MUMBAI MAGIC

Call it Bombay or Mumbai, this eastern metropolis that never sleeps -- where five star hotels stand cheek-by-jowl with slums and the buzz of the streets is a virtual metaphor for harmonious coexistence – is simultaneously a breathtaking and spirit-altering destination for any traveler. 

 

Once you’ve dented the plastic with the initial cost of reaching this jewel that is home to more than 10 million people, Bombay more than compensates you by packing a powerful bang for you buck for the duration of your exhilarating journey.

 

This immense port city, now renamed Mumbai (a name that never quite sticks), rose towards the end of the 17^th Century and is today, an astonishing conglomeration of the modern and traditional, of commerce and culture, of spirituality and secularism.  The biggest mistake most travelers make is that they often rush through the city, mistakenly perceiving it as lacking in the cultural richness and magic of neighboring cities. 

 

But Bombay, in fact, can count amongst its diverse attractions one of India’s most important early Hindu cave temples, world-class High Victorian Gothic buildings, the deified Bollywood film industry (the world’s largest film industry and formulaic answer to Hollywood) and arguably some of the most coveted shopping in the world.

 

A full day in Colaba and the Maidan is a must.  About 45 minutes from Juhu, the heart of central Mumbai is redolent of the British Empire and the architecture gracefully mingling East with the West.  Here you will stand in the shadows of the famous Gateway of India which was built to commemorate the visits of George V and Queen Mary to India in 1911.  A triumphant, honey-toned and intricately carved arch, this monument at the end of the Mumbai peninsula was where the ships arrived and passengers stepped ashore into India.

 

From here, you can be adventurously ferried away to Elephanta Island, where after climbing innumerable steps or being carried up in a throne-like chair, you stand before colossal carvings depicting the nuances of the god Shiva, subtly combining his male and female aspects in what is a masterpiece of androgyny in art. 

 

Within a stone’s throw from the legendary Taj Hotel and the pricier gourmet restaurants, is Colaba Causeway where you can sample an outstanding array of regional cuisines at Muslim cafes and “pure veg” Hindu restaurants amongst which Leopold’s and Café Mondegar are the most immensely popular.  The shopping here is unrivalled and the street lined with exclusive air-conditioned boutiques and pavement stalls selling trinkets, souvenirs, garments and handicrafts.  Shopping here becomes much more than just about acquisition.  It is an adventure, an experience full of surprises and discovery, catering to varied tastes and priced for bargaining.

 

Bombayites party with unparalleled energy and passion.  A string of trendy nightclubs from Enigma (JW Marriott) to Rock Bottom will keep you up till the wee hours of the morning.  And if you have well placed friends, then ‘rocking’ private industry parties like the one thrown by fashion guru Rocky S or the sprawling Bacardi Breezer shindig by PR maven Adnan, are the place to go to hob-knob with the beautiful and famous.

 

GETTING THERE

 

www.AirIndia.com

 

Why wait until you get to Bombay when you can start feeling like a maharaja from the moment you get to the airport?

 

Step on board Air India’s First Class and experience ultimate luxury. With a 180-degree recline, the ‘sleeperette’ ensures that you disembark at your destination fresh and pampered. The two-abreast seating ensures you are always in an aisle seat or a window seat. Never in between.

 

After a couple of stimulating cocktails, the faint clink of Royal Doulton, the world’s finest bone china, will waft down the aisle. A rare sound heard on just a few select airlines of the world. This is followed by a fine selection of the most delectable dishes like succulent Grilled Lamb Chops, Prawns Curry, Parmesan Cheese Omelet, Chicken Malai Kebab and the regal Shahi Korma. And as you unwind with a touch of Crème de Menthe or a Tia Maria you can also do all your duty-free shopping on board.

 

Need more of a reason to pick Air India?  Forget those tiresome layovers that defeat the very purpose of a vacation!  Air India offers direct flights to cities like Mumbai with a short refueling stopover in Frankfurt that eliminates any wasted time and the need for hectic terminal changes.  And if you’re familiar with Indian hospitality, then be assured that the warmth and nurturing that are inherent in the culture are part of the Air India experience too.

 

-GD

 

 

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Settling the Score with Mychael Danna

It’s nearly impossible to identify a film score by Mychael Danna.  Unlike the recognizable lush arrangements of John Barry or the minimalist piano compositions of Thomas Newman, there isn’t really a typical Mychael Danna sound.  Whether you’re treated to Danna’s understated score for Capote or the poignant, sweeping score for the upcoming Water, Danna delivers what is perhaps the heartbeat of the cinematic experience while managing, unlike his peers, to keep his sound from growing prototypal.

 

The Canadian composer who now makes his home in Los Angeles studied music composition at the University of Toronto and served for five years as the composer-in-residence for the McLaughlin Planetarium.  With eleven Canadian film nominations under his belt Danna’s eclectic sound has paired him with acclaimed directors like Ang Lee, Mira Nair and Joel Schumacher.  For a composer who has so flawlessly captured the sounds of Armenia in Ararat, Morocco in 8MM and classical India in Kama Sutra and Water, Danna wryly claims to be a man without a culture of his own.  “I had an upbringing that had no cultural color to it at all.  I was brought in the most colorless suburb of a colorless city.  I am a complete blank canvas.”  And ironically, it is precisely this absence of cultural influence that now allows Danna to immerse himself in the experience and so sensitively capture its melodic soul in his film compositions.  For instance, Danna says of his work on Ararat: “I worked really hard on studying Armenian folk music, spent months listening, listening, listening to their church melodies and understanding the history of the nation and the music.  Then when I was ready to write, the music was really inside me.”

 

As such, a Mychael Danna score is nothing short of genius because not only does it authenticate the film through a soundtrack that delivers the nuances of the culture, but it also stands firmly on its own as a ravishing piece of music.  “A successful film score is one that adds to the intelligent level of the film,” Danna explains.  “It does emotionally what needs to be done but also makes you think in a way that just seeing the film without the music wouldn’t be able to do.  It brings up questions or connections that you might not have made without the music.  So it’s something that raises the level of the film emotionally and intellectually.  And of course the cherry on the top would be that it can stand alone as well.”

 

www.MychaelDanna.com

 

-- Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla