Around town
Shabana Azmi and Bhumi Pednekar
Timeless beauty
There’s a depth to Bhumi Pednekar that goes far beyond her work as an actor. Not surprisingly then, her chosen icon is a stunner, but also a serious woman of substance. “Shabana Azmi didn’t just act in films, she shifted the grammar of what a heroine could be. She chose courage over comfort, substance over trends, and became iconic. She made intelligence aspirational and activism elegant. Every time she looks into the camera, you see history, rebellion, empathy, and craft all at once. And even today she is on her A game. She reminds me that longevity comes from integrity — just the kind of beauty that never fades. Her grace and uncompromising individuality have me so deeply inspired,” says Bhumi. We couldn’t have said it better.
Glamour on a platter
Malaika Arora and Shilpa Shetty
Malaika Arora sashayed into its signature green doors and put Sweeney on the map this week. The city’s newest all-day dining address in Khar has been making headlines ever since, drawing the stylish and the curious in equal measure. Much like her Bandra bistro Scarlett House, Malla teams up with restauranteur Dhaval Udeshi for this venture as well. Full disclosure: we haven’t had a chance to experience Sweeney firsthand yet, so stay tuned for a deeper dive next week.
Meanwhile, we did drop by Shilpa Shetty’s Amma Kai some afternoons ago — and it wasn’t quite what we expected. The service was average at best, though the food fared better. The highlight of the meal was dessert: decadent churros fresh from the frier, dying to be dipped in chocolate. And the real surprise came with the bill: this Bandra restaurant, that was once bougie Bastian, won’t break the bank.
Now, as you firm up your weekend plans, another suburban spot merits mention. This one shines for its cuisine, not its star-studded clientele. Kuuraku is our new favourite Japanese jewel, where every bite — from sushi to ramen — is meticulously crafted and utterly satisfying.
Thank God SoBo still has The Table and Americano — because Bandra, it seems, is the real bae.
Capital Craft Takes Mumbai Stage
Haseena Jethmalani and Vikram Goyal
Last night, Mumbai gave a warm welcome to Vikram Goyal, whose brilliant brass artefacts have long been the pride of the capital.
Tucked away at Trafford House in Fort, Goyal’s new Viya outpost is his first in our city. Wandering through rooms full of show-stopping side tables, candelabras, and captivating consoles, one is struck by each piece — art masquerading as an item of utility.
It’s no wonder then that connoisseurs like Czaee Shah and sister Gauri Pohoomul led the guest list.
Also in attendance were Tina Tahiliani and her gorgeous daughter Aria Parikh, Haseena Jethmalani, designers Surily Goel and Nachiket Barve (with his lovely wife Surabhi), Laila and Ricky Lamba, Nikhil Chaturvedi, and Good Earth’s Beenu Bawa — applauding the competition, instead of sizing it up.
Gates shut on India
Bill Gates
There’s something to be said about the posthumous power of contamination. On Tuesday, at a tense town hall meeting with Gates Foundation staff members, Bill Gates addressed the elephant in the room — his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, thrust back into view by damaging documents released earlier this month.
Make what you will of the Microsoft co-founder’s apology, our take is entirely different, and it hits closer to home.
Gates quietly backed out of two high-profile appearances in India in recent weeks — one at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, and the other at Mumbai Climate Week. While both events were designed to spotlight innovation, philanthropy, and planetary rescue, it was instead an old, radioactive name that nabbed headlines: Epstein. Clearly, the optics were impossible.
So here we are in 2026, watching global figures recalibrate appearances not because of current actions, but because of historical associations that refuse to stay buried. Climate change can’t get a clean headline. Artificial intelligence can’t hold centre stage. The ghost of Epstein still walks into the room first — and everyone else adjusts their schedule accordingly.
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