Malavika’s Mumbaistan: Tigers, Tigers Burning Bright

“His first day of safari was understandably a little disappointing,” says Sunil Mehta, avid naturalist and owner of The Bamboo Forest Safari Lodge, Tadoba, where cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, along with wife Anjali and a small group of their friends, had stayed over the Republic Day weekend

“His first day of safari was understandably a little disappointing,” says Sunil Mehta, avid naturalist and owner of The Bamboo Forest Safari Lodge, Tadoba, where cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, along with wife Anjali and a small group of their friends, had stayed over the Republic Day weekend. Tendulkar, a tiger on the sports field by any reckoning, had not (by his own confession) seen a tiger in the wild, prior to this visit, and it seems that he was really keen to sight one.

Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Mehta.

“The next morning, we left on the crack of 5.55am. This time, we took him from one of the buffer zones from Kolara Gate and within 10 minutes of entering the park, he was delighted to see a tigress with four cubs. He sat quietly and watched intently, as the mother and the cubs played for about 45 minutes,” says Mehta, describing the moment with a wildlife enthusiast’s delight.

“To say that he was thrilled would be an understatement. Sachin is very sharp observer, and he minutely observed the forest in totality,” says Mehta, who had the privilege of accompanying the icon on all his safaris. Later that afternoon, he says, they had also sighted Maya aka ‘the world’s most photographed tiger alive’.

“The sighting was for a few minutes only, but he was very happy to have encountered India’s most famous tiger,” says Mehta.

According to Mehta, the batting maestro could not have been a more delightful guest. “He had scores of questions on wildlife and flora and fauna, and on the lives of tigers in the wild, and he listened intently like a keen student,” says Mehta, adding, “Also, he sat in the lodge’s restaurant or the lake side deck and ate out of the buffet laid down like a normal guest and relished the egg sandwiches and the variety of parathas.”

And what’s more according to Mehta, so happy were the Tendulkars with the sightings and stay that they’ve promised to return with their kids. “Once their daughter Sara, who is studying in England, is back, and when Arjun would be free for a few days from his cricket,” he says.

TweetTalk

Waiting for OYO to put out a tweet saying that Kunal will not get a Kamra.

- Tweeted by Ramesh Srivats

(Treated image of Kunal Kamra)

Kalyani Chawla, Sonam Kapoor with artist Paresh Maity at the Art Fair.

Blondes, Bhupens and Bidris

Our favourite Delhi grandee is agog with the Delhi Art Fair, which had all of the Lutyens’ luvvies set wrapped up in its expensive Jamewar thrall. “Worthies in long limos, disembarked at the VIP entrance of the fair; artists, collectors, gallery wallahs – the full catastrophe. Outside, at the smart Cara Cafe staffed by fit, blonde girls and guys, guests sipped Chardonnay and chowed down on artisanal pizzas (gluten-free, naturally),” he cooed, adding, “The serious collectors left early, with their art advisors trailing behind them. Spotted: Feroze Gujral, Kalyani Chawla, Sonam Kapoor, amongst other grande dames in full wattage.”

According to our source, it was art entitlement at full tilt, with conversations flowing as easily as the white wine. “Nitin Bhayana’s dinner at his art-suffused Sundar Nagar home saw luxury coaches full of MoMa worthies view his Salman Toors, a bathroom with 40 Raza drawings, dreamy Arpita Jains, saucy Bhupendra Khakhars and 17th century Bidri work artefacts. Seen there were William and Olive Dalrymple, Ash Deen, Brazilian Ambassador André Aranha Corrêa do Lago and his wife Beatrice, Akali Dal MP Naresh Gujral, BJP MP Dushyant Singh and Biju Janata Dal MP Pinaki Misra.”

And with an election round the corner, perhaps the aforementioned artsy politicos might even squeeze in a few words of realpolitik between the swish gallery openings?

Stranger things have been known to happen…

Varsha Gaikwad and Hema Deora.

High Tea with Hema

“Let’s have the pleasure of meeting our young and dynamic first lady minister for school education in Maharashtra,” read the invite from bridge champion, wife of the late Congress leader Murli Deora, and mother of erstwhile South Mumbai MP Milind Deora and musician and producer Mukul Deora, about the high tea she hosted for Varsha Gaikwad, last Thursday.

Gaikwad, who is a four-term MLA from Dharavi constituency, and the daughter of Congressman and sitting MP Eknath Gaikwad – an old friend of the Deoras – has been known to Hema ever since her youth. “Murli was almost like her mentor. And I felt so happy and proud to see someone who has grown in front of me to be an achiever,” Hema said. Her soirees at her well-appointed SoBo apartment had been where the likes of Ramnath Goenka and Deepak Parekh and the late Arun Jaitley could be found. Murli Deora had been one of the most outgoing and engaging of Congress leaders, and his circle of friends had ranged from the late Dhirubhai Ambani to the Man from Matunga; his elegant homes in Delhi and Mumbai had hummed like well-oiled machines, presided over by his doting wife, and had been witness to dinners, where it was not uncommon to run in to the likes of Rupert Murdoch (we had).

Thursday’s tea had seen a slew of educationists such as Karuna Mangaram of ‘By The Sea’, and Romil Parekh of Green Acres, along with media mavens.

But of course, what’s a high tea without some delectable sweets and savouries. Freshly-made asparagus mousse, onion and cheese quiche, lemon tarts, humus with Lavash, brownies and veg sandwiches had been served.