Nisha's Mumbai: Nisha JamVwal Writes About 'International Day Of Yoga', Hosting Dinner To Celebrate Heeramandi Success, & More

Yoga Day Event

This need to urge peers to shun FOMO has been festering within me. The social media precipitated ailment that is driving so many towards a feeling of hurt, inadequacy, a sense of rejection and unnecessary insecurity in already stressed existences. To divorce looking at each others’ social media which is giving rise to so much insecurity and a sense of inadequacy.

It has been my observation that whenever I go deeper into a conversation with friends or acquaintances, I find that they are suffering from some form of anxiety and stress. A lot of friends are also taking the help of medication, and I know for a fact that that is often the way to more complications. So, then the smart way is to go the way of meditation and digital detox. So when Rekha Chaudhari the founder of digital detox day requested me to speak about mental health at her ‘International Day of Yoga’ celebration with Sonam Gupta I readily agreed.

My answer to stress and insecurity is to connect with positive people who share and care - make one on one meaningful relationships for metal well being - and to spend time with family, not take them for granted. My answer to stress and insecurity is to phone a friend I can rely on for some positive chat, and a conversation that so dissolves the stress.

I was conversing with a well-known philanthropist in his 90s and he said that the greatest gratification and joy is in giving — and the greatest legacy that can aid one's personal growth is sharing caring and giving back. No rocket science there.

Toast to success

I hosted a dinner in celebration of my long time friend Moin Baig’s stupendous new found success as the man behind the story and script of Heeramandi and the singer Barnali attended by some of India’s most illustrious doctors and surgeons. Dr Shashank Joshi, who is an absolute celebrity in his own right and the doctor behind India’s success at handling Covid, Dr Nandita Palshetkar, Dr Sailesh Raina, Dr Karishma Balani and eye surgeon Dr. Sanjeev Balani. Moin regaled us with tales of how he had nurtured his ‘tawaif tale’ since he had lived in such a neighbourhood in Lucknow as an eight year old! He wrote about Lahore’s courtesans and their crucial role in the Independence struggle nearly fourteen years ago before Sanjay Leela Bhansali brought it to life with such panache. Madame M has found sudden and unprecedented glory.

He proudly disseminated that Heeramandi has set record collections over any OTT viewings. And to add flavour to the evening Barnali regaled us with an exquisitely rendered with a song she had sung for Heeramandi so that everyone at the restaurant on different tables stood up and applauded her music. Oh, to have such talent!

Almost every other dinner or evening thing I have been to this week has currently caught the trend of being a ‘themed’ do, and no prizes for guessing what the theme might have been. Last night I walked into Keibaa x All Saints for my restaurateur friend Neeti Goel’s birthday and found myself in the midst of ladies in maangtikkas and ornate jhumkas bowing with adaabs to equally ornately achkaned gents in Nawabi getups complete with zari lined Nawabi topis and falling all over the current society sensation Taha Shah Badussha for pictures and selfies. The lead actor who played Tajdar Baloch made a truly starry presence if imbued with humility and delight at the attention.

Gararas and shararas and zardozi laden dupattas that must have lain in wedding trousseau trunks were aired over society ladies' shoulders as conversation animatedly filled the venue in incongruous Mumbai English.

Heeramandi is now a Mumbai party location (no longer Lahore!!) Such is the success of sanjay Leela Bhansali present magnum Opus even though it has found mixed reviews! I have to say I enjoyed watching it's langourusly unfolding with truly stupendous sets of opulence that SLB lavished crores upon at Film city.

The society hoi polloi were there with beaureucratic gems that society so likes to collect. And some actors Sonu Sood with his lovely wife Sonali Sood, Abhijay Rajpurohit, Faisu Shaikh.