Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Somaya to deliver Paul Mellon Lecture

Rajabai Tower. PIC/ATUL KAMBLE

In a telling recognition of India’s conservation community, celebrated architect and conservationist, Brinda Somaya, will deliver the prestigious Paul Mellon Lecture on February 25 in New York. The Paul Mellon Lecture at World Monuments Fund (WMF) aims to empower audiences to learn about critical issues in the field of cultural heritage. The urban conservationist’s firm Somaya-Sampat has been responsible for many UNESCO Awards across India; in Mumbai, some of these include the Rajabai Clock Tower and University of Mumbai Library Building, and Gamdevi’s Malabari Hall at Seva Sadan.

Brinda Somaya

In an interview with this diarist in 2023, during the restoration of Fort’s Kodak House into the senior secondary section of Cathedral and John Connon School, her core principles came to light. She told us, “It was laid out with the vision to offer a sense of continuity where despite different architectural styles, it still exhibited a relationship with each other.” We are sure that Somaya, who will be in conversation with architects Jeanne Gang and Billie Tsien and Bénédicte de Montlaur, CEO, WMF, will relay some of these examples while exploring how new buildings can arise from historic settings.

All in the Bhatia family

Ronit Bhatia poses with his father, chef Vineet Bhatia at Ziya, The Oberoi in Nariman Point. Pic/ATUL KAMBLE

Ziya at The Oberoi, Mumbai hosted an exclusive lunch by chef Vineet Bhatia MBE, presented by the UK Government’s GREAT Campaign and co-hosted by Kunal Vijaykar. The afternoon by the beautiful view of the Arabian Sea saw some eminent faces of the city — from Brinda Miller who is in the midst of planning the Kala Ghoda Festival, to Armaan Jain, Atul Kasbekar and chef Sanjeev Kapoor. We were happy to meet Ronit Bhatia, the 25-year-old younger son of the celebrated chef.

“I joined dad officially in May 2024. I’ve never wanted to become a chef. My background is purely Economics,” the Economics and Management graduate from King’s College London, smiles. After studies, he went on to work at a high growth tech start-up for two or three years before joining his father. “I’ve gone from a corporate, and start-up world into the culinary world but not so much that I would step foot in the kitchen full time just yet.“ My skills and expertise lie in the business realm, more behind the laptop, behind the computer screen crunching numbers, launching e-commerce products and concept creating and designing” confesses Ronit.

Today, he helps with the business side of Vineet Bhatia’s restaurants and plays an active part on the marketing front. He dons the chef’s apron, he tells us, only at home. When we ask him to name one dish he loves from his father’s menu, he quips. “I have to say Butter Chicken. It is one of the first foods I ate as a baby,” recalls Ronit, who divides his time between London and Dubai. As the chat veers towards Mumbai, there’s not one particular dish that makes his mouth water. “I like the city’s approach to food, which is very out of the box. Overall, it’s a very fun feeling towards how they curate menus and offer foods; similar to Dubai in a way with the element of warmth and hospitality.”

Hitting a Blue Note

Varijashree Venugopal

Thelonious Monk played here. As did John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock. But Varijashree Venugopal (below) will bring some different rhythms as she steps up to perform at the legendary Blue Note in New York City tonight with Snarky Puppy lead vocalist, Michael League. The performance will be a part of the Michael League & Friends Residency presented by GroundUP and Snarky Puppy. “It is an immense honour to be a part of a couple of curations — two evenings, in fact — on January 22 and 25. It is a big celebration happening right now, and I can’t wait to join everyone, meet my wonderful musical family, spend time, and learn a few things,” she shared.

When fans take over the wall

A mural of Linkin Park lead vocalist Chester Bennington outside Vile Parle East station. Pic courtesy/Param Kulshrestha

How big of a fan can you be? Ask Param Kulshrestha (right, above) and Manas Ayare (right, below), who came together as the Bombay Mural Company to create a big tribute outside Vile Parle station. United by their love for the band Linkin Park, the duo created a striking mural that became a point of connection for fans since 2020. “What began as a passion project to honour our love for the band, eventually brought together a community of people who supported us throughout the process,” said Kulshrestha.

The project began a few days before the pandemic struck, and took two days to complete, using ladders, a projector and several boxes of water-resistant paint. Standing 17 feet tall, the mural on Chester Bennington Marg was completed with the help of a team of eight, and the combined efforts from official authorities, including the Mumbai Police and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, workers who were frequently present in the area. Additional assistance came from a few belonging to an F&B establishment, located directly opposite the mural. Over six years later, however, the mural’s condition has deteriorated. With road construction underway, the artwork stands weathered.

Defying the running rulebook

Sarthak Malani runs backward wearing a pair of fake Crocs at the Mumbai Marathon. Pic courtesy/@tatamarathon

Sometimes, the most unexpected turns help people stand out. Sarthak Malani, a 33-year-old runner, did just that by running the Tata Mumbai Marathon backwards. Malani broke the traditional running norms by doing it in a pair of faux Crocs bought off Linking Road. “This approach started after an injury I had about eight years ago, which forced me to run backwards,” said Malani. What began as a recovery method slowly turned into a habit. Over time, he built more than half a decade of experience running in reverse. To challenge himself further this year, he decided to attempt the marathon in unusual footwear as for him, the focus was never on the accessories. The only point he was clear about was, “Supplements, gadgets and even fancy shoes don’t necessarily work. All it takes is the right foundation and you’re good to go.”

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