Bina Ramani

The evergreen Grande Dame of society. Restaurateur, interior designer, curator of all things beautiful

Interviewed & Photographed by: Farzana Contractor

You’ve been different things at different times, what makes you tick?
Beauty. And all things beautiful. I am very motivated by anything which by nature has a potential for man to make something out of.

You are such a creative force, a ball of energy.
Yes, I can’t sit still. I have to be doing something at all times. My mind is constantly working. Even now at 70 plus!

You have been influenced by…
By India. By England. By America. I was a teenager when I left our shores in 1960.  I lived in London where I had arrived wearing demure and traditional Indian clothes and then I was in New York during its most free-thinking age, the age of Woodstock and the hippies.

Then between ’86 and ’94 you shuttled between Delhi and New York, finally settling down in India from ’95 onwards…
Yes, and I am so happy about it. India has revealed so much about me, to me. I love our fabrics and textiles, jewellery, our architecture, the building elements. ‘Old’ is what brings out the best in me. Creating energy between vintage and contemporary is what turns me on.

Where’s George, your History-professor husband?
Ah George, who I call my part-time husband! Seven months he lives in Montreal, the rest we meet up in different parts of the world!

Which are your favourite holiday destinations?
At different ages you like different places. But Italy and Bali, if I have to pick are two places I love. Italy, because it embraces my past life. I am enraptured by it. The people, the food, even the streets in every city!

I believe you even curate interesting trails in India. Benares is in the pipeline…
Only for friends and only because India is so intriguing. This happened because of George. I have learnt to see India through his eyes. Like Benares, I connect with my soul. After the Jessica Lal incident when I was so distraught, it was in Benares that a guru said I was about to embark on my second life. Remember when I intervened, I could also have been shot!

Okay, let’s talk about more palatable things, like food?
I am a huge foodie. I have been experimenting with fusion food from my NY days. It’s something I have a nose for. My taste buds are well tuned! I pick up elements very easily. Like from today’s meal, I am going to see how I will use mustard leaves in my home kitchen.

Is that why you opened all the restaurants you did? (The Small Café, The Exit, Tamarind Tree in Delhi, Congo in Goa)
That, and the fact that I could indulge in my sense of design. My daughter Malini is like me and we are at our best when we are creating. Anything.

Like right now you are working on Malabar Secrets, some spice drops?
Oh you wait till it comes out in the market. It’s going to blow everyone’s senses away. Can be used to enhance simple drinking water, or used in making cocktails.