Celebrating special bonds
It wasn’t something I’d planned – it just unfurled and the afternoon developed a life of its own. At the end of it I felt like I’d run a marathon. It all started with me wanting to celebrate two close friends birthdays – designer Amy Billimoria and philanthropist Roshni Dam.a.
And then a birthday dinner got cancelled over the weekend and I decided to carry over the celebration of my friends Sophie and Yasmin to this same lunch. I had to leave India shortly after on account of which I was unable to attend artist Bina Aziz’s birthday party and so I cut her cake too. We ended up celebrating not one, not two but five cakes were cut and many birthday songs were sung. Until now I had not realised that so many close friends birthdays are in and around each other.
These days, I find myself drawn to Gaylord restaurant at Churchgate, not only because of its proximity to my home or its charming Art Deco interior, but because I feel a sentimental attachment to it. My parents dated there through their Xavier college days and it was their favourite. When I mentioned it to my friends at this lunch they squealed happily and shared their memories — everyone remembers “Gaylord” at Churchgate that at some point has been a feature in their lives — be it dating or watching some Hindi Film Industry celebs having leisurely coffee, enjoying the glances coming their way.
My parents favourite was Chicken Cecilia and Chicken a la Kiev. Zarine Khan regaled us with memories of the times Sanjay Khan, and other actors aspiring to films sat over lengthy coffees to be ‘spotted’; the suave brother Feroze Khan who attracted attention from admiring ladies.
Other Bollywood stars who also became famous later or some other newbies, and most frequently the Shankar-Jaikishan duo among others.
The conversation with my mother, Zarine Khan, Beena Talat Aziz, celebrity gynac Rishma Pai and Bollywood event impresario Yasmin Mor. in tune with the venue, were quite nostalgic about the ‘Bombay’ that was!
The ambience with its recent make-over is still classic ‘Gaylord’- a comfort factor that brought easy conversation, much laughter and a happy bonding vibe that had us all sitting around way beyond shut-down time, with the attentive staff indulgently pampering us with classic starters of tikkas and kebabs.
Shashi Bansal, my mom, and her fellow Xavierite friends would bunk classes and linger over a single cappuccino that the restaurant graciously kept topping up. Looking around now, the character of the clients has changed – families tucking into paneer makh. and kaali daal, though their continental classics are my personal favourites.
Jaideep Mehrotra Tao Show
Jaideep Mehrotra’s show at Tao Art gallery saw a departure from his surreal oeuvre of yore. This time he chose an abstract outpouring which I asked him about.
He said it was another of his famous experiments. “This is my first exhibition since 2017, I enjoy experimenting with different media so I chose maps and navigation as a theme — which has fascinated me always. I used fabric on board along with mixed media to create this body of works” — and the result was edgy and thought provoking. Lovely wife Seema was there seeing to all of us so warmly.
Rajbir turns 60
Investment banker Rajbir Singh and his very lovely wife Nikki’s Diwali parties are legendary. All of South Bombay’s famous finance movers and shakers show up and bond year and get year over the most magnificent. Even Boris Johnson has shaken a leg at this Diwali garden party at the Singhs. But this year they gave it a miss for Rajbir’s big fat sixtieth birthday party at the Oberoi rooftop for which friends and family flew in from all over India. I’m beginning to think that October and November are birthday months and that’s not a bad thing. Librans make for great friends.
