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Less than three months after terrorists raided Mumbai’s iconic Taj Mahal Palace, the hotel is back to business as usual — that is, at full occupancy. Work continues on the antique-laden, century-old Palace wing, which sustained significant fire damage in the November 26 attacks (its burning cupola was a poignant image broadcasted worldwide). The Palace ballrooms have just reopened and the famous Harbour Bar (India’s first licensed watering hole) is set to serve again soon.
On a recent visit, the Taj’s modern Tower wing was at full capacity, and the restaurants were buzzing with locals and visitors alike. There isn’t much open talk about the tragic events, but the memory lingers: armed security guards now greet guests as they step out of the elevator on every floor. But for guys with guns, it’s still service with a smile.
Only blocks away, bullet holes still litter the windows at the 137-year-old Café Leopold. Nevertheless, it remains a popular late-night hangout, where the chai talk has moved on to something more polarizing than the attacks: Slumdog Millionaire. In newspaper editorials, Bollywood celebrity blogs and on the streets of Mumbai, debate rages about the 10-time Oscar-nominated film and whether it is exploitative, realistic, or — the prevailing sentiment here — merely overrated.
Either way, plenty of people are cashing in. Reality Tours has seen increased interest in their excursions to the Dharavi slum, the largest slum in Asia and the one seen in the film. (Tour proceeds benefit the community.) Meanwhile, Soul Fry Casa, a new SoBo hangout (that’s South Bombay), is serving up the controversial “Dharavi Martini” — a muddled olive- and brine-filled concoction the bar calls “as dirty as its namesake.”
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