Friday, April 24, 2009

Pre-summer madness...

Believe it or not, but tonight I shall be raising a toast to the Queen of England. I love the old biddy, especially on those occasions when she puts the likes of el crudo Berloscuni in his place ("Why is that man shouting so much?").It is Elizabeth's birthday today, and I shall be joining local Brits and other invitees in wishing her a long, healthy life. I really enjoy Vickie Treadil, the Deputy High Commissioner, who is the host this evening. She is a buxom, feisty lady with a rollicking sense of humour. Completely my kind of woman. I'm guessing the cuisine won't be Brit (spare us!). But if it is, I shall promptly rush home for some 'shevgyachhya shenga' (drumsticks). They are in season right now, and I can polish off an entire pateli. Last night, at my daughter Avantikka's home, she served fresh, green kaajus ( unripe cashew nuts), lightly boiled and with a sprinkling of lemon juice with red chilly powder. The marriage of this sensuous snack with a Tiger Hill sauvignon blanc cannot be described adequately - it has to be savoured. Some eccentric combos work, some don't. Like the kokum wine I sampled at my neighbour Amrish Arora's soiree at 'Flamboyante', his charming restaurant at the World Trade Centre. Eric Lobo is a star bartender, but this one concoction will take a while to catch on. I told Eric kokum would go better with white spirits. A kokum martini (kokumtini?) would be perfect in this beastly weather. Since I don't touch spirits I shall have to take an expert's word on this..
Earlier, I nearly ran out of the Four Season's in sheer fright at the sight of over 50 terrifyingly chic ladies tucking into anti pasti like size zero did not exist. It was a brunch hosted by Harper's Bazaar, which has made a quiet but impressive debut into the overcrowded desi fashion market. I didn't stay long enough to sample the sea bass - my stomach was full gorging on all the gossipy tidbits doing the rounds.
Call this Pre-Summer Madness - I am feeling light headed and reckless. But in a positive way. My stint on ndtv is enjoyable, especially since there are at least two hot air balloons on every show that I love pricking. The next round starts on monday... meanwhile, am frantically searching through my files to locate a piece I had written for Elle Decor's current issue. It is a page devoted to writers and what they think of home. If I find it, I'd love to share it with you. Also, do let me know if you' re interested in reading an interview conducted by Karan Johar with me for GQ three months ago. And if you'd like to view a short clip of the Spa Diva function . I hate to foist stuff on you guys, so remember, your feedback is key! Achha.. toh hum chaltey hai..

37 comments:

Priyadarshini Karanjai said...

Green signal from me. Keep those clips and interviews coming!!

Rujuta said...

Hi......

Love to read your blog regularly.....

Would love to read your interview and see ur clip.....please do share it with us......

krish said...

de

Green signal for the interview with KJ na dthe clips........

Luv

Kris

Gajendra said...

please do share (clip)

Mayank said...

hi De,
The one who is your critic is your best friend i read it somewhere. i know my comment might be deleted from here but now a days this blog is getting bored day by day dont know why,it is not what it used to be , we still wait everyday to read the blog thse same way as we wait for your write up on sunday newspaper,Please do write something interesting something wich aware people ,we have a lot of expectation from you make a change De.

thanks
Mayank

fms1988 said...

Would love to see th KJ interview & clip.

Btw im british & hell i think the queen is so moody lol.& i aint the only one there's many ppl out here who are not so fond of her.Even the white lot!Oh well we all have a few enemies here & there i guess !

smita said...

Oh yes...would love to see the Karan johar interview & the clip from "spa diva".

muthu said...

hmhm....

no offence... mayank... just kidding..

but what do you wanna Ms.De to write... propaganda notices.... :)

I again say, I was jus kidding. no offence meant nor taken....

anyways.. loved you on NDTV Ms.De. esp the time you sent every one running with their tails in between their legs, when you blatantly refused that our politicians will neva bring back the black money. You are right.... who are these people kidding- themselves.... god save them..


and am actually hungry while writing this comment and you further upped it with your description of the dishes.... Damn you Ms.De..... :P

And the interview..... I would love to see it Ms.De....

Post it please....

