In my earlier blog, I had mentioned some of the places that we had visited in Mumbai. After strolling around the Marine Drive, we moved on to the last leg of our journey, visiting the famous beaches and sight-seeing a few other superstars’ abodes.
The next place we went to see was Shah Rukh Khan’s (SRK) house. The entire world must be aware of Shah Rukh Khan, one of the most renowned actors across the globe. My introduction to SRK was through his movie “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.” More than me, my parents were excited to watch that movie for maybe the zillionth time. No wonder my mom remembers all the dialogues to a tee☹. I had watched SRK’s interview on the David Letterman talk show which had shown a glimpse of “Mannat”, a beautiful name which meant “wish” in Urdu. And hence when in Mumbai, I too wanted to visit the place. The building was pretty high, but I could not ascertain the number of floors as only a part of the building was visible from the outside. The house was surrounded by high walls and wired fences to keep out the paparazzi and the fan gathering. That was a little disappointing for me. Em kept questioning whether Shah Rukh Khan was actually inside, and if we could go inside and have a conversation with him. I was rolling in the aisles after listening to that.
Fans, in large groups were swarming around his house, taking pictures. This huge fan-following delineated the story of his achievements. The walls of the nearby apartment complex sported graffities of Shah Rukh Khan’s name with heart emojis. I found this gesture of expression of love quite disconcerting, I mean, why would someone want to deface walls and spoil public property☹? At the same time, I was reminded of how pressing and tiring a celebrity’s life could be, even though it sounded amazing to be one. Isn’t always being in the public eye making them a victim of constant judgement?
We also captured a few memories and then walked to the Bandra beach nearby. It consisted rocky terrain in quite unusual shapes, which I could not believe had been made by nature. The weather had cooled, and a light breeze was about, so we soaked in the relief of the light evening wind. I admired the expansive sea and spent a few minutes idling on the beach while Em took great pleasure in running up and down the steps on the beach(apparently, stairs are non-existent everywhere else).
Our tour drew to a close and we headed back to our hotel, spotting Galaxy Apartments, Salman Khan’s house and Antilia, Mukesh Ambani’s mega-mansion, Lata Mangeshkar’s residence and Juhu beach! I do not remember clearly seeing these places, as at that time I had nearly dozed off. All I remember is my dad trying to explain me something, but his words were imperceptible. By the time we reached the hotel, I was re-activated after my power nap. After quickly packing we were all set to leave for the airport. I was reluctant to leave as I had wanted to visit all the other attractions, but knew I would definitely tour this place again, even stay for longer.
As we approached the airport, I gasped. The international airport was HUGE, with flowers beautifying every inch of it in pretty shades of magenta, crimson, and deep pink. The ceilings were vaulted, making the space look infinite. Luxury brands and restaurants occupied every inch of the plush, carpeted floor. I nearly crashed into other people as I strained to see everything. The terminal was GIGANTIC, and I lost my parents in the jostling crowd several times. It was a different experience as I had not seen this many people in an airport for years.
We devoured our dinner and wandered around for a while before shuffling to the gate, as we were fatigued. We boarded the flight, and after 2 hours of watching movies(It’s an advantage as my mom can’t say anything😉), I dozed off to sleep again, reminiscing about our entire trip, the historical treat, the chaos, the infectious energy, and a delightful time spent with my family and friends in India.
Signing off…