A vibrant Mumbai evening celebrated at Manhattan
By siliconindia   |   Wednesday, 27 October 2010, 07:30 IST
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New York: In an evening which scripted an ode to the metropolis of Mumbai, The evening was an ode to the metropolis, Children's Hope India, a New York-based nonprofit organization, celebrated 'An Evening in Mumbai' at the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan. The evening which had Dr. Indu Shahani, sheriff of Mumbai, and Prabhu Dayal, consul general of India in New York, and his wife, Chandini Dayal as chief guests attracted over 500 supporters and raised approximately $250,000 for health and education projects in India. The evening organized by Children's Hope which is operating since 1992 and supports over 25 projects across several major cities in India, reaching out to over 20,000 children per year also reflected the fresh lease of Mumbai life, reverberating its idiosyncrasies and celebrating its food, dance and music and of course its vibrant film industry. The pageant which was compeered by Nina Manuel, supermodel and former host of Mumbai's guide to nightlife - 'After Hours.', began with a colorful procession of Ganesh Utsav, and a spirited performance of the Maharashtrian folk dance, Lezim, by dancers from the Nartan Rang Dance Academy of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. This was followed by a tribute to Bollywood by the Wanted Aashiqz dance group. The event gleamed with its highlight item when a usual 'Koffee with Karan' turned into 'Masala with Mira' in an unscripted dialogue on stage between Karan Johar and filmmaker Mira Nair. The organization gave its Lotus Award to Dr. Valavanur Subramanian, chairman, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, and to Madhu Vuppuluri, president and CEO of Essar Americas Inc. In the award function that followed, Mark Templer, director of Hope Foundation, Hope Worldwide was recognized with the Making a Difference Award. The Spirit of Mumbai awards honored three New Yorkers - Suketu Mehta, author of 'Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found;' Nair, whose first film 'Salaam Bombay' embodied the city's ethos; and Aroon Shivdasani, president of the Indo-American Arts Council that seeks to bring Indian art and culture to New Yorkers. Dina Pahlajani, president of Children's Hope India, spoke about the work done by the organization with a photo presentation of children in the 25 projects in different cities.

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