Malavika’s Mumbaistan: More Bollywood nostalgia

Even as Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘Sanju’ continues to make waves at the box office, taking delighted viewers back into the heart of the film industry in general, and the Dutt household in particular, another reminder of those times is about to be released from the same stable.

Even as Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘Sanju’ continues to make waves at the box office, taking delighted viewers back into the heart of the film industry in general, and the Dutt household in particular, another reminder of those times is about to be released from the same stable.

(LtoR) Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan; (inset) Raaj Grover; Suchitra Iyer.

Raaj Grover had been the production in-charge of the Sunil and Nargis Dutt-owned Ajanta Arts and an integral part of the Dutt family for decades. Currently based in America, the long-time Bollywood insider had penned his memoirs of his filmy days in Urdu, in a book titled Yaadein Zara Zara. This month its English version translated by the erstwhile editor of Society, Suchitra Iyer, is all set to hit the stands as ‘Legends of Bollywood’.

Promising readers an insider’s POV on such epoch making incidents as Amitabh Bachchan’s first screen test, Dharmendra’s journey from a tractor driver to a legendary star and Dimple Kapadia’s comeback into the industry, the book is said to include everything that’s good, bad and fabulous in Bollywood with never-seen before pictures, and is the latest enterprise to cash in on the craze for Bollywood nostalgia.

“I had known Grover as we used to carry a column called Nostalgia, which was about yesteryear Hindi film actors in Society,” said Iyer, who has taken a break from editorship to “seriously pursue writing”. When we spoke to her yesterday about the book, she said, “Since he’d been an integral part of the Dutt family, we thought it would be a good idea to talk to him about Nargis and Sunil Dutt and relive the heady days spent with them. Based in USA, he would drop in to the office every time he was in Mumbai. That’s when he spoke about penning his memoirs,” she said. “On one of his visits, he told me despondently that he wasn’t finding anyone for the English translation. On a lark, I told him I would give it a try since my Hindi is good. That was it. He didn’t think twice and simply handed over the fat manuscript to me. That’s how it began.”

What’s more, that’s not all from Iyer either: “Two biographies are in the pipeline for now and I hope ‘Legends of Bollywood’ is only the beginning of my writing career...” she says.

CELEBRATING AJAY

Ajay Arora with sister-in-law Farah Khan Ali.

This Saturday a delicious serving of Mumbai’s bold and beautiful gathered to bring in businessman Ajay Arora’s 50th birthday at a dinner hosted by his wife the designer and aesthete Simone Arora at the couple’s elegant mansion in Juhu. Arora though reticent and socially reclusive is a powerhouse of enterprise having joined his family’s home furnishings manufacturing business in 1991 and turned it in to a huge international success. D’Décor is said to be the world’s largest manufacturer of curtains and upholstery fabrics, serving more than 65 countries with five manufacturing facilities, one distribution company, and various international channel partners. The party saw the likes of Aarti Surendranath, Schauna Chauhan Saluja and Laila Lamba in attendance.

“There are some relationships that are beyond blood, beyond anything that words can express,” posted sister-in-law, the doting jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali. “I am so grateful to the universe for your presence in my life for you are more than an elder brother for me.”

“Dear Ajay, growing older yet still baby-faced and so wonderful,” said Surendranath.

WTS WTM

What They Say —

“I have become the ‘Poster Boy’ of Bank default.”

— Vijay Mallya commenting on his extradition issue.

What They Mean —

“I guess that’s what happens when you hang out with so many Calendar Girls.”

NRI GLAMOUR

Guests who attended Anu Hinduja’s baby shower at her London home.

Her wedding in Udaipur three years ago to Hinduja scion, the London-based Sanjay Hinduja, had been nothing less than a red letter day on the NRI social calendar. With its OTT celebrations, which saw the likes of Bollywood stars, international celebrities and Jennifer Lopez and ex-Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, performing, Nandita Mahtani’s elder sister, Anu, had become the cynosure of all eyes. Now, to celebrate the birth of their first child, a baby shower at their London home expectedly saw its fair share of glamour too, with sister Nandita, businesswoman Tania Godrej, Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty Kundra, and designers Surily Goel and Kajal Fabiani in attendance.

One more instance of the stylish Mumbai London confluence that occurs during the summer months.