Nisha's Mumbai: Soirees, Art Exhibition, And Stress Management Workshop... Nisha JamVwal Gives A Glimpse Of Her Busy Week

In good company

Private round-table dinners with friends in luxurious settings accompanied by delectable nouvelle cuisine, laughter and intelligent conversations- few things could be more refined and memorable.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again -- intimate dinners with a few precious friends make working nights and never-ending days more enjoyable. With that incentive, I set about my all-day woman achiever event that led to a dinner with Suvir Saran – this week he’s won ‘Chef of the Year’ at the hands of Rashmi Uday Singh, restaurateur Gaurav Batra (also winner of ‘Best Restaurant of the Year’), besties and famed wedding planners Bhavnesh Sawhney and Farid Khan, and educationist Vinod Mirchandani for a celebratory dinner at Neuma. What were we celebrating? Finding each other in a busy swarming metro.

Neuma continues to enthral with its spectacular menu presented even more artistically by Gaurav Batra’s team and I think that night many friends from South Mumbai had landed there to celebrate life. Serendipity? South Mumbai needs more eateries and action me thinks! 

Magical evening soirée

And when there is live music then evening soirées are even more magical. Renuka Dhanrajgir Batliboi’s rooftop musical party rocked until two in the morning. The piece de resistance was pianist Mark Parakh belting out a medley of favourites. The crabs at the dinner buffet were a close second. Of course, the company of cherished friends is priceless and cannot bear comparison to anything but we cannot deny that the setting — a venue looking at an open sky is unparalleled — and the props make it all magical. And Renuka’s warmth and joie de vivre. The peepul tree surrounding the terrace reaching for the skies right from the ground floor adorned with lights added to the magic of the evening. 

50th anniversary bash

Chand Swarup could host just about anything, be it lunch, dinner, tea, or kirtan, and she distinguishes herself by the exemplary design and grand pageantry of the flowers and cuisine and hospitality. It’s all exquisite. The art installation like intricate decor is only second to the pomp and pageantry brought on by the live band, tasteful cuisine and singers. Her 50th anniversary was what I’d like mine to be. 

Artistic delights

While all the parties and dinners keep the tempo of Mumbai going and give it the adage ‘the city that never sleeps’, I have always been exceedingly passionate about art. Designer Gayatri Khanna’s art show at the city’s current favourite gallery, Snowball Studios, was not only mounted felicitously but the embroidered woven ‘paintings’ themselves were exquisite. Famed artists Raza, Hebbar, Ram Kumar and some, were interpreted by craftsmen into intricately woven tapestries and what made it more magical was that some weavers were sitting right there to allow viewers an experiential journey into the works showcasing the process. Kudos Gayatri and Milaaya Embroideries. Can’t wait to own one of these!

Stress management workshop

What with tightrope walking parties, dinners, and celebrations, balanced carefully with deadlines, work, television debates, and panel discussions augment - can the pressure of time management and anxiety be too far behind? That’s Mumbai for you! So the passionate stress management guru Dr Adil Dalal’s workshop on stress management and his personally created software to diagnose one’s level of stress is definitely a timely invention. I enjoyed the workshop and the ambiance at famed law and CA consultant Nishit Desai’s well appointed convention centre. While Adil has left for his home in Texas, he will be back soon with longer more intense sessions that promise to nearly eradicate anxiety. 

Watch this space for more.

(Write to Nisha at nishjamwal@gmail.com)

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