Sandip Soparrkar

Ballroom dancing is his forte, eating out his passion. India's first single male to adopt a child lives life king size as he trapezes through the world

Text & Photographs: Farzana Contractor
Location: Taste of Punjab, Mumbai

What food makes the dancer in you leap up, sing and dance, twirl with happiness?
Chocolate! And more chocolate!! Dessert for me begins and ends with chocolate. Forget strawberries, you could dip a piece of leather in chocolate and give me to eat and I might! I don't have a sweet tooth, I have a mouthful of sweet teeth.

Before dance took over your soul, you worked in a hotel, I believe...
Yes, I am a hotel graduate. Studied at IHM Poona. And this was thanks to an uncle and his wife, both of whom worked with The Taj.

Tell me more...
I was 10 years old and went for a holiday to Lake Palace in Udaipur where my uncle was GM and aunt, Executive Head of House Keeping. And what a blast I had. Octopussy was being shot there and I watched everything in total bewilderment. The hotel world seemed so glamorous, so beautiful, I was hooked. I decided this was what I wanted to do when I grew up.

But it didn't last, obviously.
No it didn't. I worked the front office at Holiday Inn in Poona and saw absolutely no glamour. I quit and went to Germany to lea dance; ballroom dancing.

Where was this? How long were you away?
In Bonn. At the ISTD (Imperial Society Teachers of Dancing). Five years, it was tough, but magical.

You also acquired a PhD in World Mythology...
That was just after I finished with the dance school. I am very intrigued by the subject. Got my certificate in 2006 from Pacifica University of California.

And thanks to dancing and your dance troupe, you travel a lot.
Oh yes, in India for weddings and corporate events and abroad for special functions, shows, to attend programmes, for workshops, to speak at seminars etc.

And so you tend to try out a lot of new cuisines, new restaurants?
That's the best part, I do. I travel abroad about four or five times a year, so the opportunities are immense.

What is your favourite cuisine?
Indian. All the way and Indian regional would be Punjabi. I love it, maa ki dal, sarson da saag, tandoori chicken, kebabs, rajma-chawal, the thick lassi... and this restaurant, Taste of Punjab for me is comfort food. People think I am from Punjab, but no, I am half Gujarati and half South Indian. And I grew up eating so much of dosas, idlis, uttapams, medu vadas,  I hate it now!

What is your binge food?
Pizza! You won't believe it but Arjun and I can both finish off a pizza each. Me a large, he a medium. It's a Smokin' Joe from around the corner and called Meat Feast. Fantastic. As you can guess, it has all kind of meat toppings.

Arjun is your adopted son, now 11. You had to fight to get him adopted right?
Yeah, my God, what a time that was. Laws can be so ridiculous. A single woman can adopt, but not a single male. Took me four years, to get Arjun.

And you became the first single male to adopt a child.
Yes, to be honest I had applied for a girl child, but that they wouldn't let me have. But I am thankful I have Arjun.

Do you cook?
Only when Arjun demands. His urge for South Indian food has not been satiated so I end up making dosas for him. But due to my Hotel Management stint I did enjoy cooking. I used to make an amazing oil-less chicken, 20 years ago, when such things were unheard of. I would do nothing, just dunk chopped onions, ginger, garlic, some spice powders and yoghurt in a non-stick dish and leave it on a slow fire. Fantastic!

And what about dessert, anything sweet that you make?
My famous Milkmaid chocolate. One kilo of sugar, one of cocoa, one can of Milkmaid, mix it up, stir till your arm aches and the concoction gets gooey and you are done. Spread it on a platter, cut it up or make chocolate balls and enjoy.