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During its 70 years of existence this all-ladies Club has made its presence felt among all strata of society. And although it has gained many male admirers over the decades, there are no men clamoring for membership rights or spouses competing to serve in the women’s domain. They are content to witness the resourceful bon viveurs come together under the banner of Time and Talents Club and constructively use their energies for the benefit of the underprivileged.

"The main object of the Club has always been to gather funds for charity. The second object is to promote culture and hence enrich the life of our city (Bombay),” records a brief history. These twin objectives were best fulfilled by organizing music and dance concerts, publishing the recipe book (the 11th edition of which has just been printed) and running the Victory Stall, a popular eatery, the profits from which helped defray the costs of their different charitable projects.

In his letter addressed to "the pillars of this worthy organization” — Hilla Daruvala and her sister Gool Shavaksha, the founder president of the Club — music conductor/director Mehli Mehta had written in March 1984, "It is through you and the Time and Talents Club that I achieved my first musical successes in Bombay 30-40 years ago...If it had not been for the great sym­pathy, understanding, consideration, and last but not the least, patience with a volatile guy like me, I could never have achieved the level of artistic performances with which we enriched the musical life of Bombay, hand-in-hand, heart with heart. We all worked hard, we all fought hard, but we also all loved each other solidly, that last characteristic has always been the basis of my life. That is why I have made such a success of my American Youth Symphony in Los Angeles since the last 20 years. And if you think dealing with Parsi society ladies was not easy, you should come and see how I handle 110 modern American grown-up kids between 18 and 25! Compared to the problems I have with them here, my work with the Time and Talents Club was a picnic — a picnic I adored, I shall always remember, and which will be an experience I shall always treasure.”

Before Mehli Mehta brought his American Youth Orchestra, Time and Talents had played host to several international orches­tras including the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Florence Festival Orchestra, the last three playing under the baton of conductor Zubin Mehta, Mehli’s illustrious son. 

Facilities and conveniences being limited in those days, the ladies from the Time and Talents were required to work in differ­ent capacities with some delegated the task of carrying wash basins with soap and water for the international artistes, remin­isces president Piloo Cooper. Joining Cooper at the residence of past president Meher Amersey were five other ex-presidents of the Time and Talents Club who had their own experiences to share with Parsiana. "We had to sell programs, only then would we get sit­ting or standing place in the hall,” mentions former president Silloo Mistri.

For these visiting orchestras, there would be one passen­ger plane carrying the musicians and another cargo plane carrying their instruments. Cooper recalls how one of the musicians, on the eve of his departure, reported that his passport was in the ‘farak (robe)’ that was packed along with his instrument and boarded onto the cargo plane! With the necessary experience and influence of the local travel agents the artiste was finally given permission to leave with the troupe.

Memories linger of their "first international artiste,” violinist Yehudi Menuhin (in 1954): Since it was considered an honor for an ar­tiste of his caliber to play in Bombay he would stay only at the Raj Bhavan. He was performing with the Symphony Orchestra of Bombay conducted by Mehli Mehta at the Excelsior Theatre. Origi­nally Menuhin’s sister, Hepzibah was going to accompany him and when the Bosendorfer Piano Company heard this, they dispatched a piano to India on loan, for her use. However she was unable to come and Louis Kentner came in her place. "Later when the Club decided to buy a piano, they chose a Bosendorfer and Yehudi Menuhin in his extraordinarily generous fashion contributed a handsome sum towards the cost of the new piano...It is interest­ing to note that this was one of Zubin Mehta’s first appearances in an orchestra as a tympanist,” it was written in the golden jubilee brochure of the Club. 

