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Journalism of Courage
It was in 2018 that the Indian Hotel Company Limited (IHCL) — the Tata Group company that runs the Taj chain of hotels — won the bid for a 33-year lease of The Connaught hotel in the heart of Delhi. Last week, the 85-room, four-star hotel was thrown open to the public after an extensive renovation and makeover.
Puneet Chhatwal, MD & CEO, IHCL, unveiled the plaque for ‘The Connaught, New Delhi- IHCL SeleQtions’ at the hotel over the weekend, with Union ministers Smriti Irani, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Harsh Vardhan present at the event. On the occasion, actor Anupam Kher launched his new book, titled Your Best Day is Today (Hay House India: Rs 499), and held a discussion with art critic Ina Puri about the book and his journey. The event was held at the hotel’s bar, The Terrace and The Hub.
In the book, the actor recounts his experiences during the lockdown, several ups and downs, including the time when his mother, Dulari, and brother Raju Kher had contracted the coronavirus. This is the third book of the 65-year-old actor, after Aap Khud Hi Best Hain (2011) and his autobiography, Lessons Life Taught Me, Unknowingly (2019).
Kher said, “COVID-19 has put us all on the path of self-discovery, willpower, small triumphs and the strength of positive thinking. I managed to write a book about all this in this lockdown.” He added that he spent a lot of time in Connaught Place during his days at National School of Drama.
The Connaught, New Delhi, has retained the art deco element of Connaught Place and fused it with contemporary interiors. After a renovation spanning almost three years, the hotel has been added with a pop of colours, themed decor and luxe interiors.
The hotel was closed in 2013, after the previous operator ran it for 18 years without a license from the civic body. Subsequently, the New Delhi Municipal Corporation held a bid for the hotel in 2018.
Address: 37, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Marg, Shivaji Stadium, Connaught Place
