Funds raised from the houseful staging of Bairao no Bahubali on September 1, 2018 at the Pirojsha Godrej Convention Centre [Delhi Parsi Anjuman (DPA) Auditorium] will help in the modernization and renovation of 40 rooms in DPA’s Mengusi Dharamshala, stated Feroza Jassawala, who organized the fund raising event for the third time. A donation for installing a lift in the premises, which will be a valuable addition to the facility for those with limited mobility, came from Purviz Shroff of Hong Kong. The Dinyar Contractor directed and produced comedy was supported by Vistasp Gotla’s Blazzing Fire Production and starred besides Contractor and Gotla, Sally Kasad, Anaushka Dantra, Rohinton Chesun and Rajesh Solanki.
Delhi Parsi Anjuman fundraiser: (from l) Feroza Jassawala, Dinyar
Contractor and troupe; Above: engaged audience
The audience, comprising Delhi Parsis and Gujaratis, included Parsi Zoroastrian representative on the National Minorities Commission, Udvada’s Dastur Khurshed Dastoor, Canada’s ambassador to India Nadir Patel and his wife Heather Graham, jurist Fali Nariman and his wife Bapsi, acting DPA president Ava Khullar, DPA secretary Adil Nargolwala and past DPA president Yezad Kapadia. The event was sponsored by the French beverage company Pernod Ricard India for the third time in succession, along with the Zoroastrian Co-operative Bank Limited. Additional support came from Ambriona Cacao Blends, Industrial Boilers Limited and Aava Water. Catering services were provided by Kainaz Contractor, while transport services for Contractor’s troupe was provided by Trailblazers Tours India. Dharmshala manager Firdosh Irani provided local hospitality to the dramatists. The core organizing committee included besides Jassawala, Veera Mavalwala, Farida Variava, Nilufer Shroff, Kaenaz Engineer, Cushrow, Simonil and Spenta Jassawala and Deepak Alekar.