Scene and Heard

Marcellus Baptista

What's happening in Mumbai’s hotels? A peek into the party circuit and events in the city...

Coast toast

Sonu Nigam and Suresh Wadekar at The Coast

It was a double whammy of sorts with the first anniversary of Mumbai Times Café by Manas Hospitality and the launch of ‘The Coast’. A 365 kg cake was cut to mark the arrival of the city's newest coastal cuisine restaurant with its beach effect including sand under the feet, boats and fishing nets. Tapan Karambelkar, MD, Manas Hospitality invited guests to try out the wide array of authentic coastal gravies and accompaniments with ethnic ingredients and intriguing recipes in the menu. On offer was fresh fare, predominantly sea food and a show kitchen. Guests who came to dinner included Sonu Nigam, Suresh Wadekar, Kripa Shankar Singh, Bhai Jagtab, Rahul Vaidya, Leena Mogre and husband Nikhil.

Spa power

Nisha Javeri and Madhoo Shah at Myrah spa

While five-star hotels offer their share of spas and wellness centres, standalone spas and salons have also risen to the occasion. The latest was the launch of Myrah that means 'fragrance' in Greek and 'essential oils' in Latin. This luxurious spa from Nisha Javeri with its Victorian architecture, Moroccan look and Zen-like feel opened its doors to guests at a preview that included a party on its spacious lawn all lit up with fairy lights, exotic flower boughs and the serene sound of violinists. The bubbly - Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin - was in full flow, complemented by a special spa cuisine from Indigo. Anju and Farhad Taraporevala, Rita Dhody, Bhavana Pandey, Madhoo Shah, Gauri Pahoomul, Sunaina Vahi, Rekha and Jagdeep Thadani, Bindu and Sanjay Mittal, Arjun and Shefalee Khanna, Renu Mehra, Vanita and Siddharth Bhandari, Lata Patel, Kehkashan Patel, Anita Dongre, Hasina and Tony Jethmalani, Zeba and Rajesh Kohli, Sumeet Chopra, Arti and Kailash Surendranath were among the many guests.

Show and tell

Lara Dutta at the Grand Hyatt

The ballroom of the Grand Hyatt was the majestic venue for the showcase of the couture collection by designer duo Anjalee and Arjun Kapoor. The showstopper of this seasonal show was Lara Dutta who looked scintillating in a white lehenga studded with Swarovski, teamed with a choli. The Kapoors along with their business partner Heena Kalantri seemed thrilled with the turnout at their show orchestrated by Vikaas Kalantri and Pooja Ghai Rawal. Guests included Sonu Nigam, Farah Khan Ali, Shveta Salve, Bhagyashree and Himalaya, Gayatri and Vikas Oberoi, Divya Kumar, Vidya Malavade, Terence Lewis, Ameesha Khan, Neelam and Ronit Roy, Meghna Naidu, Kunal Rawal, Chetan and Lavina Hansraj, Sanjeeda Sheikh and Candice Pinto. The women were all praises for the collection comprising a richness laced with medieval luxury of Mogul motifs, combining Victorian embellishment techniques of leafing and appliqués in tissue. The colour palette included nudes, pastels and vibrant hues. While everyone was in a colourful frame of mind what with the Black Label and other spirits in full flow along with a delightful dinner spread.

The big Bling

Shamita Shetty at the launch of Bling at The Leela

The nightclub at The Leela has seen many changes over the years. Its latest avatar is ‘Bling’ with a truly international look and feel. Host DJ Aqeel Ali and wife Farah Khan along with her parents Zarine and Sanjay Khan, sister Sussanne Roshan and brother Zayed Khan were all there on the launch night. The Bollywood brigade of Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor, Shamita Shetty, Sonali Bendre, Riteish Deshmukh, Aftab Shivdasani, Raveena Tandon and husband Anil Thadani, and Tara Sharma and husband Roopak Saluja walked the red carpet and stepped into this stylish and sophisticated club with a minimalist décor accentuated by bling. The music with a superb sound quality and an array of lights including lasers that created intricate patterns on the dance floor all added to the impact. Also checking out Bling were the swish set of Queenie Dhody, Nandita Mahtani, Surily Goel, Renu Chainani, Kehkashan Patel, Bijal Meswani, Namrata Barua, Shonali Nagrani, Lata Patel, Shruti Sharma and Babita Malkani.