On to Singapore
February 26, 2013, ITC Green lounge, New Delhi International Airport: I just landed at the Delhi airport en route to Singapore. This time I avoided SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, because during my last visit to Singapore in July 2012, I had a bad experience. The airlines had misplaced my bag.
I decided to fly from Kolkata to Delhi and then to Singapore via Jet Airways. This is the first time I have opted for Jet Airways’ international flight. The aircraft from Kolkata to Delhi was good as was the service. This is also the first time I have used the T3 at Delhi Airport – India’s biggest airport terminal. I think T3 is a landmark. An accomplishment that makes us all proud.
During transit, instead of the regular business lounge at the Delhi International Airport, I decided to use the ITC Green Lounge which is next to the regular lounge used by Jet Airways. Last week, while staying at the Maurya Sheraton, I came to know about this lounge at the airport. ITC Maurya was kind enough to give me few vouchers for use. I would rate this Lounge eight out of ten, not only for the dinner buffet, internet, cleanliness but also for keeping international English as well as other international language newspapers for the guests.
On February 22 evening at Kolkata, I had just dropped in at Shisha Reincarnated to attend the launch of Agnidev Chatterjee’s son Akash’s new production house and also his latest film A Political Murder. Agnidev is a Bengali movie director and I have known his family for a long time now. Agnidev’s son Akash is producing this film.
Today morning, before proceeding to the airport, I hosted a brunch to welcome and celebrate the Bonjour India Festival in Kolkata at the Taj Bengal poolside.
The weather was just perfect for the brunch and I think probably this was the last week we could organize an open-air brunch. Soon the sun would be too much for such events.
Nandita Das and her husband Subodh Maskaar, French director, Eric Vigner, who is casting Nandita in Marguerite Duras’ play India Song, and other members of the French production unit, diplomats from the French Consulate in Kolkata, were there at the brunch.
I invited few other theatre personalities from Kolkata as well. The play would be staged tomorrow and the day after at the historical Jorasanko Thakurbari.
It wouldn’t be possible for me to see the play in Kolkata, so I promised Nandita and Eric that I would try to make it to the show in Delhi where they would be performing from 9 to 12 or 13 March.
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