me.”
Following her father’s passing, she credits her mother and siblings, Nina, Anita and Aron, with keeping the family sanctuary’s safety and sanctity. “Nina has been a rock of strength and wisdom, and has held our family together. She has stood by me without fail and her advice and support have helped me through rough times.
“Anita is talented at telling fabulous stories and making everyone laugh. When an emergency occurs, she never panics but handles it with proficiency, and is so fun and outgoing. I adore Aron. He has become a fine, well-mannered and smart young man. It’s difficult to be the CEO, but he does an amazing job.” Shakun’s best friends — the Harilela daughters-in-law at home — are also significant figures in her life.
Her legacy is also something she thinks about constantly. Though Shakun jokes that she is too picky in relationships, Pavitra has grown into an upstanding, kind-hearted woman. “She has many suitors, but I think she’s looking for a partner who’s just like her late grandfather,” says Shakun, laughing. Her daughter, she adds, has taught her to be more flexible and less reactionary — patience is a virtue, and Shakun admits she can be hasty on occasions.
She strives to make the world a kinder place. While technology has sped up progress, it has created colder, heartless interactions, and Shakun longs for a world that slows down and appreciates the little things.
Additionally, even though she acknowledges her privilege, she believes that money should not consume people. “You cannot take your wealth to the grave, so you might as well give as much as you can to those who are not as fortunate. That is the greatest joy — to give.”
Videography: Marcus Lin
Photography: Cher Him
Styling: Chia Wei Choong
Hair: Peter Lee, using Goldwell
Makeup: Wee Ming, using Chanel Beauty
Photography Assistant: Mikey