Roshni said...

Please share the Interview and clip with us.

Nandini Rao said...

Oh lovely..I just love your interviews, please do share it with us (also the clip).
Is that drumstick curry? BTW, I love my mum's drumstick sambar.

AnimalLoversClub said...

Cummon u want to share it, Right?? or else you wouldn't have asked for "feedback" :) you know you will get yes for an answer.:) So now why are you waiting, juz post it na.:)

Tish said...

Oh please do post the interview with KJ. I had watched the one where you were paired with Vijay Mallya. It was brilliant.
And the clip of the Spa Diva function will be icing on the cake.

Please do!

Lover of the written word. said...

Ofcourse i wanna see the clip and the interview both !!

P.S- Ma'am I am a media student...and your blog is such an interesting insight into a lot of thngs...I love the wonderful use of metophor by you...you indeed are an inspiration for me

kaprasanna said...

Hey Shobha...

shevgyachhya shenga, pateli..
You couldn't have been more marathi..
You really have what they call it, 'world charm' as you speak of Flamboyante, Harper's Bazaar, Eric Lobo, Elle Decor, Queen of England and shenga with same zest and panache.

Good to have you around this blogsphere.

And please forgive Mayank for what he has said above..

Keep your experiences, interviews and pictures coming in..

Unknown said...

Yes, Please share ur interview and clip.

Unknown said...

Which egoes did u prick? And how?

चंद्रमौलेश्वर प्रसाद said...

"if you' re interested in reading an interview conducted by Karan Johar "
Will it not be an honour to your readers!!

Anonymous said...

SRK interview by you will be excellent. After 24th May-IPL final
(what an idea - claps!claps!claps!)

Jogeshwar said...

Yes, please keep those links coming would love to see them.

Unknown said...

Look I am trying to be on a diet n every time I read ur article i have to go for some nice stuff.... Now first question..how u keep urself so maintained??

Ofcourse urs K Johar combo wud b good.. bring it on

:)

Dialect Of Heart said...

Hello Ma'am,
This is my first commenting on your blog, even though I lurked around your blog for quite some time now. I'm a 23yr old doctor from Guwahati, Assam.
I just want to share an important turning in my life with you today. When I got my net connection for the first time in 2001, your book "Speedpost" was the first thing I ordered online. And for the past 8 years, I have read this book innumerable times. I haven't read any of your earlier fictions and have only read your recent works and the autobiography, but I can't emphasize enough how much "Speedpost" helped me. At that time, I was going through a very difficult adolescence, and confused about the going-ons in the adult world. Communication with friends and family during this stage rarely delved into clearing the insecurities and questions that plagued my young mind. It was your book, the experiences you shared...I devoured it all. I related a lot to your childhood experiences, and it's these similarity in experiences that made me follow the advice that you gave your children in the book. Unknowingly, you've shaped the formative years of my life....and I'll always be thankful for that. :)

Anonymous said...

Shobha,

Keep it coming, except personal bashings, Neta's not included.

By the way what is your view on Priyanka's statement that we should not treat Ministers like gods, as they are our servants, that they are there to serve us, the people.
I guess we have not got over the Brits.

Norman

Sameer said...

Shobhaa,

'Shevagyachya shenga' sounds cool. I like the 'pithale' that we make of those shengaas. Very traditional maharashtrian menu - to die for. Also, do share your clips, interviews. I always enjoy knowing and reading your views. By the way, happened to watch your appearance at Mrs. Bhende's marathi book launch "Mazhya Jagaat Me". I have to say, although I appreciated you speaking Marathi, I was shocked to hear your marathi. I mean you were taking help of english words for all the simple marathi words like " aayushya/jeevan (life) " etc. It felt like a non maharashtrian who just learnt marathi.I am no fan of Raj Thakare, but for someone who is by birth maharashtrian and who has lived in Mumbai for most part of her life, I would have expected much more proficiency at the language. And the event was to honor a marathi writer for her marathi book, so I had expected to hear you speak marathi. I know, you can not read or write marathi (as per your autobiography), but I think hearing you speak normal Marathi should not be that painful.

Hope you take this advice in right spirit.

