The actress unwinds at the Gateway Of India and professes her love for the Maximum City in the rains
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; July 9, 2018)

For Bollywood’s lissome beauty Diana Penty, Mumbai is all about the heritage city she grew up in. “I’ve always lived in Town, so most of my hangout spots are in this side of the city,” she says, elaborating, “From the bylanes of Byculla to the colonial architecture and heritage of the Fort area, from the artsy Kalaghoda to the iconic Taj Mahal hotel overlooking the Gateway Of India — that’s the city I've come to love.”

Dressed in a black top and ochre-yellow culottes, the actress looked like she was all ready to enjoy the rains at the Gateway of India with her red umbrella when we met her. She shares, “My mum’s office was at the Taj, so I’ve been frequenting the place from childhood. I have the most happy memories here. The best chocolate cake in the world, according to me, is the Dutch truffle cake from one of the cake shops here.”

Digging out more nuggets from her childhood memories, she tells us how she enjoyed walking her dog at the green race course and eating a bhutta on Worli Sea Face. She says, “I loved the bhutta with tons of masala and limbu. One of the most cherished memories are Irani cafes like Byculla Restaurant & Bakery and Regal Restaurant & Bakery situated right down the road, they are institutions in their own right. I grew up on the chai, bun maska, mutton pattice, khaari biscuits, kheema pao, bhurji pao and mawa cakes here. I remember at that time we used to get five rupees as pocket money and after the school got over, we would earnestly wait for our chance to eat chips at Boman’s (Irani) wafer shop, which literally defined my childhood. Located on the same road where I live, it was my pit stop after school or tuitions. Either Boman, his mum or aunt were behind the counter, and on days when I was really lucky, I got a free packet of wafers!”

Diana also recalls some great time spent at the Xavier’s College. She says, “I remember having spent some wonderful time at the college canteen and the nearby Kayani bakery. The chequered flooring at the bakery was so lovely. I also remember my days at Rang Bhavan, there were a couple of restaurants around there, which continue to be my favourites.”

The actress also recalls the time she spent her evening at Jumbo Point, a name given to a location from where you can see an aeroplane taking off or landing from a close range. She says, “I didn’t know it was called Jumbo Point until fairly recently, but I remember spending evenings there watching the planes land. I come from a family of aviation enthusiasts, so you can imagine!”

Diana sums up the essence of the ‘Maximum City’ and calls it a ‘selfless city’. She says, “It’s probably one of the most selfless cities in the world. It’s bursting at the seams, but it still welcomes thousands of people each day with open arms. It is, after all, the city of dreams. No matter where you come from or what your background or religion is, it has place for everyone here — a place you can call home. Having said that, it is also not an easy city to live in — what with the traffic, the pollution, the exploding population and the ever-increasing prices. But it’s the city I was born in, grew up in and choose to live in today. A city, that has accepted me for who I am, helped me grow, made me independent and given me everything. A city I’m proud to belong to. I love you, Mumbai.”