A Passage of Time

The Editor’s Page of UpperCrust probably has the most unique layout as compared to any magazine anywhere in the world.

20 years ago it started with the thought that we wanted to be different. And that I, as Editor and the wife of India’s first and probably best food writer, certainly the most popular, with a large fan following—Behram Contractor (who wrote the famous column Eating Out With Busybee), had to take centre-stage. The idea of creating a double-spread with me in the big picture belonged to Mark Manuel, who was then the Executive Editor of the magazine. One day, he got Jenner Zimmermann, the well- known German photographer who was visiting India, to my home and had him photograph me against my open kitchen that friends seemed to go gaga over. I was embarrassed, but gave in to the unique marketing concept and  reluctantly posed for Zimmermann. It turned out to be a terrific shot. The rest as they say is history! Readers loved the idea, they said it was a refreshing concept, unusual and unboring. The picture is at the top left hand corner, across this page.

 I must admit with each progressive issue I started to enjoy being shot even as I was shooting my subjects. I enjoyed not because it was fodder for my vanity, far from it, but because publishing a food, wine and travel magazine presented many unique opportunities for the photos. I also began to shoot pictures in full earnest, travelling far and wide to exotic locales, meeting, interviewing and photographing the most unusual people, often  in exacting situations.  It became fun. Entering into the kitchens of fantastic restaurants, interacting with top chefs, hobnobbing with royalty, going fishing in the deep sea, jumping into a helicopter to go on a champagne-picnic on a mountain peak in Queenstown, flying off in a micro-light from a beach in Dahanu, riding a camel at the Pushkar Fair, learning to blow into Pandit Hari Prasad’s never ending flute under the maestro’s tutelage, getting into a ‘panja-contest’ with Hrithik Roshan at the absolute peak of his popularity, riding off with John Abraham on his 1,300 CC Suzuki Hayabusa at Carter Road waving to crowds! Phew, all so phenomenal!

Recording such moments became a passion for whoever was assisting me on a particular editorial assignment. It became a challenge for my assistants to shoot a good picture of me when I was at work; things like a headstand with a little bit of help from BKS Iyengar, sitting in the lap of a baby elephant in Chiang Mai, patting 500-year-old turtles in Zanzibar, wading into the Arabian Sea to capture horse and rider galloping towards me from the horizon or zooming off on an Enfield with Shobhaa De. Often these were candid shots taken  at the end of a shoot when unfortunately I was hot and sweaty and not exactly looking my best. But then what do you expect with me dressed in fatigues with at least three cameras slung round my neck, precariously balanced on the Chinese nets in Cochin or wading in into knee-deep waters facing the rapids, or dangerously perched on a narrow electric meter box, eight feet off the ground with a sea of humanity wailing all around me, waiting to shoot the Syedna  emerging from a mosque, or standing still in an open jeep, not daring to breathe as a tiger approaches in the forest of Ranthambore…

But it didn’t matter and still doesn’t if I cut a pretty picture or not, as long as the picture I take speaks a thousand words.

However, having said that, I must admit pictures on international jaunts are super fun. Sitting on railings by the sea under the Ibiza sun, on the edge of the cliff in Malta, perched on a ledge in San Sebastian, riding on bamboo bikes in Argentina, luring piegons at St Mark’s square in Venice.

I love hiking and trekking and have had amazing opportunities to shoot in Ladakh and Kashmir in all seasons. So there are those too, with shepherds and sheep...

Of course shooting people has always been my forte and many of those I have shot say the best ones in their portfolio are pictures shot by... ahem... Farzana Behram Contractor. Shooting Dada Vaswani was a joy, he wouldn’t stop smiling; and Sania Mirza, a bit of a challenge. But Rashmi Thackeray was the most candid, “You select which saree I should wear,” she said showing me three lovely silk ones which she had brought to The Leela where we were shooting in a beautiful suite.

Enjoy this issue, it’s the best of 20 years. Just a glimpse, really; selected bits from all the super stories we have written over the past two decades. Quotes from celebrities, recipes by top chefs, tantalising cocktails, our favourite food recipes, impressive home cooks, etc. We also have a pick of 20 best cookbooks of all times, as well as 20 great wines—10 made in India and 10 from around the world. There are 20 concoctions for health remedies and finally 20 getaways for a spiritual detox.

For in-depth reading please dive into our archives on the net. Our website, www.uppercrustindia.com is very user-friendly and rather attractive too.

Thank you for reading us for 20 glorious years.