Easy : Classy by Shiva Karthik said...

Madam De

my hands r already stretched to grab your interview with Karan!! He should 've had some really witty questions and shud i even say how crackling ur answers wud 've bin! it shud be fun read at its best- and yes, the sort of fun tats intelligent! and wat? u hate to foist stuff on us? think u shud take some more blanc's to keep ur chill and stop urself frm goin mad.. lol.. u r sparin ur time and puttin up yummy reads and who wud dream of complainin? Dil Maange more Ms.De! more and more :-)

Anonymous said...

Shobha,

I have been reading your blog regularly. You have great writting skills and some great thoughts. You are very outspoken. But sometimes I feel that you jump to the conclusion too fast and judge people. Also sometimes I feel that, as a reader why should I be interested in where did you travel and what did you drink and what did you eat and the detailed description of chef and the recipe?
It is too much at times. Though it is entertaining at times, I am not interested in who invited you, who visited you and why are you impressd with somebody or something. BTW I am also marathi who is in USA.

Another Kiran In NYC said...

A Kokumtini? Okayyyyy kalakhatta with gin is how I think it would taste. Perhaps the Queen could be toasted with Kokumtini. I hear that family quite likes its gin!

Harpers Bazaar in India? Nice. I like that magazine. Cannot put a finger on it really but it does seem sort of less commercial and more editorial than the other fashion rags I see on the newsstands. I feel that I am getting atleast a dollars worth of news about trends instead of only paying to look at 20 page spreads advertising boring Ralph Lauren and execreble Bebe. The few Indian fashion magazines I have seen have maintained thier innocence as trendspotters instead of becoming mere advertising machines. But that was a couple of years ago. I hope things have not changed.

Do you have any thoughts about the Rubina craziness. Shekhar Kapur had a blog entry about it (which I disagree with vehemently). http://www.shekharkapur.com/blog/archives/2009/04/rubina_from_slu.htm

Any thoughts about journalistic ethics or lack thereof? Any thoughts of where the filmmakers responsibility for these child actors stops?

And yes ofcourse I want the links!

Ravi Patel said...

Dear Mrs Shobha De,
I have just read your column in the Asian Age on Gujarat and your criticism of the dirt poor condition in a village called Palodia about 40km from the capital Gandhinagar .It is nobodys case to argue that the whole of Gujarat is now a developed State.It is very easy to pick a hole in a big state like Gujarat. But what is a fact is that there is a very evident and positive chang in peoples lifestyles. After the mess that the Congress party has made of the country after ruling us for almost 50 years it will take some more time before people like Mr Modi are able to correct the mess. Your biased mind and contempt for Gujus a typical Ghati affliction has failed to see the lot of positives in the state.
And why would NarendraBhai send you a Swagatam? who are you except a peddler of page three trash. Narendrabhai has much better standards and better things to do then send Swagatam to some little page three society girl. Mr Ratan Tata a truly great son and philinthropist is a very worthy of Swagatam any day my lady.
By the way Mrs De, you just live about a kilometer or so from that atrocious slum called Dharvi which has brought India such international infamy ('slumdog'). Have you ever raised your voice or led a movement over the years to improve the living standards of these poor folks who live in that hell hole? I suggest you stick to your own turf and also to that black hole Kolkata in your hubby's native supericilious BongoBongoLand.

Unknown said...

Mumbai or Delhi or even Kolkata is criticised like anything but none of those states take it personally. Why should Gujaratis take criticism of Modi or some part of Gujarat that seriously? No state can boast of complete progress and it is quite impossible to expect it so. I would like to quote some famous dramatist in this way. All the progress of Gujarat cannot wash away the Gujarat riots episode. I include in this various riots including the infamous and unforgivable 1984 sikh riots. These riots and the mindset(no asking for forgiveness. Rather justifying it in all possible ways) is what makes secular Indians angry and most Gujaratis touchy.

Unknown said...

I read your blog Gujarati Gudiya in Asian Age which is very good. I wish Mallika wins for the sake of those poor souls.

Ravi Patel said...