And when Zubin Mehta arrived with his New York Philharmo­nic Orchestra, on the occasion of the Club’s golden jubilee in 1984, a special acoustic shell was specially designed by Burjor Mistry for the first performance at Bombay’s Shanmukhananda Hall. While the rehearsal for this Bombay concert was in progress, past president Mithoo Coorlawala recalls slipping into the hall with Sha­vaksha. Suddenly Zubin stopped midway making a crestfallen Sha­vaksha wonder whether the shell was not functioning. Actually Mehta had only taken a break to greet the ladies! The success of all these concerts was due to the efficient functioning of the concerts committee, the programme and fundraising committee, the reception committee, the box office committee, the publicity committee... The frequency of their western music concerts de­clined over the decades with the government imposing 25 percent tax on sale of tickets, defeating the purpose of their fund-raising exercise.

Through fetes, sale of food, games drive, and of course concerts, a systematized fund-raising effort was conceived by Lady Jerbai Mody. "An exceptional person of great charisma...whenever the Club needed more funds for their work for charity she was always in the forefront going from office to office with Coorlawala and Scylla Vatcha to get advertisements for the souvenir. With her lively spirit she called the trio ‘faith, hope and charity,’” it was recorded in the golden jubilee souvenir. The fund-raising committee "funded all the Club’s manifold activities as well as its concerts — on an average 20 a year,” reminisced Coorlawala. "Fund-raising under relentless pressure required a special kind of energy, reams of writing and a passionate belief in one’s cause,” she added. 

Their 70th anni­versary was therefore marked with a fete too organized in Febru­ary 2005. Prior to that they had organized two concerts in Sep­tember 2004, presenting the Jade Trio of USA and the Bombay Chamber Orchestra. The latter concert was dedicated to the memory of J. R. D. Tata to coincide with his birth centenary year. They also held a gala dinner on September 12 at the Taj Mahal Hotel, the venue of many of their programs in earlier years. These three events were supported by Air India, the Tata Group of Companies and Arisa Diamonds. 

Promoting local talent and encouraging creativity has been a regular feature. In fact the genesis of the Time and Talents Club in September 1934 lay in sharing talents and knowl­edge of crafts. When three like-minded and enterprising young ladies of the Mulla family — sisters Gool and Hilla and their cousin Sooni — met Roshan Sethna who had learnt the intricate art of jewelry making in Rajasthan they induced her to teach them this art while they shared their skills in other fields. A group was formed that met every Wednesday at the home of Lady Jerbai Mulla who with her sister Maneckbai S. F. Mulla were considered the mainstay of the Club. On Lady Mulla’s suggestion they sold the articles they created with the object of raising money for worthwhile chari­ties. Having returned from England where she had interacted with The Time and Talents Club, Shavak­sha felt this name appropriate for their Bombay group that was growing into an influential women’s club. Today  on their rolls are many who are second and third generation members from the same family.

As in earlier years, in 2004 too an inter-school singing competition was organized in July. Among their most memorable evenings was the Republic Day Ball in 1950 to coincide with the declaration of India as a republic. The climax of the evening was a tableau of the world’s republics starting with Greece and culminating with India at the stroke of midnight. Past president Eva Khambatta who was then a young model recalls how the ring she was sporting had got stuck to her finger making the jeweler put her finger in his mouth to yank off the valuable, a memory she finds repulsive to this day.

Just as the Club hosted the premier of the film On Wings of Fire in 1986, in their diamond jubilee year in 1994 they pre­miered the movie The Pelican Brief to generate funds.

The 10th edition of their recipe book containing an eclectic collection of over 3,000 recipes from achar to zabalione was also released in their 70th anniversary year but being instantly sold out, the 11th edition had to be printed. Culinary arts featuring prominently in the lives of these ladies, cookery demonstrations were a popular avenue to exhibit one’s skills. Aimai Adenwalla who was the president of the Club in the golden jubilee year in 1984 and being a good cook herself recalls judging many cookery contests. The recipes collated formed the nucleus for the cookery book which from a few stapled pages grew in size and popularity with additional inputs for each edition. Cartoonist R. K. Laxman’s visualizations added to the book’s appeal. Visiting musicians too were asked to share their recipes so the cookbook includes Zubin Mehta’s curry as also Marta Zalan’s Hungarian scrambled eggs.

