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Mingling with the crème de la crème at Mumbai’s Taj Lands’ End
Holi is celebrated with much pomp and gusto across India. During their festival of colours, Hindus commemorate the victory of good over evil. Holi festivities bring people together from various communities and add a splash of vibrance to our lives, both literally and metaphorically. Holi, which is observed on the final full moon of the lunar month of Phalguna, heralds the arrival of spring and the end of the winter season.
Holi is synonymous with certain traditions which include making sweets, such as gujiya (deep-fried crescent-shaped flour pastries filled with khoya and sooji). In my household, making gujiya is a family tradition that sees family members coming together to knead the dough while prepping for the festival. Gujiya is a family favourite, especially because it’s dunked in sugar syrup and is also crisp at the same time. The snack is a perfect blend of sweet and savoury!
Growing up, Holi has always been my favourite Indian festival. The festival continues to hold a special place in my heart. While kids love to play with colours, adults enjoy all the merrymaking too. It’s the only time of the year when people let out their inner child, smearing each other with gulal (coloured powder) and spraying coloured water using pichkaaris. Of course, over the years, people have grown environmentally conscious and mostly celebrate a dry Holi to save water. It’s a practice that will continue for years to come.
As a child, I was always intrigued by the rituals performed during Holi. Notable among these was the practice of Holika Dahan in which a bonfire was lit the previous evening and we made an offering of dried coconut, sesame seeds, mustard seeds, sugar, and other things to the raging fire. Each year, my father made us (my sister and I) write down our bad habits or qualities on a piece of paper which we would throw into the bonfire as good riddance to evil. This practice was a great way to inculcate goodness in our lives.
One of the Holi celebrations that I will cherish for a lifetime is the one where I got to celebrate with Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh and American rapper, songwriter, and record producer Pharrell Williams at Mumbai’s Taj Lands’ End. It was my Bollywood dream come true! The party was sponsored by Adidas which had collaborated with Pharrell Williams for a vibrant limited edition Holi sneakers collection called 'Hu Holi'. Ranveer Singh, the Indian Brand Ambassador of Adidas back then, was invited to the party to celebrate the collection and host the party. Since I was working for a reputed publication then, I'd received a media invitation to cover the event on social media and for the magazine website.
The party was exclusive with a limited set of attendees on an invite-only basis. I couldn't take my eyes off the gorgeous decorations at the venue, especially the colourful rangoli at the entrance! The party was in the lovely lawn area; it started at around 10.30 am and went on until 4.00 pm. It was a dry Holi party, with numerous pots of vegan as well as natural-coloured powders strategically placed all around for easy access. We were a team of several media persons at the party. The Adidas team – who had flown down to Mumbai from Delhi for the event – warmly welcomed us, applying the customary red tikka between our eyebrows to mark the auspicious occasion.
Pharrell Williams, the star guest of the party, entered the venue around 11.00 am and was accompanied by VJ Anusha Dandekar as well as Ranveer Singh, who played hosts for the event along with representatives from Adidas. Everyone at the party, including us, was dressed in white, as it is usually the dress code during Holi.
While Singh gave Williams a tour of the place and explained the significance of various traditions observed during the festival, the guests couldn't contain their excitement at the sight of the Bollywood superstar! The DJ was blasting songs from the actor’s repertoire of popular tracks and people were grooving to his signature moves. When a celebrity is around, the vibe is something else altogether. The adrenaline rush was real, and it was here to stay.
Above everything, the food was phenomenal at the party. There was a sumptuous spread organised by the Taj catering service, comprising Indian, Asian, and Continental dishes. The open bar was buzzing with activity as bartenders expertly mixed colourful cocktails for the patrons. My partner – whom I had brought along as my plus one for the event – and I had a great time indulging in the wide variety of food here. My partner believed that the spread of dishes added to the glam quotient tenfold!
There were several savoury dishes and chaat stations, with popular favourites, such as sev puri, dahi batata chaat, and aloo chaat to name a few. For the main course, there were live counters where the staff was busy whipping up fresh Mexican, Italian, and Mediterranean fare using ingredients customised as per our tastes and preferences. There was also a coconut water cart with an unlimited supply of fresh coconuts! This party was nothing as I had ever experienced before.
My job during this event was to go around recording the essence of the space, talking to people and networking, as well as capturing candid moments and celebrity chats. While it would seem like a glamorous job, it was far more stressful since I'm usually the socially awkward penguin at most Page 3 parties!
Amidst all the partying and merrymaking, I suffered a major phone crisis. My battery was running super low and I found that I had forgotten to carry my portable charger! Naturally, I went up to my partner to borrow his cell phone for work, and he was more than happy to lend it to me – while he sampled one dish after another from the multi-cuisine stalls.
Like most people, I don't perform well under pressure, and I still had my interview with Singh and Williams left. All my questions and notes were on my phone and the battery had almost drained out. I quickly found a quiet corner and copied all the notes onto my partner’s phone. By now, the party was at its peak, with loud music blaring through the sound system and Singh and Williams dancing on stage, with the crowd cheering on. However, I relaxed a little when the PR representative from Adidas informed me that my interview slot with Williams and Singh would be between 3.00 pm to 3.15 pm in William’s suite at the hotel. I was prepared for at least an hour’s delay, as with most interviews.
I decided to take a break and parked myself at a spot to take in the action. While observing my beautiful surroundings, I realised that the team had gone all out on the décor. I noticed so many tiny details that I had just not noticed before. The ceiling was decorated with multi-coloured drapes to block the sunlight from the lawn, with colourful origami shapes hanging from them. Colourful napkins were placed on the tabletops as centrepieces, which added to the vibrance.
As the DJ played Pharrell Williams’ all-time favourite Happy, the crowd cheered as Williams swayed on stage. Within minutes, the DJ switched to Ranveer Singh’s upbeat Ainvayi Ainvayi from the film Band Baaja Baarat and the crowd erupted into a unanimous uproar as the actor hopped onto the stage and performed the hook step! I looked around and I can safely say that the energy was palpable. That’s when I truly understood the power of Bollywood in Mumbai – the fandom doesn't compare to anything else!
Towards the end of the party, when the stalls had begun to wind up (much to my partner’s disappointment), I was ushered into the hotel for the interview. If I had to describe my interview with the American singer-songwriter and the megastar of Bollywood in two words, it would be smooth and quick. Since there were a lot of people from the media waiting for their one-on-one interaction with the celebrities, I was in and out of the room even before I knew it! And if I had been nervous before, I was relieved to have gotten over it. The interaction was not as much of an interview as it was a rapid-fire with both Singh and Williams answering general questions about the event and their association with Adidas. But I did manage to sneak a quick selfie before I left!
After that Holi party of 2018, which came to me as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I took home a truckload of memories and a pair of limited-edition sneakers that will stay with me forever!
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