London: Bollywood’s new favourite getaway?

Two weeks ago there were so many Bollywood-Kapoors in London that the city was no less than a mini-Punjab.

Boney Kapoor was there with all his four children. His niece Sonam was there with her new husband Anand. And so was Kareena Kapoor, her husband Saif, and their year-old superstar Taimur.

Both Sonam and Kareena have named London as their favourite city outside India. And Saif has spent a large chunk of his life there, having attended boarding school in the United Kingdom, as have his children Sara and Ibrahim. It seems likely that his youngest, Taimur, will also follow suit.

“I have always been very fond of England. My husband (cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi) played many test matches there and sometimes I’d join him. Fortunately, the children have also inherited a fondness for the country. But though we do like to holiday in London, nothing beats home,” says Saif’s mother, Sharmila Tagore.

Sharmila’s daughter-in-law Kareena, who is still holidaying in London with her family, took a 36-hour break to fly into Mumbai for a live performance before flying right back. And actor Sonam Kapoor has said that she intends to set up a residence in London.

But before the current lot of Indian celebrities made the British city a regular haunt, it was singer Lata Mangeshkar who spent every summer there.

“I am very fond of that city. But I can no longer travel so far and so frequently. I have great memories of the city, its warm people, and my live performances there. My first international concert was held at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London. I remember every single detail of it,” reminisces Lataji.

 The city does seem to have some inexplicable connection with the who’s who of Indian showbiz.