Queen of the Suburbs

They call it the Queen of the suburbs. I call it the drag queen. Leafy bylanes turned pock marked streets, quaint cottages turned glitzy buildings, Carter Rd turned college canteen – Bandra or “Bandr-uh” as I am famous for calling it, has lost its erstwhile charm of a quiet suburban haven. But there’s one thing it hasn’t lost – its vibe. Now I know, “vibe” is as loose a term as Pamela Anderson, but those who have lived in Bandra all their life like I have, will know exactly what I’m talking about. Let me best try to describe this vibe thing with a few inane examples.

On my way home from town, as I take the left from the HP petrol pump to turn into Turner Road, an overwhelming sense of familiarity, the sort that you never quite tire of, embraces me. Strangers on the road, who I don’t know from Adam (or Anthony), seem familiar, simply because they happen to be in Bandra at that moment. Like one big, happy family that thrives with all its little idiosyncrasies in a tight-knit warm home called Bandra. Even the sleazy men seem familiar (or maybe that’s just because they’re omnipresent). But seriously, South Mumbai’s sleazy men are hardcore shady as compared to Bandra’s harmless lecherous jerks. Wait, that’s a whole other story.

Then there are the café’s which are a hotbed of community gatherings. I have made a whole bunch of random friends and a couple of close ones, simply by virtue of hanging out at Just Around the Corner every single day. There’s even a sense of kinship with the waiters. The other day, I recognized the waiter who served me at Hill Road’s Columbian Café. I asked him “Just Around the Corner?” He replied, “Bagel Shop.” I said, “aaah.” And Bandra can disprove the theory of six degrees of separation. Here, we need only three.

Acquaintance A: Where do you stay?

Acquaintance B: Bandra.

A: So do I! So you know Neha?

B: I know quite a few. Neha Kher, Neha Jamval…

A: Hey I know both of them….Kher was seeing my friend Arun!

B: Arun Khosla!? Dude, he worked out at Gold’s with me!

You get the drift.  

The sitcom Cheers’ tagline is apt for Bandra –  “Where everybody knows your name.” Including the waiters.

– Tasneem Nashrulla

Three Doors Down

What could possibly be new at Crepe Station? Well, they’ve moved down the road, they’ve introduced a new menu, they’ve put cushions on the wooden benches (no more cramps!) and regular patrons will be glad to know they’ve even got a toilet! The new menu has incorporated a lot of Indian food, from puri bhaji (Rs.70) and upma (Rs.60) to tandoori (Rs.180-300) and rotis, (all made with less oil for the health conscious). They even have Balchow (Rs.280), thanks to new chef Nirmal Monteiro. Crepe Station has also introduced new salads, pizzas and more. The new 70 seater Crepe Station still retains the laid back, chilled out feel.  As owner Christoph says, “We’ve just made Crepe Station a little more comfortable than before, introduced a lot of variety in our menu and expanded on the seating.” Where: Carter Road

– Glynda Alves

The Mistletoe Chapter

After the immense success of their earlier exhibition Zouk is back with their new Autumn- Winter collection. Two seasons we really don’t have much of here…but what the heck! We don’t mind checking out the pretty clothes! These clothes include vintage screen-printed tees and various versions of the ‘little black dress.’ For those who prefer something a little more subtle you can choose from the many casual dresses and tops. There is also an avant-garde line of dresses which includes contemporary digital prints on silk, single piece brush-painted garments and indigenous handwork. All these garments are part of the limited edition range and we suggest you go early to bag a nice Chrismtas dress! Where: The Candies @ Mac Ronells , opp Tony & Guy, When: Friday Nov 21st – Sunday Nov 23rd , from 11 am – 9 pm

– Glynda Alves

Ritz and Glamour

True to its name this new little boutique is quite ritzy. This jazzy yet small boutique is owned by two sisters Riddhi and Siddhi Bawa who started off their career at a young age. Still in their teens the duo have been in the business of fashion for almost 4 years now and ‘Ritzy’ is their latest outlet. The boutique houses tops (Rs.700 onwards), dresses (Rs.1550 onwards) and a great collection of shoes in vibrant colours (Rs.1250 onwards). Their best selling and most prized possessions though are the semi-formal dresses that they have which are one on a kind. They also have a good collection of trendy bags and have a long list of celebrity clientele. “Come and check out our stuff, we’ve got great outfits and some amazing dresses,” says Riddhi. Where: Ritzy, Shop No.3, Waterfield road, next to Red Box, Contact: 26432180

