Mumbai: Bandra locals organise virtual Xmas event to bring cheer

Organisers of A Very Bandra Christmas have been planning the event for the last three months

Irish filmmaker Paul Power lives in Dublin, but he has always had a soft spot for Bandra-the place his mother-in-law hailed from. The Christmas traditions here, far removed from his own, have continued to fascinate him, compelling him to make a short home video on it. The two minute-film shows a group of women-young and old-sitting around a dining table, flattening tiny balls of dough on red paddles, before giving them a gentle curl. Power has captured the making of kulkuls, a Goan and Mangalorean fried pastry bite, which is part of the traditional kuswar platter served during Christmas. The video was recently shared on the Facebook page of A Very Bandra Christmas, which for the last nine days has been bringing the Xmas cheer to people's homes.

The idea for an online celebration first came to Bandra residents and friends, Clement DeSylva and Calvin Vaz, during a chat, when Mumbai was still in the thick of the pandemic. "Everyone was stuck indoors, and the situation looked grim. So, on the spur of the moment, they decided to have an online programme," says Melody, co-organiser of the event. She along with her husband Calvin, and Clement and his wife Annabelle were part of the initial organising team. Later, their friends Leanne Manchanda, Shalini D'souza, Chrys-Ellen Peters, Nalini Sorensen and Rahul D'lima came on board.

As a prelude to the festival, Secret Santas visited the homes of nanas, and dropped them gifts, which were put together from contributions by locals

Since Bandra has a majority of Catholic residents, the Christmas vibe in this suburban neighbourhood is one-of-a-kind. "The streets are lit up by early December. The Christmas bazaars and dances at the gymkhanas are the most sought after, so is the carol-singing," says Melody. "The midnight mass is one occasion, when you meet and catch up with everyone, especially those who live abroad and are visiting just for Christmas. It's the spirit of the festival that we all enjoy so much. Unfortunately, none of this is going to be possible this year, and so, it made sense to move the celebrations online."

The 12-day festive programme, which began on December 11, features 12 pre-recorded hour-long episodes stitched together with contributions by Bandraites from across the globe. "Somewhere in October, we wrote a note about what we were doing, and asked people if they'd like to share short videos," says Melody. The themes ranged from music and dance videos, sweet-making, storytelling, reminiscing memories of old times, and DIY home decorations. "It just snowballed after that. Since many folks from Bandra are now settled abroad or live in Goa, this was an occasion for them to reconnect with home, too." By the end of it, the team had collected over 100 videos, all of which are now being aired at 8 pm daily on their Facebook and YouTube pages. "Every episode follows the same format, with a host taking you through the different videos. It's a variety show, so we have some carol singing by a Bandra family [either living in Mumbai or abroad], before showcasing recipes or having an online dance session. We have a bit of everything daily."

The highlight of the celebration, says Melody, was the Secret Santa organised as a prelude to the online festivities. People were asked to gift something to the grandmas (nanas) in the neighbourhood. "We sent a secret Santa around, who took all safety precautions, wearing a face mask and shield, and personally dropped off gifts at their homes."

Incidentally, the organising team didn't meet physically, before the show. "We did everything online, and praise God, it's been smooth. We hope to continue this event next year, but in a shorter format. Hopefully, by next Christmas, we can all celebrate like we used to."

When: Ongoing till Dec 22, 8 PM
Where: https://www.facebook.com/Bandra Christmas and A Very Bandra Christmas, YouTube

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