UP a flight of wooden stairs that once led to Cyprus at King's Hotel, Juhu, the landing opens to a verandah with potted plants. Glass pane windows give a glimpse of a new restaurant, designed like a yesteryear colonial house, with clean corners decorated with old gramophones, telephones and photographs.

There's a storm brewing outside, but Kishore DF is seated calmly on a golden yellow sofa couch, even as a few young staffers surround him and seem to be pulling his leg about finally giving an interview. In fact, our nickname for him is Casper. Kishore is after all, the friendly ghost, a giant in the hospitality industry, who is rarely seen at events. Admittedly, he prefers the anonymity of the backstage guy.