– Rommel Albuquerque

The Weekend Store

You’ve probably seen the gazillion shops that line almost all of the roads in Bandra, but now you have a shop with a slight twist. Instead of being closed on a Saturday or Sunday this shop is open only on weekends, mostly due to the fact that both the owners have children in school. This duo first started off by selling their goods at exhibitions but as the demand for their products increased, the weekend store was born. The shop is nestled in a quaint bungalow and houses a variety of items which have been hand picked by the owners themselves. Items like casual garments for ladies and men, bags, cushion covers, and a lot more can be found here.  The highlight of their store though is the accessories for both guys and girls.  I guarantee you the moment you walk into this store youre going to want to buy at least one item and the best part is every item is at an affordable price. You’ll  go home happy that you bought something nice and you didn’t burn a whole in your pocket, but don’t forget it’s open on weekends only. Where: Brands and More, Edville(backyard), St. Andrews road, Opp the Bandra Gymkhana, Timings: 11am to 7:30pm, Contact: 9820038094/9820685986. Here is a look of some of their wares:

                                                                     

Room with a View

Artists in Bandra now have a new outlet for their creative talent… authentic stain glass work which is rarely found but looks magnificent. Shubbir Vaid a self taught professional teaches authentic stain glass and his unique techniques and teaching methods make him a sought after by many. In this 15 to 25 day course you will learn how to make glass mosaics, tiffany stained glass, glass cutting, grinding, soldering and learn how to make items like lamp shades,clocks, jewelry boxes and a lot more out of stain glass. Having taught for past 10 years he makes sure to pass on his knowledge to his students who range from 18 to 50yrs old. All you have to do is take a look at his work and I’m sure you’ll want to do take up this unique hobby. Where: 1st road, Cost: Rs7500 onwards (includes materials), Contact: ShubbirVaid on 9867344459

– Rommel Albuquerque

Very Moody

Pradarshak brings you a stimulating new exhibition this week entitled ‘Moods’. This exhibition of semi-abstract figurative paintings entices your mind to dwell in the colours so dramatically portrayed. Here you have seven artists who  portray different moods one goes through but in a unique abstract way. This weeks show features artists Eknath Giram, Suruchi Andhare Jamkar, Jayashree Patankar, Rajesh Shah, Sachin Sagare, Sanjay Raut and Nilesh Pawar. My favourite was Suruchi work which depicts her personal journey into the human psyche and her relationship with life. Her painting of a young mother sitting down with her new born and just looking at the urban jungle evolve is superb to say the least. Where: 100 Kalpana Bldg.,12th Road, When: Till 22nd November,11am – 7 pm (Except Sundays & Public Holidays), Entry: Free

– Rommel Albuquerque

Paint for a Cause

Over the past year or so India and the world has been subjected to extreme and unnatural climatic conditions and many animals are coming closer to becoming  extinct. Time’s slipping by and we’re still taking baby steps towards making that change. This is where Batti Bandh comes in. Batti Bandh brings together people in one common cause through a certain sense of celebration and so they are organizing a painting contest for kids. Kids can choose any environmental topic and can send in their entries, all the entries will be put together a giant Muriel at St. Stanislaus School Grounds. The contest is open to kids between the age group of 3 to 13 years old.

Entries to be sent to: Batti Bandh, White house, Terrace apartment, Bazaar road, last date for entries: December 4th, Contact: 9820995421. Or info@battibandh.org

– Rommel Albuquerque

Play Time

This Sunday you can head down to St. Andrew’s Quadrangle to enjoy an evening of dance, song and dialogue with the play ‘Seven Days Makes One Weak.” The play revolves around a father who has seven children, all named after a day of the week. Each of the children (including twins Sat and Turday) have their own quirks, personalities and careers. Darryl Loyola, who is helping organize the event says, “It’s going to be a lot of fun and people will get a chance to listen to all the old, nostalgic music. We even have a surprise right at the end.” He adds, “The play will be interactive and is aimed at bringing people together. The audience is more than welcome to join in too. It will be quite a party.”  Where: St. Andrew’s Quadrangle, St. Andrew’s Church, When: 23rd at 7.30pm

Tickets: Are available at St. Andrew Church at Rs.150 (inclusive of dinner)

– Glynda Alves

Book Reading

Aditya Kriplani will be coming out with his book, Backseat and he’s getting model turned TV host Shamita Singha to launch it. Shamita will be reading extracts from the novel about Bombay told through the story of a girl. Aditya says, “After 4 years of being out of film school, and doing my post graduation in screenplay writing, I’ve finally got the chance to tell a story the way I want to tell it. And ‘Back Seat’ is the that story, coming out as a book.” Aditya is thrilled that his big dream is being fulfilled and everyone is welcome to the launch. He adds, “Please come, buy the book, read it at your leisure and let me know what you felt and thought. This means a lot to me, more than anyone can even imagine.” Date: 23rd Nov, Venue: Dusk, above Out of the Blue, Near Olive, Bandra, Time: between 4 – 7 pm

– Glynn Alves