On February 14, Bhaichand Patel did not host his annual Valentine’s Day bash. In fact, he hasn’t hosted it for three years in a row. This has been a profound setback for the capital’s fashion set. After all, for more than two decades, Bhaichand’s Valentine’s Day party has been a fixture on Delhi’s social calendar. The last one, in 2023, convinced him he would never host it again.
This afternoon, sitting over a glass of white wine in the back garden of his apartment in central Delhi’s Sujan Singh Park – where the slightly warm March air is alive with birdsong – he explains why. Many familiar faces were missing from that final party. “My old friends are no longer there – Satish (Gujral), Sadia (Dehlvi), Vinod (Mehta)… They are all gone. Covid and old age have taken many others. It shocked me when I realized that I no longer have a friend who is older than me.”
Although he was born and raised in Fiji, and later became a diplomat for the United Nations around the world, Bhichand studied in Delhi and eventually returned here after retirement. Retirement proved to be a misnomer, as he built a reputation as one of the capital’s most committed socialites. Hardly a day goes by without him reappearing on page three – one evening at a book launch, the next at an art launch.
However, despite his sociability, this gentle man appreciates solitude. He says he does not hesitate to dine alone in restaurants. For the past 26 years, he has been living alone in his apartment in Sujan Singh Park. His wife, who died two years ago, lived in New York. His children settled abroad. However, his house is still crowded with old cinema posters and original artwork (including Satish Gujral and Manu Parekh in the bedroom). The residence is looked after by his long-time attendant, Gopal Nadar, while Bhichand spends his most productive hours in the “TV room,” filled with hundreds of books. There, he composed six works of his own. Wanting to donate his collection to public libraries and interested individuals, he asked this reporter to remove the three books from the shelves.
Although Valentine’s Day parties are over, Bhaichand continues to host smaller gatherings. His final concert was held two weeks ago in memory of recently departed friends Mark Tully, Aruna Vasudev and Josefina Young. “I thought I would raise a toast to them with the people who know them.” There is at least one more rally in the near future, scheduled for October 21. “I have 20 tables – they will be put in the garden…” he says, detailing the logistics. It promises to be an unforgettable party. On that day, Bhaichand will turn ninety.
Note: The picture shows Bhichand Patel with Gopal Nadar in the ‘TV Room’