Yes Kala, other cities and states are criticised but Gujarat bashing has become a cottage industry in this wreatched ungrateful country and such bashing often borders on the abuse. I agree that the Gujarat riots were a blot and should never have happened but this happened more than 7 years ago and yet not a day passes without one media outlet or the other focusing on it. The Gujus have been made into the new hate figures in India. We simply just have had enough. If you guys have a problem with us and are so embarrased to have us as Indians I suggest you just kick us out of the Indian union. And by the way if only you slumdog Indians had the pride and self-respect to occassionaly focus on the plight of your fellow countrymen the Kashmiri pandits kicked out by the Kashmiri Islamists and now langaushing in dirt poor conditions in their tens of thousands in refugee camps then this will do a world of good to the self-esteem of you Dhimmis.

Priyadarshini Karanjai said...

Shobhaa, there goes another hot air balloon... two actually, that you hit by fluke. Anyway, I'm very much interested in where you go and what you eat, what you like and what you dont. You have pretty much shaped my bizzre mind! There are loopholes in every state and pointing them out only brings them to much needed attention.

Ravi Patel said...

And 'Secular'did you say Kala? Indian 'secularists' are nothing but cowards and simply been unable to come to terms with their past, what is happening in the present or what is likely to come to them and us in future.

Ravi Patel said...

Ms Karanjai it is not so much the pointing out of loopholes in the State that is in question but the contempt with which De madam has written about the Gujus that is the point I am trying to make.

Unknown said...

Ravi, The answer lies in your question. You may hate it, but the truth is once you gujjus kick out Modi and his cronies, you will be loved by all of us secularists once again. It is not that we hate you as such, we feel sorry for you for sticking to Modi. You gujjus are the best and you will be the best state because you are all hardworking and focussed even without Modi. It is Modi who brought bad name to Gujarat just like that Tytler and Sajjan Kumar who made congress shamed. Get rid off such people. You will shine more brightly. As for the way Shobhaa wrote, it is her style. She cant help it. Without it, she will lose her identity.

Ravi Patel said...

Dear Kala, You know something you dupliticitus 'secularists' can keep on abusing and villifying us Gujus as much as you want. You must be out of your mind if You think we are going to get rid of Narendrabhai Modi just to earn kudos and love from these pernicious and treacherous 'secularists'. Live in eternal hope my fellow.
Narendrabhai is the greatest chief Minister this wreatched,ungrateful country has ever had.How do you come to the conclusion that he is evil?. What proof do you have? Has he ever been convicted by any court of law.Just because the Islamist activists and their rented leftist/'secularist' collabrators have run a malicious and mendacious campaign against this great man that we too will be part of this agenda. If there was even an iota of proof against Mr Modi, do you think Soniamata and her Indian servants would have let him off the hook. First produce proof before peddling your nonsense.
During every calamity that hits any part of India the Gujarat government of Mr Modi and the people of Gujarat are in the forefront of sending the maximum amount of funds and resources. Next time something like this happens,God forbid,I suggest you and your ilk advocate the refusal of such aid.Let's see who refuses it.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Sure everyone Indian knows that the late ATS Chief Karkere's Family refused his charity of one Crore, as they were aware of the reasons for this publicity stunt.
When one wants to donate anything in kind or in cash, it should be quietly and in private. The whole world should not know about it.
Besides the Big hearted Modi does not give it out from his own purse. It is the Public's (Maybe Gujratis) money.
Handing out dole from one's own pocket and taking credit is one thing, while donating from Public's coffers and making TOM TOM, taking the credit does not speak of........
Cheers.

Norman

Mehul Tewar said...

Hello NAT/ Kala...

why don't he advertise...what he did.. any Secular [as per your definition] NGO or party left any incident to publish their greatness...and i tell you one thing all these media... including our Page3 doll Shobha de earns lot of money when they abuse Narendra Modi...

if this media not abuse him their bread & butter will stop....

Mr. Kala...tell me one point why we throw Mr.Modi from out of Gujarat. he never spread any hate speach like [Raj Thakare] he always invite everybody... he only speaks about development.. and we aware with it...

I think Shobha never visit gujarat properly... if you want any report on development doen in last 7yrs tell me i will send you the balance sheet...