Lilette Dubey with daughters Ira, Neha spotted at the launch of The Quarter

The much awaited launch of The Quarter, the ambitious new live music and F&B offering spread across the magnificently restored Royal Opera House, was a sparkling affair.

Nisa Godrej at the launch

The venture had been first reported about on this page, and true to its plans, sees the coming together of musician founder of the True School of Music Ashutosh Phatak, percussionist Ranjit Barot, businessman Nakul Toshniwal and restaurateur Nico Goghavala, who have brought their various and complementary skills to give Mumbai an exciting new cultural and dining venue.

Taufiq Qureshi

Wednesday evening's launch saw a series of music performances occur, often simultaneously at various sites of the Opera House, from New Orleans Horns at The Terrace, to Jazz All Stars led by Barot in the main auditorium, to a performance by the students and faculty of True School Collective at the edgy and atmospheric The Quarter.

Neha Dubey, Ira Dubey and Lilette Dubey

Everywhere one went, there was music and happy people and celebration. Spotted on the occasion were the likes of some of the backers of The Quarter like Omniactive Health Technologies Sanjaya Mariwala, Sony India's Sridhar Subramaniam and investor Shiv Puri along with Nisa Godrej, Lilette Dubey with daughters Ira and Neha, Roopak Saluja, Taufiq Qureshi, Bittu and Madhu Sehgal and Rajeev Samant.

In fact, the evening was as much about the new as about the old. Restaurateurs AD Singh and Rahul Akerkar were overheard talking with vineyard owner Samant about the good old days, when as young men starting out on their nascent careers, they'd brought together a similar, albeit smaller paean to jazz and food with their hugely popular 'Just Desserts' at Fort. " To think that it was more than 20 years ago," said Singh shaking his head in delight at The Quarter's opening and nostalgia about the memory.

Richness and grandeur
Speaking to designer to the stars Ashiesh Shah is always a pleasure. The cherubic architect, in spite of his gregarious social life is essentially a workaholic, and never too far from his drawing board. This week saw Shah on a quick Diwali getaway to Jaipur, but given his passion work was not too far from his mind even here.

Ashiesh in Jaipur

"I did my local sourcing... Working on natural dyes for home linen," he shared. Incidentally, the design maven's next big project is the Elephant Project which will unveil shortly in India. He also saw the finale of his celebrity talk show on a popular channel last night, featuring fashion designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla's home.

With Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla

"The show is doing very well and has had a super run, and now it's finally out on hotstar," he said, terming the design duo, "Marvels of richness and grandeur."

Mommie dearest
"Any Other Day is a stark portrayal of the constant threat most gay men face in India because of Sec 377. The police misuse this Draconian law to blackmail and extract money and even sexual favours from young gay men and transgenders," says Sridhar Rangayan, festival director of KASHISH, about the film which was awarded the Asia Pacific Award for Best Queer Film at the Taiwan International Queer Film Festival this week.

Vikrant Dhote with his mother after receiving the award

Directed by Vikrant Dhote, the film had also had won the Riyad Wadia Award for Best Emerging Indian Filmmaker at KASHISH 2016. "Any Other Day is not just an incisive narrative about exploitation by authorities, but a soothing balm for the scars of the community," says Rangayan, adding, "It makes it all the more rejoiceful when the mother in the film has a face-off with the police and stands up for her son."

A scene from Any Other Day

At every screening of the film as part of KASHISH Forward in colleges across India, there is thunderous applause in the end. "Actress Veena Nair, who plays the mother, is now almost considered 'Gay Mother India'! So many youngsters come up to me and say they wish they had a mother like her," he says.

And fittingly, we are informed that the movie's triumph was made all the more sweet due to the fact that Dhote's mother on whose real life character the mother in the film was based, was present to cheer her son on. "The ceremony was even more special because my mother was there to extend her support, and the character in 'Any Other Day' is based on her," said the exuberant young director. Nice!

Of royal repasts in Delhi
A rich haul of Delhi's swish set attended the opening of a pop-up showcasing the treasures of princely India at the newly launched DLF Chanakya in Delhi this week.

Rohit Bal with friends

Known as Royal Fables, the heritage platform that promotes regal, royal India in all its glory, unveiled Palace Karkhana, a brand that attempts to meld Palace Craft with luxury. H.H Maharaja Brajraj Singh of Kishangarh, Umang Hutheesingh, Neeva Jain, Rohit Bal, Shazia Ilmi, Princess Vaishnavi Kumari of Kishangarh, Pia Pauro, Meera and Muzaffar Ali, and Raseel and Navin Ansal attended the evening amongst others.

Meera and Muzaffar Ali

India's royals have long been patrons of the finest arts and crafts, and the past few years have seen a synergy between the world of luxury and them. The evening also showcased a soon to be launched hospitality platform 'Kitchen of the Kings,' and saw the erstwhile ruler of Bhainsongarh, Kunwar Hemendra Singh along with Chefs of Café C, DLF Chanakya, to afford guests a taste of royal cuisine along with a book-signing ceremony for Meera Ali of Kowari's 'Dining with The Nawabs'. "Royal Fables this year has been truly special as we consolidate our fable into a strong retail story. As they say, the fable has only just begun," said Anshu Khanna, founder, of the platform.