Malavika’s Mumbaistan: Transcending Grief, Embracing Positivity

Given the sender’s artistic nature, the announcement itself was striking in its subtle simplicity. ‘26/11/2008 to 26/11/2018: The rise from a time of anger, frustration

Given the sender’s artistic nature, the announcement itself was striking in its subtle simplicity. ‘26/11/2008 to 26/11/2018: The rise from a time of anger, frustration and despair, to one of strength, honour and unity. Please join us on this milestone day as we honour through music, and launch a new ‘Foundation 26/11’ to work towards greater good,’ Kalpana Shah, the founder of Tao Art Gallery had texted yesterday, in a message signed along with her children, son Sarjan and daughter Sanjana. Ten years ago, the soft-spoken gallerist had lost her husband, Pankaj Shah, during the dastardly terrorist attack of November 26, 2008. The 60-year-old leading builder had fallen to a coward’s bullets while dining with friends at the Oberoi’s Kandahar restaurant. Widowed, and grief-stricken Shah had somehow soldiered on, shepherding her husband’s business and her teenaged, children through their higher education, careers and personal milestones, even as she continued to be a soft, but influential presence in the art world. A year after her husband’s tragic death, we recall how she’d spoken poignantly about how her son, then a teenager, had “aged 10 years in one day” after his father’s killing. Now, 10 years after the tragedy, here she was, transcending her own sorrow and grief by putting it in to positivity. ‘Strength, Honour, Unity’, the invitation card read, about the Foundation’s launch to be held later this month with a musical performance conceived and designed by tabla maestro, Taufiq Qureshi. ‘As a nation, we have never indulged in revenge. And hence, we channelised our negativity into positive facets of strength, honour and unity,’ it said. ‘Various instruments will define these three powerful assets through classical and world music.’ “It’s been in our thoughts for a few years to honour him. This was our way of doing it,” said Kalpana’s daughter, Sanjana, who now helms Tao. “But we fleshed it out more in depth this year as it is Dad’s 10th anniversary.”

Kalpana Shah (second from left) with late husband Pankaj Shah (extreme left), daughter Sanjana Shah (second from right) and son Kalpana Shah. (HT Photo)

Mumbai’s Tryst with Heritage

Kalpana Shah

“I will be showcasing Mumbai’s tryst with ‘Heritage and Freespace’ in terms of its recent UNESCO inscription of urban products of Victorian and Art Deco as well as art initiatives such as Kala Ghoda claiming urban spaces for art,” texted renowned architect and heritage conservationist, Abha Narain Lamba from Venice, a few hours before she delivered her address as part of the panel on ‘Freespace and Heritage’, along with the Chairman of the Venice Biennale, Paolo Barrotta, and its curator Shelly Mc Namara. The panel aims to address heritage as an essential, noteworthy element of urban space and the various modes in which it contributes or can contribute to creating free and open spaces. “The European Union has declared 2018 as the Year of Heritage and The International Architecture Exhibition therefore offers an ideal opportunity to analyse projects that are already addressing the question of heritage as a defining factor in urban and architectural choices,” she said. Wonder if she told the august international gathering about the destruction of heritage spaces like Rang Bhavan, Rhythm House, Strand Book Shop, the West Side Inn and Café Samovar.

All’s Well?

Chef Atul Kochhar

It’s only been a couple of months since the storm brewed in a twitter cup, led to the fall from grace of the famous London-based Indian Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar. Kochhar, who later apologised publicly for his alleged anti-Islamic tweets that had brought him ignominy seemed to have taken quite a hit, losing not one, but two restaurant engagements, in Dubai and London. But now, word comes in that Kochhar seems to be back in business. His restaurant Sindhu in Marlow made it to Cannonball Run’s top 100 list and Kochhar was honoured for his ‘Outstanding achievement in culinary arts’ at the Society Global Indian Icon awards in London, recently. “People have short memories. Kochhar has paid the price for his mistake already and everyone has moved on,” informs our London-based source. Perhaps fittingly, Kochhar took to social media to share a Diwali message to his followers, “May this Diwali bring the best of health, peace, harmony and prosperity for all! May there be no more wars, May there be no more hunger, and common sense of humanity prevails.”
A new leaf?

Overheard
“There was simplicity to my life, which was very nice compared with today’s world. We lived in a kind of modest house, shared with tenants. We would sleep on the living room floor. There was drought when I was growing up, and we had anxiety. Even now, I can never sleep without a bottle of water beside my bed. Other houses had refrigerators, and then we finally got one. It was a big deal”.
- Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, about growing up in Chennai, India, in a recent interview with the New York Times.