Fasting and Fast Fashion

It was a last-minute plan, or there would have been copious amounts of food involved. A surprise arrival of a girlfriend from Delhi made us decide on dinner at Mumbai's famous Khau Galli — the lane off Suleman Usman Mithaiwala at Mohammed Ali Road — made festive with fairy lights all through the month of Ramzan. Further, this was Chand Raat — the last day of fasting, and the last iftar — the feast. The crowds were insane.

The girl gang and myself walked along, indulging in rolls at one restaurant, main course at another and finishing off with a pot of phirni at the third. The food here is famous the world over, especially during the holy month. Among the believers, walk innumerable tourists: these are visitors from other countries, cities and tonier addresses, each one seeking their slice of Mumbai's pie, the grub.

Under the Makhdoom Mahimi bridge, the iconic dragon's tail that Mumbai adores as the JJ Flyover, the real surprise of the evening came from the fun fashion finds we discovered.

The area around Shalimar restaurant, a biryani landmark, has been turned into a fashion street of sorts. There are scores of makeshift stalls selling white kurtas with cheaper variations of Lucknowi chikankari. But the eye can't miss the rebooted saafa: the houndstooth scarf that Arab men wear regularly, even though it did enjoy a fashion revival in New York City post 9/11.

We are clearly 're-revisiting' it. Only this time it's called the 'Ek Tha Tiger scarf'. Our English-speaking men friends are sold, each one gets his own in the belief that Katrina Kaif will follow suit. Mohammed Yunus, a charming young lad despite the paan-stained teeth, is excited to meet a newspaper journalist. "Give me a break," he implores, adding, "I want to be an actor." When I told him I couldn't possibly launch his film career, he begged to meet John Abraham.

... contd.

ALSO READ

37 years on, Urdu school faces second eviction

Civic agencies could lose Rs 100 crore a year if Haryana buys Rajokri toll plaza: Delhi chief secy

The Revolutionary Road

Aarushi case: Talwar couples' statement to be recorded tomorrow