At "Art Quest" over the weekend L to R: Col. Manesh Masand, Adnan Sami, Kanta Masand, Bhim Khemani, Meher Bijlani

(Afternoon Despatch & Courier - January 31, 2002)

Col. Manesh Masand (retd.) of the 81 Armoured Corps occasionally indulges in his passion for photography. Some of his collection was featured in an exhibition at Meher Bijlani’s Artquest Gallery over the weekend. Of the 50 works on display, quite a few were already sold when I reached there.

This was followed with a relaxing brunch, hosted by Dr. Hiru Bijlani and Meher, along with their gorgeous girls Laila Motwane and Tanya.

Manesh’s wife Kanta, a trustee of Jaslok Hospital, had more than one reason to be proud and happy – her doting septuagenarian father Murli Chanrai (managing trustee of the Jaslok Hospital) was down from Signapore with her uncle Choitram Daryanani. There were several senior members of the medical fraternity associated with Jaslok Hospital. Over lunch I sat with Kety and Dr. Faredoon Soonawalla and their doctor son Darius and Dr. Narendra Pandya. Popular performer Adan Sami inaugurated the photography exhibition. He was accompanied by friend Rashim Chahal. Other guests were Bulbul and Meera Brar, Manju Nanavati of Flex Appeal, Sartaj and Mohamed Noorani with daughter Aida, Anees and Jaffar Imam of Contact Corporate Communications and David Johnston of Orange. Ensuring that we all partook of the ‘Biryani’, the kebabs and what not, was Kanta’s sister Koshu Chanrai into haute couture.