Everyone is vociferously complaining about a blazing May, the war and also dramatically declaring that this is the month when Mumbai empties out for snazzier mountain holidays in Europe. But I see no slowing down, and I’m finding that the tempo of Maximum Mumbai absolutely refuses to abate. Restaurants are packed and need to be precooked quite like London, parties continue in till impossible hours, social diaries seem as overbooked as ever. Bombay behaves very much like Bombay — regardless of weather, geopolitics or this scorching heat - Mumbai never sleeps!
Afternoon with Krishna
When Dr. Maya Shahani, chairperson of the Shahani Group and the Thadomal Shahani Centre for Management and founder trustee and first chairperson of the Women's Movement for Peace, invited me to an exclusive preview of Krishnavatara Part 1, nothing quite prepared me for the magical and deeply poignant journey of this magnum opus. Sitting alongside some of India’s foremost educationists, thinkers and aesthetes as well as the producer and visionary creator Sajan Raj Kurup’s of this magnum opus- watching this larger-than-life cinematic creation unfold- the experience was almost surreal.
The scale is staggering. The visuals larger than life and painterly. Entire frames resemble Raja Ravi Varma canvases brought to life with motion, music and emotion. But what stayed with me most was not merely the grandeur — it was the ethereal flavor and divine emotionality.
That was when I decided that come what may i would curate a private screening for a select group of friends and family, accompanied by a fireside chat with Sajan Raj Kurup himself and some of the key actors— especially Siddharth Gupta, who essays Lord Krishna with a rare equanimity and understatement. Quite in contrast to the kitch drama play of precious renditions with their kaleidoscopic palette.
Private screening of Krishnavtaram Part 1
What unfurled with much effort and many machinations - and typical to my life many challenges too- a few days later was one of the more memorable Sunday afternoons Mumbai has witnessed in recent times. Hosted in collaboration with Rotary Club of Bombay Pier, its president Noopur Desai and able support to our scheme - Suhit Jhaveri, the afternoon unfolded almost like a spiritual-cultural gathering rather than merely a film screening. The cinema itself was thronged with nearly 300 guests.
And what a fascinating cross-section it was. Industrialists, educationists, artists, Monks, social figures, spiritual seekers, aesthetes and curious younger audiences all gathered under one roof for something far more layered than a routine movie preview.
This isn’t history mechanically retold. It is Krishna reimagined through an emotional, deeply human lens — lyrical, haunting and visually majestic. The film traces Krishna’s poignant separation from Radha all the way to the destiny of Kurukshetra, layered with longing, dharma, sacrifice, destiny and impossible love.
What struck me most was the courage to portray Krishna not merely as a deity placed on a distant pedestal, but through a more intimate prism — compassionate, conflicted, deeply feeling and emotionally accessible. The visual scale is immense, but the emotional core remains tender enough to move audiences to tears.
And unlike many artists who disappoint the moment one encounters them outside their art, Siddharth Gupta retains a rare serenity off-screen as well. Soft-spoken, thoughtful and remarkably grounded, he spoke movingly about the emotional and spiritual preparation required to embody Krishna — a role carrying immense cultural memory, devotion and expectation. Sanskriti who played Satyabhama adroitly brought a character otherwise obscure - into focus with her multi hued rendition. She managed to covey a very layered and flawed personna with an adroitness that had the audience spellbound. I couldn’t believe how larger than life she is onscreen and how unassuming off it. That is the mark of a talented actor and an even more talented creator, Sajan Raj, the visionary force behind this ambitious trilogy.
During our fireside conversation, Sajan Raj offered fascinating insights into the enormous responsibility of retelling one of India’s most beloved spiritual epics for a contemporary audience increasingly accustomed to spectacle but often starved of soul.
Sajan spoke candidly about balancing reverence with cinematic ambition, his own spiritual journey and the massive amount of work already underway for Parts 2 and 3. One sensed immediately that this is not simply a commercial venture for him but something deeply religious and emotionally invested. He came barefoot to the screening , treating the theatre as a temple.
And perhaps the warmest part of the afternoon was knowing that every pass — inclusive of snacks and beverages — helped sponsor a ticket for a child in rural India to experience this devotional spectacle on the big screen. Cinema with purpose always touches the heart more deeply.
Krishnavatara Part 1 is mounted on a grand operatic scale — music, devotion, spectacle, pageantry and emotion — and yet somehow leaves one with something deeply intimate and personal long after the lights come on.
Mumbai has seen countless premieres, launches and screenings. Very few leave behind silence in the auditorium after the credits roll. This one did.
Evening of purpose and tradition
From the moment I met Avishag Hefer, the Deputy Consul General of Israel, I realised she was not so much about performance and refreshingly unlike the usual diplomatic mould. In fact, I can scarcely remember meeting a deputy consul general with this degree of warmth, candour and involvement.
The women achievers’ evening she hosted to celebrate Shavuot — the Jewish festival commemorating the receiving of the Torah and honouring nature — only reinforced my impression.
This was not merely another polished diplomatic dinner where guests exchange business cards and compliments before leaving with identical photographs. The evening for me, carried cultural and social depth.
At the start we baked Jewish bread together and wove it into an interesting plait before baking it. This workshop immediately softened the formality of the gathering. There is something strangely bonding about kneading dough collectively while discussing geopolitics, Mumbai traffic and women’s leadership. And then after a tiny intro to each other and to the evening we were introduced to an NGO working in Palanpur on the outskirts of Mumbai, supported by the Israel consulate in Mumbai. This foundation is helping tribal communities build cottage industries and sustainable livelihoods. There was something genuinely heartening about accomplished urban women sitting together discussing not fashion, politics and travel, but grassroots empowerment and economic dignity.
And then of course the feast, an elaborate spread of Jewish delicacies — rich, comforting and deeply traditional. The evening felt warm, intelligent and interactive. And in a city where I’m used to a lot of to performative networking, it was relaxing to see these ladies just being themselves. Especially a room filled with women who lead — entrepreneurs, diplomats, professionals, philanthropists and creatives — without needing to aggressively announce it every seven minutes. Which made the atmosphere fun and elegant.
Summer glamour
Our lunch bunch at Lovefools, on the other hand, was gloriously relaxed and exactly the kind of afternoon Bombay friendships thrive on.
The restaurant itself, created by adman-madman Prahlad Kakkar and aptly named “Lovefools”, already has the atmosphere of an eccentric insider’s adda. Colorful, slightly mad, artistic and entirely unconcerned with trends.
And then of course came the ladies who lunch. Women I’ve known for years across countless phases of Mumbai life — all arriving in breezy summer glamour. Chic shorts, flowing designer dresses, the latest handbags, dangerous shoes and the sort of effortless polish Bombay women carry far better than most cities.
The conversations flowed from politics to diets to films to who has vanished to Europe for summer and who mysteriously hasn’t.
And while the world currently obsesses over Dubai Bling, i find it has nothing on Mumbai’s particular brand of stylish chaos, humour and social magic. Dubai may have spectacle. Mumbai and Bombay has effortless panache and personality.
