Four sets of famous friends offer a map of Mumbai they know — where they eat, sip their favourite cocktail and where they go to get away from it all
Sanaya Ardeshir (Sandunes), Aditya Ashok (OX7GEN), Arman Menzies (Zokhuma), Kumail Hamid (Kumail), Ketan Bahirat (Oceantied) and Ashish Jose (Tarqeeb)
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The Indie Kids
Do we have Ross, Rachel, Monica, Joey, Chandler and Phoebe in our city? Well, they may not go by these names, but they are around, hanging out, working, dancing, getting tipsy, planning collaborations, and just being cool.
Here's connecting you with the city's top movers and shakers as we ask them to give us the 411 on Mumbai and create a cultural map to help our social lives gain some legitimacy.
Dasta, the music collective, is made up of some of the coolest indie artistes in the country. They came together to "realise the goal of continued learning in the space of music production and evolving technology". Their focus is on the world of electronic music, and building "diversity within dance music culture in India". And along with giving Indian indie music a cutting-edge identity, they also redefine cool.
Favourite place to play a gig?
antiSOCIAL, Khar
Where would you go for a night out?
Bonobo.
Favourite Mumbai-based musical artistes to check out?
There are a bunch actually! An artiste collective called Jwala, which has quite a few talented producers, Ape Machines, Aqua Dominatrix, Sid Vashi, Nicholson, Sickflip and the list goes on.
Do you prefer to work with each other only?
Collaboration is a key tool we use as Dasta to build communities. We look forward to collaborations with artistes from all disciplines and backgrounds.
Favourite festival/open space to perform in Mumbai?
The Bandra amphitheatre would be a great place to perform, although the only times we have seen it active in recent years has been through Celebrate Bandra. It's a great venue, right by the sea and should be used for more cultural programming.
Favourite getaway from Mumbai?
Alibaug. That's where we held our first ever Dasta residency, where we set up two studios, and lived in a summer home for a week, discussing future plans, making music together and of course, having great food.
Which venue in Mumbai gets the best-informed crowd?
The roving venues for Bombay's Reproduce sessions (Listening Rooms) always have a crowd that knows what they're getting into.
Favourite dive bars?
Ghetto and Bandra's Soul Fry.
Dessert queen Pooja Dhingra (Le 15 Patisserie and Café), restaurateurs Kelvin Cheung (Bastian, One Street Over), Pablo Naranjo Agular (Le 15 Cafe) and Karishma Dalal (Bombay Salad Co), art consultant and entrepreneur Neysa Mendes, Daniela Naranjo (make-up artist and photographer) and designer Nimish Shah (Shift)
The Foddies
It's a mad table that meets at Bandra's Bastian on Friday afternoon to tuck into chef Kelvin Cheung's fabulous food. They all know each through strange yet organic ways — Dhingra met Shah a few years ago when she connected with him for an ensemble she wanted designed, which interestingly, she hasn't yet worn; Mendes met Cheung over Instagram when he asked her to bring over gummy bears from Europe; Dhingra met Cheung when she went dining at his former restaurant Ellipsis; and Naranjo and his sister have known Dhingra for seven years ever since the two attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris together. They all hang and work together. Dhingra's Instagram feed is proof of that. And, as we found out, their social lives are pretty exciting too.
Where do you go for a night out?
Any place where good music is playing. We love Bonobo, Daily and Raasta, which has hip hop nights!
What is your favourite let's-just-catch-up-for-a-good-meal hangout?
Oh, we love Dakshinayan, which has south Indian food. We go there for breakfast as well.
Your favourite live music venue?
antiSOCIAL, Khar.
The best dive bar?
Gokul in Colaba, and Toto's and Yacht in Bandra. But, Yacht is now getting a revamp. Why?
A musician that's on top of everyone's must-attend list?
Prateek Kuhad and DJ Sa.
Favourite bookstore?
CMYK!
Favourite getaway from Mumbai?
Machan at Lonavala, but don't go there without someone. It's too romantic; you'll get depressed. If you want to just read a book, do it at home.
Favourite place to have a cocktail?
Bombay Canteen.
Best place for street food?
Bagdadi or Ayub's at 3 am after lots of drinking.
Curator Arshiya Lokhandwala, artistes Justin Ponmany and Prajakta Potnis and jewellery designer Suhani Parekh
The Art Crowd
Quiet and unassuming, this set of four friends is well spoken and unpretentious in their endeavour to have fun. They have met each other over a span of 15 years right from when Potnis was a student and Lokhandwala, the youngest gallerist about town. As Ponmany says, most of their drinking happens at art openings where the wine is usually flowing. And, though the art world does figure in conversations, they usually end up talking about everything under the sun — from the movie they watched to world news.
What galleries do you frequent?
Project 88, Tarq and Gallery Chemould. We are now spoilt for choice.
Your favourite let's-just-catch-up hangout?
Kala Ghoda Cafe, even for a late dinner. And, the Table at Colaba.
A band you always check out?
That has to be Sky Rabbit.
Favourite getaway from Mumbai?
We usually end up at Alibaug. Also, the art biennales that now happen all over the country are good places to meet the community, and get a vacation, especially the one at Kochi.
Favourite place to have a cocktail?
Slink & Bardot have a good list, and Masque at Shakti Mills has a great Turmeric Gin and Tonic.
Musician and entrepreneur Ananya Birla and model/designer Gabriella Demetriades
The Party Starters
If you follow Ananya Birla or Gabriella Demetriades on Instagram, you'd know they have just returned from Belgium, where they attended the Tomorrowland festival. These two love to party and got together a year ago when Demetriades started dressing Birla, who just released her second single, Meant to Be.
Where would you go for a night out?
Asilo and Su Casa. And, we've had some fun times at Bastian. I love to grab gnocchi at Pali Village Café and then head for a games night. I don't think we have a lone place for a night out but all of us recently went to Tomorrowland and it was a lot of fun.
Your favourite let's-just-catch-up hangout for a meal?
We both love Kitchen Garden because we're health freaks, and Pali Village Cafe.
Favourite bookstore?
Title Waves at Bandra, and Crossword.
Favourite getaway from Mumbai?
We're constantly travelling. We're always getting away. But, we travel for work. I think we have gone to London the most together. We also love sneaking off to Goa and Rishikesh.
Favourite place to shop for stationery?
Muji.
Best street food haunt?
Ayub's. Paneer tikka is the way to go.
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