Malavika’s Mumbaistan: Dr Bedi, We Presume?
We ran into our friend, the actor, Kabir Bedi, at Olive’s high-energy 18th anniversary celebration in Bandra this Friday. “Dr Bedi, that’s what you can call me now...just bragging,” said the actor, who was honoured with a doctorate from the Kalinga Institute of Technology, Odisha, earlier this month. This was not his only honour. Bedi, a superstar in Italy, thanks to his reprisal of the country’s much-loved folk hero Sandokan in a telly series, is also a cavalier knight of the Italian Republic, the country’s highest civilian honour. This month, he was awarded the Guirlande D’honneur, the highest award of the Federation Internationale Cinema Television and Sport by President Ascani in Milan. What’s more, the 72-year-old star, born to an English mother, who was an ordained Buddhist nun, and a Sikh father, shows no signs of slowing. This week will see him reading Mahadevi Varma’s poem, ‘Jaag, tujhe door jana hai’, at the closing ceremony of IFFI in Goa on Wednesday, and then returning for his mentor and director, Alyque Padamsee’s remembrance at the NCPA, the next day. And of course, fans of his legendary baritone will also have the opportunity to hear the famous purr, as he lends his voice to Mustafa in Disney’s Lion King, which opens this week in Mumbai.
Hakuna Matata indeed.
A Surprise Winner
When we texted Rahul da Cunha on Sunday, to congratulate him on the success of #SingIndiaSing, the musical he had co-written with Bugs Bhargava, which we had seen at St Andrew’s auditorium at a packed show on Friday night, he said, “Something amazing happened last night. We had a new winner - Jazzy!” As is known, the musical set in contemporary Mumbai, a cross between a reality show and a music contest, on the lives of four music contest aspirants, featured a unique live voting session, which saw the audience choose its own ending at each performance according to its own tastes. So far, ever since it had debuted a month ago, rocker Vishnu had won every night. With da Cunha’s deep insight into his audiences (after all, he’s the man responsible for one of English Theatre’s biggest hits till date, ‘I am not Bajirao’), what did he attribute this reverse to? “I think Vishnu had won till now because he fights the establishment, unmasks the wrong doer and transforms the most, so audiences most identify with him,” was his considered response. “But on Saturday night, Jazzy got everyone’s vote because they love his earnestness, and the fact that despite his desire to win, he decides to go home and take his familial responsibilities seriously.”
Hyderabadi Dazzle
A delicious serving of Mumbai’s fashionistas was spotted at Sudha Reddy’s birthday celebrations, curated by film producer and animal activist Aarti Surendranath at Hyderabad’s HiTex over the weekend. Billed as an evening of ‘cocktails, couture and culinary delights’, the event saw a virtual planeload of fashion designers like Maheka Mirpuri, Neeta Lulla, Raghvendra Rathore and Falguni and Shane Peacock, rub shoulders with some of Mumbai’s prominent socialites such as Sheetal Mafatlal, Zeba Kohli, Farrah Khan Ali and Neelam Kothari with husband Samir Soni along with Hyderabad’s best and brightest. The evening had begun with guests being greeted by the custom-crafted Rolls Royce Ghost in black and gold, which had been specially commissioned for the birthday girl. Inspired by the bespoke vehicle, the entire venue reflected this theme with the vintage chandeliers set off by new-age reflective bars. Another highlight is said to have been the multi-course dinner catered by Ritu Dalmia, the go-to caterer for high-profile events currently. Besides, the OTT extravaganza, which saw not one or two, but three international designers showing their collections, along with live music performances, a sit-down black tie dinner and fireworks, the icing on the evening’s luxe cake was undoubtedly the birthday girl herself, clad in a white Falguni and Shane Peacock gown, set off with a breathtaking necklace by Farrah Khan Ali featuring Colombian emeralds, the size of ostrich eggs!
Rocking London
The London restaurant scene has long been dominated by Indian families such as the Panjabi sisters, Camellia and Namita Panjabi (who in fact are not Punjabis at all, but two Mumbai-born Sindhis), the Sethi siblings Karam, Jyotin and Sunaina, and the Waney family led by patriarch Arjun Waney, who own almost 30 successful restaurants in London between them. The most successful of the lot perhaps, has been the London-settled Waney Family, who early on made a bold decision to move away from Indian cuisine and now own a global empire of famous restaurant brands like Zuma, Roka, Coya, La Petite Maison and the Arts Club amongst others, which have become popular watering holes for the cities smart-set. Now, word comes in that another Indian, Mumbai-boy Varun Talreja, son of SoBo-based film producer, Mukesh Talreja, has also found success in what is known as the world’s most competitive food market. After a disappointing first innings that saw his first venture, Le Chabanais, shut down prematurely at its prime Mayfair location (now home to Indian restaurant Jamavar), Talreja tied up with the Waney Family to open Meraki last year, a restaurant serving Greek cuisine, which has found success, attracting the likes of Lindsay Lohan and Brazilian footballer David Luiz, who are said to be regular guests. This weekend saw Arjun and Peter Waney and Talreja in exuberant spirits, as they co-hosted the pre-opening bash of their next venture: The Meraki bar, which according to London sources, could easily become the flavour of the holiday season.