Malavika’s Mumbaistan: Creative Living

For those who harbour dreams of following the beat of their inner drum and living the creative life, the story of Shireen Mody has much to impart. Four decades ago,

For those who harbour dreams of following the beat of their inner drum and living the creative life, the story of Shireen Mody has much to impart. Four decades ago, when we had interviewed the artist, she’d already made Goa her home, after putting in her papers at the high-flying London ad agency, where she’d been a designer. She told us that for an absurdly tiny amount of money, she had rented a small and cozy cottage, engaged a local couple to care for it, bought a jeep, spent time on the beach soaking in the sun, painted incessantly and said she could eat oysters all day if she wanted, as they cost ₹1 a piece! To say we were riveted would be an understatement. Forty years ago it had occurred to us, that this was a strikingly-appealing way to live and we have harboured fantasies of doing so ourselves, ever since then. Of course, it must not have been as idyllic as Mody, a Mumbai girl from a well-heeled SoBo family, made it out to be. As an early pioneer, way before Goa became a magnet for all manner of hipsters and trendoids, there must have been many challenges and hardships she’d had to face, but Mody had stuck it out, producing her exquisite nature-inspired art, subsequently getting married and having a daughter with her German-architect husband, who has since passed away. This week, we received information about her latest labour of love: Studio Arpora, a creative space close to her home, which would showcase her art along with that of her beautiful artist-daughter, Saffron Wiehl. “It’s a gallery with a unique personal touch, unlike most others in Goa. Our hearts and souls went into creating it, reflecting the same values of our art,” she said. Today, the studio, featuring the hitherto unseen result of three years of her work, on the singular theme of the beauty of the coconut palm, along with Wiehl’s original illustrations, prints, silk-scarves, wrapping-paper and a growing repertoire of items based on her work, stands as a testimony to the decision she’d made to follow her dream and live the creative life of an artist, 40 years ago. “We opened a few days ago. Gently, without a launch, though we will host one soon,” she said. As for us, four decades later, we find we are still here, writing about Mody from Mumbai.
Meanwhile, the price of oysters per piece must have skyrocketed for sure.

Shireen Mody with Saffron Wiehl. (HT Photo)

High Powered Meets

Ritu Beri (in red) and Sushma Swaraj at the meeting.

Last week, as a run up to her luxury symposium to be held in the Capital later this month, Delhi-based fashion designer, Ritu Beri, had a series of high-powered meetings with top government officials to take things forward. “The Showcase at The Luxury Symposium 2018, aims to promote and support the various forms of Indian art, craft and brands. The objective is to promote ‘brands that bring glory to India and strengthen the voice of India, globally,” she said, about the discussions she’d had, along with other delegates with minister for external affairs Sushma Swaraj and Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog. According to Beri, Swaraj individually discussed the possibilities and opportunities for the participating brands at the upcoming seminar to work with her ministry and promised to support them through introductions to other relevant ministries like the tribal and textile ministries.
As for Kant, a visionary bureaucrat from the Kerela cadre who had been instrumental in many successful government initiatives, including the ‘God’s Own County’, Incredible India and Make in India campaigns, the encounter was a powerhouse of ideas. “He specially showed a keen interest in understanding the functioning of the start-up brands participating at symposium,” said Beri.

The Kushners Come to Town

Ivanka Trump with Jared Kushner (REUTERS)

As is known, America’s First Daughter, Ivanka Trump, and son-in-law Jared Kushner are at this very moment, even as we speak, winging their way to or already ensconced in Jaisalmer, where they are supposed to attend a destination wedding. Media reports have been stating, without mentioning any names, that the wedding is in the family of a big industrialist family. However, our US sources have confirmed that the Kushners’ are here on the invitation of the groom, a US-based investment banker named Nitin Sehgal, who happens to be a classmate of Kushner’s from Wharton, where the two had struck up a close friendship. “Nitin had been bestman at Ivanka and Jared’s wedding, and so, it was natural that Jared returned the honour by attending his,” says the source.
Nice.