I lived in a bungalow on St Paul’s Road with my parents and eight siblings. After school and the day’s tuitions were over, you’d find close to 60 children at the home. It was Bandra’s own clubhouse,” remembers Clarabelle Saldanha.

The house may have moved—she now lives in a bungalow on Convent Road, Pali Hill—but the revelry continues. Now, the steady stream of visitors are made up of Saldanha’s clients, most of them high profile. She is Bandra’s original celebrity hairstylist, having perfected the mane of divas for 43 years. Everyone from veterans Helen Khan and Waheeda Rahman to the younger actresses Deepika Padukone and Ananya Pandey have let her work their hair. Bandra old timers will tell you that the Saldanha cottage is as much a salon as a landmark, especially around Christmas, when even those who don’t know her, ask to be let in to see it dressed up. “Over the years, I have managed to draw the neighbourhood residents into a bit of community effort. On Christmas, we all put up the same colour of lights, and one day during the festivities, we shut the street to motorists and have a small party. There are performers and a lot of food. And we share gifts with the lesser privileged children. We always have a fantastic time and my home serves as an open house.”