Malavika’s Mumbaistan: The Good Doctor

“It was extremely sweet and generous of Shahid Kapoor to tweet his thanks to me after I delivered his son Zain! Mira and Shahid are this exemplary couple. They are well-informed, intelligent, down-to-earth and so much in love!” said our friend, the Bandra-based gynaecologist and obstetrician, Kiran Coehlo, about her delivery of the newest star-baby. “Shahid was like a pillar of strength to Mira throughout her pregnancy and was in the labour room for both her deliveries, which I performed,” she said. Coehlo, a Bandra girl through-and- through has a roster of famous Bollywood clients and is one of those rare creatures – someone who finds work to be their biggest stress buster. “My area of super specialisation is laparoscopic or keyhole surgery and the hospital where I am head of department have just last month, installed the latest 3D camera system from Germany,” she says, excitedly. “It’s three dimension allows the surgeon to perform complex procedures with greater speed and accuracy, shortening operating time and improving surgical out- come.” But, ask her what gives her the most pleasure of all and she replies, “I enjoy cooking for my husband on the weekends!” adding, “And, every night, I recall all the steps of the exciting keyhole surgeries I have performed that day and happily fall off to sleep, thanking the almighty for all his blessings!”

Bringing in the New, Honouring the Old

The newly-renovated Bombay House. (HT Photo)

Those who have visited the newly-renovated and refurbished Bombay House swear that it has maintained its old world charm, keeping in mind the heritage and rich legacy of its occupants. The iconic building in Fort, the global headquarters of the Tata Group, built in 1924, reopened recently after a complete renovation overseen by architect Brinda Somaya. And, though it is known that the new modern outlook includes a fancy Starbucks café, we are informed that it also boasts of a modern lounge called the ‘1903 Lounge’, which is a tribute to the founder chairman JRD Tata, and marks the year that the Taj Mahal Palace opened in Apollo Bandar, the crown in the hospitality wing of the conglomerate.

True Lies
Along with many others, our Oolong Tea Serving Hostess Friend was chuffed to read about the Indian billionaire, who is hiring a staff of 12 to look after his daughter while she attends college in Scotland. The news that had appeared in a British paper yesterday, had not divulged the name of the family concerned.
“It must be someone from apna Dilliwalla Sunil’s family,” said the OTSHF, clearly miffed, that with all her experience in high-living, she had not been consulted on the matter. “I heard he has a luxury hotel and a home there.”
The report had said that the butler’s job would be to oversee the team, while the footmen served meals and laid the table.
“A bit OTT no?” we said to the OTSHF.
“Not at all,” said the OTSHF. “The bare minimum for any household, like my home for instance. You do know that ‘Boy’s’ job description is footman,” she said, alluding to the elderly gent, who had been in her employment for decades and served her tea.
“Huh?” we said, “Since when?”
“Haven’t you seen him massaging my feet, when they’re tired after I remove my high heels?” That’s how he’s the footman.”
And, as we hung up, we heard her trill, “Boy, tea ke liye zara hot water lao, aur phir please ek foot massage do.”

Whatever Happened To: Shantaram

Gregory David Roberts (HT Photo)

Where on earth is Gregory David Roberts, now that the age of Sacred Games is upon us? Surely, the erst- while Mumbai slum lord, gun- runner, heroin addict and author of the best-selling Shantaram has proprietary rights on the crime and drug-infested by lanes of the city, and ought to be the subject of a feeding frenzy from web producers? The enigmatic Australian had been a familiar figure in Mumbai after the first flush of his book’s success. His entry into Mumbai’s high-society predicated on his own personal charm and the appetite for street cred that its denizens had. To say one knew a slum lord that too a gora one, who boasted impeccable manners and whose presence could add a certain frisson to even the most white bread do, was a social cache few could resist. What’s more, Roberts told an excellent tale, was dating a Swiss ‘Princess’, was friends with Madonna and had a suite named after himself in a mid-city five star hotel! Then, almost, as suddenly as he had arrived, Roberts had vanished. The Hollywood movie based on his book was an on and off affair. His second novel The Mountain Shadow, a sequel to Shantaram, though it did not achieve the same sales, opened to good reviews (the NYT had described the prose as ‘clunky, at times cringe’ – inducingly so – but declared, ‘the book glistens with shine of first-hand experience). David’s friends in Mumbai say that he hardly keeps in touch and appears to have emotionally moved on from Mumbai and he is no longer with the ‘Princess.’ His erstwhile landlady, a socialite from an old Mumbai clan, who had rented her well-appointed town house to him, grumbles to anyone who cares to hear, about the ‘dam- age he caused her apartment’. And, last heard, Apple Inc. was developing a TV adaptation of Shantaram. So, will the author ever return to his old haunts, to mine it for more material from its mean streets? As we began: where on earth is Gregory David Roberts, now that the age of Sacred Games is upon us?

First Published: Sep 12, 2018 01:43 IST