A "welcome" experience for Giselle at Shikara

Click on the pic to view slideshow Giselle Thakral, international model, top finalist in Gladrags Model Hunt who also featured in Kingfisher Calendar 2011 and participant of reality shows on television like Survivor India on Star Plus and the more recent show Welcome-Baazi Mehmaan Nawaazi Ki on Life OK channel, is my guest for this week at the famed ethnic restaurant Shikara of Hotel Highway View in Sanpada. The long distance from western suburbs to Navi Mumbai and the Mumbai traffic had my guest arriving a little beyond schedule. The svelte model presented me with a rose bouquet before she was herself welcomed with bouquets by CMD Ashok Mehra and GM Pandey of Shikara. Giselle appeared willowy in black leather pants, printed sheer top and a leather jacket. The model with never-ending legs sported high heels which made her look taller and her thick silky hair plaited at different levels, hung from one side. The Telugu actor (she has done two Telugu films and is signed on for one more) is open to shows on TV like Fear Factor and Bigg Boss. And going by the track record of Welcome show, if Dimpy Mahajan and Debina Chaudhary are also thrown in for good measure into the Bigg Boss house with Giselle, the channel would have a field day with high TRPs. Shikara, the brainchild of Ashok Mehra, sports three different kinds of seating – the main attraction being the centrally positioned houseboat-shaped ones on water with a colorfully lit up fountain and water body separating the shikaras, where a few geese enjoy the live ghazal performances. The shikaras are flanked by formal dining area on one side and by baithaks on the other where large groups can enjoy an informal dinner. After looking around the different seating arrangements of the sprawling restaurant, we settled on one of the open-air shikaras for a sumptuous dinner that was to be served. One look at the sylphlike Giselle and I knew she would just nibble on food but I made it clear that she would have to forego her diet for tonight. She was sporting enough to tow my line and started with green salad of lettuce, bell peppers, cucumber; an assorted Kebab Platter comprising paneer, seekh, hara bara, babycorn and potatoes all done to perfection and a glass of Virgin Mojitho - No, this globe-trotting international model does not drink or smoke. I too followed her like Mary’s little lamb and called for a virgin Mojitho and salad. She talks about the show Welcome and explains why she prepared a fish dish, “I felt it is all about mehmaan nawaazi. There were non-vegetarian guests on the show and it would not be fair to serve only veg dishes.” She has a mixed lineage of Punjabi father and Keralite-Portuguese mother. She gave up eating meat long back and is also a member of PETA which reinstates her vegetarian status. By now our main course of Dum Aloo Kashmiri (baby potatoes in rich red gravy), Choq Wagan- Brinjal, Ruwagan Chaman of fresh, soft paneer in green gravy and tandoor rotis with fresh fruit juice did the trick of bringing out the slender model’s urge to predict. Watch out, Giselle knows numerology and after she volunteered to read our MD Ashok Mehra’s numerological influences, we were convinced she is really good at it as cent per cent of what she said about Mehra happened to be true. Amidst soulful ghazal renditions, delectable food, pleasant weather and good company, we winded up our fabulous dinner at the exquisite Shikara restaurant with a sweet finale of Kone Phirin and Malai Kulfi Rabadi & Falooda. Being a Kashmiri eatery, she loved the flavorsome Kahwa served with almond shavings. After bidding all of us farewell, Giselle was all geared up for the long drive back home from Sanpada to Andheri and her soothing parting shot was, “This was a genuine Welcome experience.”