Nisha’s Mumbai: Nisha JamVwal Gives A Glimpse Of Her Magical Eco Afternoon
May is holiday time and I was determined to take time off and holiday with Netflix and books but then Viresh Chhabra happened. I enjoyed his style of appointing me as luxury consultant for his Forest Hills event to be held in just nine days. At a lush lunch with him and lovely Zahra - also a member of the Forest Hills team. I agreed despite myself.
What unfurled nine days later was one of the most talked about brunches Mumbai has seen in a long time. But wait, I'm running ahead of myself. Nine days seemed impossible with all the production of a forest theme experiental afternoon I had planned and I actually prayed that it would work out! So I turned the heavens and worked round the clock- and what unfurled was a magical afternoon Mumbai will remember for a long time. I must mention that Viresh embodies motivation, trust and positive manifestation that definitely helped my journey.
I may not be exaggerating when I share that the afternoon turned out to be a heady mix of great cuisine, sparkling conversations, forest vibes with luxury, sustainability, and star-studded joie de vivre. A magical afternoon that is the talk of town as one of the most well attended Sunday brunches turned into a champagne sundowner until 8 pm at night where Anu Malik with Anju Malik were in full support of the environmental agenda, as were the dynamic Niranjan Hiranandani, adman Prahlad Kakkar, Mrunalini Deshmukh, Vikrum Deshmukh, actors Raman Lamba, Mahesh Thakker, Varsha Usgaonkar, couturiers Pria Kataria Puri and Esha Amin, glamorous Krisha Lulla, nutritionist Nawaz Singhania, interior designer Aakif Habib, philanthropist Noopur Desai, singer Penaz Masani, Nayantara Thacker, Tanaz Doshi, Malika Singhania, Consul Generals Harjinder Kang, Kobbi Shoshani, and Donnawit Poolsawat, famous doctors Dr Nandita Palshetkar, Dr Hemant Thakker, Dr Anil Tibrewala, Dr Mazda Turel, Dr Keki Turel, Dr Rishma Dhillon Pai and all the flamboyant guests dressed in forest colors sportingly, enjoyed the afternoon immensely, as much as the extravagant cuisine spread over live kitchens, a never-ending buffet, and grazing tables and the flying buffet.
I had planned the lunch celebration with movies of the landscape playing in the background and a powerful message: that real estate can serve both luxury, expanse and purpose. A fun touch was the stuffed toy Giraffes , Monkeys, Pandas , Birds, tigers, lions, emu, deer, real trees, flowers I had used to decorate the restaurant at the Imperial where we hosted this grand lunch. Now not for a moment am i suggesting that there are lions and tigers or other such exotic mammals lurking around Forest Hills but we had felt that it would add to the jungle vibe - which it did!
And another fun touch was the Dubai beauties Viresh had flown down to enhance the sense of glamour and Dubai in India feel. These bombshells- for that’s what they were- delightfully gorgeous - just made the flowing champagne more heady especially for the hot blooded males around who just couldn’t get enough of them. One Joy Kapoor - not to be mistaken for the very distinguished mastermind of Copper Chimney- was just unable to leave their side all through! And so in an afternoon imbued with magical elements we unveiled the sanctuary not far from Mumbai, at Tala, to a full house applauding feverishly! A sanctuary that redefines conscious living- community with a deep respect for nature.
A highlight was Chhabra’s pledge to donate land for an animal shelter and plant 100,000 trees, aligning Forest Hills with environmentally responsible living— we chose much loved film star Neil Nitin Mukesh to make this announcement of Chhabra’s donation and reforestation project which reflects Chhabra’s values—because I am aware of Neil’s deep value systems and intrinsic sensitivity to all living beings. He is a great philanthropist himself.
This unforgettable afternoon marks a new benchmark in conscious luxury and eco-integrated lifestyle in India.
And then it was our turn to speak extempore about the project! I must share that it was like pulling teeth to keep the audience silent and I felt like a school principal going around with a stick to ask for some silence! - But despite the din, we managed to give guests a peek into this thoughtfully designed landscape in the countryside—along with a sneak peek at a movie made by filmmaker Natasha Baid about the resort, built around sustainability.
Vision for the Future:
Through sculpting this afternoon and bringing it to fruition I also learnt that the father Ved Chhabra it is who is the inspiration behind the environment agenda at Forest Hills and is determined to blend real estate with purpose, luxury and—most of all—compassion. Viresh is absolutely committed to the reforestation but also to bring Dubai sophistication to India—only this time, surrounded by forests, fresh air, and like-minded souls.
I have been an ardent member of UNGC and a passionate environmentalist myself and I found myself a little more invested in this journey even after the project was completed! Without realising it I find I’ve become somewhat attached to Forest Hills and the dream project of a utopia far from the madding crowd which I always long for!
“A Book of Verse underneath the Bough, A Jug of Wine, A Loaf of Bread—and Thou (my Jammi) Beside me singing in the Wilderness - Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!”
Write to Nisha JamVwal at nishjamwal@gmail.com
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