Brand New Do

LAST year, Delhi became a large part of my life. I was invited to the launch of a collection by Hemi Bawa at fashion designers Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna’s art gallery.

Typically, I dropped in for a few minutes and spent a few hours. The evening had an essence that I would love to bottle and open a restaurant with—a great mix of people, laughter and conversation, open-air space, superb hospitality, art and bonhomie plus an early winter nip. An evening like that far supercedes any restaurant, bar or club today.

In general, I love parties that are in the open, during the day or in some special setting. By special, I don’t mean loud music or themes. Just a personal touch to the decor, or an uncommon choice of venues makes it fabulous. For instance, wedding parties, out-of-town venues, or the Rotisserie at the Oberoi in Mumbai make for fantastic venues, simply because it’s a rare choice.

Like Malaika Arora Khan’s recent birthday party in Mumbai, which was one of my favourites. Set in JW Marriott’s Club Lounge, it made for a perfect venue—a lounge by the pool. The evening sizzled as young Bollywood let its hair down, and the suburbs of Mumbai reaffirmed their status as the country’s glamour centre. And a party can’t go wrong when you get to rub butts with the likes of Shah Rukh, Hritik, Salman and Preity, to say nothing of Shane Warne and Boris Becker.

While Malaika’s birthday bash set new trends, parties that are Mumbai institutions include Gautam and Nawaz Singhania’s annual bash at their Powai (a Mumbai suburb) home. I religiously attend it every year. Or parties like the one that Farzana Contractor, editor of Upper Crust, throws on her late husband Busybee’s (former Afternoon editor, Behram Contractor) birthday.

His goodwill and camaraderie are the focus of the bash. Everyone sings, dances and, above all, eats in memory of Behram. It’s nostalgia at its best.

And which ever city it’s in, the fashion week parties are my absolute favourite. The buzz around them is so heady that the week is now a permanent fixture on my must-do party list.

Though it is pretty obvious, another great way of making your party a hit is the right combination of food and drinks. When throwing a party at home, guests usually expect straight drinks. So offering a Caipiroska or Pina Colada will be a pleasant surprise.

These days, everyone’s into vodka-based drinks—vodka with Red Bull is something many try at bars and restaurants. Also try Martinis: It’s easy to prepare and lends itself to numerous variations, which works perfectly at a party.

With food, while a heavy duty buffet of Indian khaana is passe, people still love regional picks. A Koliwada fish or some Bengali variation of it and some biryani from a local hub works wonders. Essentially, a mix of cuisine is what one should weave in—from shawarma rolls to dosa counters and cold cuts.

But in the end, nothing is as much fun as being with your closest friends.