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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline MAY 09, 2025 | The Indian Eye 26

Farewell Karachi: Bhawana Somaaya’s new book

is a poignant tapestry of love, loss, and resilience

OUR BUREAU recipes. At the heart of this memoir are
the stories behind the nests we weave.
New York, NY
Bhawana Somaaya has been a
hen celebrity journalist and film critic for more than 40 years and
writer Bhawana Somaaya’s has written for a galaxy of Indian
Wtherapist once asked her publications. She is the former editor
what her biggest fear in life was, she of Screen and has authored several
unthinkingly said, ‘It’s not having books on cinema, including biogra-
a roof over my head.’ Until then, phies of Hema Malini and Amitabh
she had never acknowledged the in- Bachchan. Several of her books are
tergenerational trauma-informed taught to students of cinema in In-
instinct of displacement and place- dia. She has served on the advisory
lessness. She was yet to unpack its panel of the Indian Central Board of
haunting grip on her flights, fights Film Certification and the governing
and freezes. council of Film and Television Insti-
Farewell Karachi is the story of tute of India.
a family planting its roots anew in a Somaaya is a classical dancer, a
country at the cusp of a violent Parti- broadcaster, a podcaster, and an au-
tion. Spanning over a hundred years thor of 19 books, Farewell Karachi
and five generations, the narrative being her 20th. She was conferred
draws on an intimate portrait of a with Padma Shri in 20a17; an hon-
large family that grew up under the quently to erstwhile Bombay in India exploring how that wound shaped orary doctorate by Jagran Lakecity
unspoken spectre of Partition. Told to rebuild a life for themselves. the imminent futures of the peoples University in 2021; and the Kanak
in an astonishingly mosaic and ar- In telling this moving tale, the partitioned along the Radcliffe Line. Nartan Puraskaar from Nalanda Nr-
chaeological tone, this is the saga of book also seeks to make sense of and In here are dreams, some shattered, ityakala Mahavidyalay in 2022. She is
a displaced Gujarati family from Ka- heal from the foundational wound of some salvaged; in here are customs, the entertainment editor at 92.7 Big-
rachi that moved to Kutch and subse- two South Asian infant nation-states, heartbreaks and carefully preserved FM radio station.

Hundreds Turn Out for First Retailers Networking Meetup

Hosted by National Retail Solutions (NRS), Renascent Media & Rainbow Heaven Distributors

OUR BUREAU crowd with an engaging performance Anil Patel, CEO of Rainbow port the growth and success of the
to conclude the evening, enhancing Heaven Distributors LLC, added, South Asian retail community.”
NEWARK, NJ
the festive atmosphere of the event. “The meetup was a fantastic success. The event featured excellent
ational Retail Solutions “It was inspiring to see so many It provided an ideal platform for re- cuisine, exciting giveaway prizes, and
(NRS), in collaboration with passionate retailers coming together tailers to exchange ideas, discover in- valuable opportunities for attendees
NRenascent Media and Rain- to connect, learn, and grow,” said novative products, and build lasting to exchange ideas and expand their
bow Heaven Distributors LLC, suc- Elie Y. Katz, CEO of NRS. “At NRS, relationships. We are proud to sup- professional networks.
cessfully hosted the inaugural Re- we are committed to equipping in-
tailers Networking Meetup on April dependent retailers with innovative
24th at Albert Palace in Fords, NJ. solutions and meaningful partner-
The event attracted hundreds of par- ships that help them thrive. Events
ticipants from various retail sectors, like these strengthen our retail com-
including hospitality, convenience munity and drive collective success.”
stores, gas stations, and liquor stores. Tanvi Prenita Chandra, Presi-
Shariff Khowessa, Assistant Di- dent of Renascent Media, reflect-
rector of Sales at NRS, delivered an ed positively on the event’s impact:
insightful presentation highlighting “The response to our inaugural
how NRS helps small business own- meetup was incredibly positive, with
ers effectively compete with larger attendees praising the unique format
retail chains. Charles Binau, VP of and valuable networking opportuni-
NRS Petro, also addressed attend- ties. Many expressed enthusiasm for
ees, emphasizing strategies and tech- future events and offered their sup-
nological advancements relevant to port to help grow these gatherings
the gas station sector. even bigger. We’re grateful to every-
Actor, director, and radio person- one who contributed to making this
ality Kulraaj Anand entertained the event such a success.”

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