Today as I stand at my picture window looking on in awe at the air show of fighter jets flipping flopping and summersaulting way up above the sea, I feel a rush of pride at how far India has come – and subsequently Mumbai. Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda and Colaba are fast becoming the most colourful art districts buzzing with galleries, off-site exhibitions, trendy cafés and art events. Move over Soho – it’s Kala Ghoda all the way.
The art corner
Shanti Chopra and Kasturi Wadhwani of Art Musings |
For me, art has always been a sanctuary of joy and fulfilment. And when it’s an Anjolie Ela Menon solo show, can you expect it to be anything less than the most spectacular body of work on display. Hosted by the beloved founders of Art Musings – sisters Shanti Chopra and Kasturi Wadhwani, the show was warm welcoming and intimate. Artist Jaideep Mehrotra came with lovely wife Seema, my favourite Malavika Sanghvi, Laila and Farhan Furniturewala and many other art lovers
Laila and Farhan Furniturewala |
literally walked into the world of the crows, charpoys, goats, hot air balloons and sunshine washed walls through her typical windows. Her signature crow lives in many of her works, reminiscent of the crows that visited her while she painted in her balcony at the time she lived in Mumbai. The high point for me was meeting the beautiful artist herself – after a hiatus. Her deep set eyes very much like her protagonists and a warm hug for me – always coveted and enjoyed!
Go north with Loya
Chef Danish Muthana & Utkarsh Ranjan |
A tiny getaway at Bangalore’s garden resort Taj Westend was absolute paradise – it’s not for nothing that their Thai restaurant was called ‘Paradise Island’. However, the most talked about destination is now the newly opened ‘Loya’ with its North Indian Himachali cuisine. Surrounded by fountains, water bodies with sculptural doves drinking water from the Lilly ponds and jali work pillars flanked by intimate banquets in nooks had billing and cooing couples and foreigners trying the very unique cuisine. I too was on a date with my beloved at Loya just for that night and rushed back to Mumbai to attend the Environment Summit 2024 put together by Krunal Negandhi and flagged off by Maharashtra’s Governor Ramesh Bias, CM Eknath Shinde, and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
Some eco talk
Environment Summit 2024 |
Mumbai is a city that can suck you into a vortex of activity and also some mindless social activity. One of the things that keeps me grounded and genuinely happy is my work as an environment crusader. And so the Environment Summit 2024 at the YB Chavan Centre was a day spent discussing how bamboo can reduce consumption of fossil fuels and mitigate carbon emissions! It is United Nations Chief “Antonio Guterres” who has warned us of this being the “era of global warming”, characterised by the scorching heat of July 2023, etched as the hottest month in human history. If this and our non-existent winter this Mumbai December isn’t a poignant reminder of the urgency of our situation, then what is?
I also run a foundation called ‘ActNow’ where we work to build micro forests and river clean ups. It is my belief that if each of us don’t work at spreading awareness through social interactions – giving meaning to social gatherings – we have a serious emergency at hand!
Watch out
In all the fluff and superficiality of air kissing divas piled on with layers of make up and mobile ready in hand to take pictures, I find my sanity through intimate gatherings with REAL friends with whom you can fearlessly reveal chinks in your amour and not be judged. Bhavnesh Vinod Farid and Bluebelle (my mother) are such friends and dinner at the club was the best end of this week for me – Parthip Thyagarajan, the founder of ‘wedding sutra’ joined us too and we’ve all decided to go to the Taj Polo match on Sunday together. Which hat will I don to the match on Sunday? To see the hat as well as the highlights of this social high point of the polo season where the Taj Mahal Hotel will lay out the red carpet – watch this space! I also want to share with you that I have made my debut on BBC as an “insightful voice” (that’s what the producer Philip called me) contributing to the commentary about Mumbai on the show entitled “Streets of Gold”! It takes us through the city and then India and how Mumbai has morphed into a city of guts glitz and glamour through a Modi era of progress and plentitude – an India the world is looking to in awe and curiosity! Write in and let me know what you think of the show? I have mixed feelings about the show and my part in it but I’ll wait to hear your views!
And remember to invest in real friendships and a little spirituality in the fast zone of Bombay or one day in the evening of your life you might find yourself somewhat lonely?
Until next week then I remain authentically yours.
(Write to Nisha at nishjamwal@gmail.com)