With the setting up of the Victory Stall near the Gateway of India during the Indo-China War the ladies would daily bring their home-cooked food for sale to the patrons who included a fair mix of senior executives and clerks valuing the dishes offered at reasonable prices. Member Peepsy Wadia had procured land for the Club on the premises of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre through the kind offices of Dr Homi Bhabha, a friend of the Club. The ladies themselves, including Jerbai Mody would take orders and serve food. Gradually they expanded their facilities, got tables for sit-down meals, a stove and a cook on the premises where meals could be readied on order. As the demand for their food increased they had four cooks on the premises. The editor of the Afternoon Despatch and Courier Behram Contractor frequented this eatery regularly and often referred to the Club in his popular Round and About column. The money collected through the Victory Stall was donated to the families of the jawans. Next to the Victory Stall was the House of Bamboo, a fair price shop literally erected from bamboo strips which made available basic commodities at reasonable prices during the War period. There were no Sahakari Bhandar outlets then to control the distribution of essential goods. "To ensure that no one cornered the goods, we would write down the names of those who purchased,” mentioned Mistri.  At its peak in 1984 the Victory Stall had to close down. When the Atomic Energy management recalled their premises, for a while the Victory Stall operated at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. 

During the Second World War members specially learnt first-aid, bandage making, fire-fighting and imparted knowledge on how to use substitute food during the days of rationing. In the subsequent Indo-Pakistan and Indo-China war days the ladies would be involved in organizing packages to be sent to the jawans. 

Painting competitions for street children, parties for underprivileged children, eye camps, ambulances for the disabled are the different social welfare projects supported by the Time and Talents over the years. Housewives and working women from low income  groups were specially offered a vacation at the Holiday Home started by Shavaksha at her home in Panchgani. Thereafter it shifted venues until Jal Seth donated his Matheran home to the Club. A Holiday Home being too expensive to maintain, the ladies are now taken on a vacation to different hill stations. The medical, educational and social relief committee disburses aid for different causes whereby child and family welfare gets prior­ity, mentions Amersey. In their diamond jubilee year they sanctioned a scholarship of one lakh rupees, the interest from which was to annually assist a lady student in postgraduate studies or research just as one nursing student has been sponsored since years past. From the funds collected during the diamond jubilee year they pledged an amount for a free bed with treatment at the Orthopedic Hospi­tal for Children at Haji Ali.

The Club has also extended its reach to some rural areas in Maharashtra, near Panvel, Karjat, financing the cost of bore­wells, water pumps, tractors, fertilizers, preventing land ero­sion and afforestation in underdeveloped areas, distributing nutritional food items, gifting milch cows, installing electric connections to aid in rural uplift programs. Their latest project was in Raigad district where the poor adivasis clothed in rags had drinking water which was putrid. 

"Everyone in the village will have to do shramdhan and all castes will have to work to­gether,” was the response from the Time and Talents ladies who offered to raise finances if they were assured of unity among the villagers. Their work in the village Sevansai resulted in the government declaring the place "a model village,” report­ed Amer­sey. The government had displaced the adiva­sis and rele­gated them to a rocky barren hill. "They were so poor that they had nothing to offer us and felt so bad that they just kept a few grains of sugar in our palms — meethu monu karvaa (to sweeten our lives),” said Cooper. Past president Delara Jejeebhoy referred to their recent water harvesting project in collaboration with SHARE in Madhe­gaon in Raigad district where they built five bunds on a hillside to increase the availability of water beyond the monsoons. Seeing these villages progressing now they feel their Club’s pledge "Reaching out: for a better tomorrow” is vindicated.

In addition to the welfare committee, they have an old clothes committee, a paper collection committee... Altogether there are 10 committees functioning to ensure that the members’ time and

talents are constructively utilized for the betterment of society. Their emblem — a pair of hands enclosing a heart — symbolizes the objects of the Club. The hands are symbolic of giving, of nurturing. The heart shows that it cares. Rising to the occasion, contributing to different causes whether national calamities or individual tragedies, the Club members have always been guided by the maxim of Shavaksha — "to give at once is to give twice.”