As Jeetu Jodhpurkar, Managing Director of International Strategy at Share Our Strength, rightly put, “everybody has a strength to share. Whether you are a chef, a singer, a dancer, or a craftsman, the platform exists for whoever sees this as an opportunity, not a charity.” It was this conviction that shaped the third edition of the Charity Soirée, the organisation's flagship fundraising dinner, held on April 26 at Oryn, Fairmont Mumbai. Robb Report India partnered with Share Our Strength for this on-ground activation for our digital IP, Stories of Impact. The evening was hosted in partnership with the property and brought together by Gauri Devidayal, co-founder of Food Matters Group and a member of the National Leadership Council.
Share Our Strength is a Washington DC-based nonprofit, the largest and oldest of its kind in the United States, that has raised billions of dollars towards ending childhood hunger. Since bringing its operations to India, the organisation has, through a network of seven partner organisations, served over 25 million meals to more than 500,000 children in the form of breakfasts, lunches, and morning nutrition programmes. The India chapter is led by Executive Director Rohit Choudhary, with the Bombay chapter co-chaired by Aditi Dugar, founder and CEO of MASQUE, and Saloni Mahajan Narang, founder of Paras Corporation, who joined the leadership circle ahead of this edition. The evening was built around a premise Jodhpurkar returns to consistently: every Rs 2,000 raised translates to one child being fed for an entire year.
Guests arrived at Oryn for a cocktail hour before a silent auction and a six-course dinner headlined by five celebrated chefs. The Ambassadors of Hope for the night were Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and actor and host Maniesh Paul, both of whom addressed the room before dinner was served. Rajiv Bhatia, General Manager of Fairmont Mumbai, welcomed guests on behalf of the property, confirming the hotel's commitment to hosting multiple Share Our Strength events going forward.
Speaking about the cause and what drew him to the evening, Maniesh Paul said, “We do things for our own joy, but if that joy can bring happiness to someone else, there's nothing bigger than that. This isn't just an evening, it's a chance to be part of something meaningful." Chef Sanjeev Kapoor followed with a point about the scale of impact. "Sometimes, it doesn't even take effort, just belief. And it's incredible that today, just Rs 2,000 a year can help feed a child one meal a day. That's the impact of coming together."
The six-course dinner that followed featured an exclusively curated menu, with each chef bringing a dish rooted in memory, nostalgia, and the flavours of home. Michelin-starred Chef Suvir Saran opened with Delhi ६ Cloud, a spiced dahi mousse with imli caviar, crisp potato, mint gel, and a kairi spear, describing his role on the night as that of a sutradhar, a storyteller sharing the flavours of India's home kitchens. "Dishes like koftas, chaat, and regional vegetarian food that many have never experienced. That is what people connected with, the authenticity of ghar ka khana."
Chef Mihir Kane followed with आम Experience!, a course built around kairi cut saar, vatli dal, and puran poli straws, grounded in summer memories and the comfort of home cooking. "It takes me back to school holidays, those simple, comforting meals made at home. It's about dishes a mother cooks for her child. I've taken those memories and created my own interpretation, a blend of personal summer experiences on a plate." Chef Madhav Dayal, served टमाटर के Texture, a tomato concasse with tamari and mustard dressing, cherry tomatoes, olive oil ice cream, and tomato powder, a dish he described as a tribute to the women in his life who have fed and inspired him. Chef Saransh Goila brought Three Way देसी Delight to the table, a trio of Sindhi dal pakwan toast, Gujrati fajeto fafda toast, and Indori bhutte ka khees toast, comfort food rendered with precision and familiarity. The Pariwar Course, a collaborative main by all five chefs, offered a choice between shevga bhaat with drumstick and indrayani rice, and mutton alni bhaat with lamb shanks, served alongside moringa tempura, mirchi thecha, kurdai papad, and spiced jaggery. Chef Pooja Dhingra closed the evening with मीठी Treat, a moong dal halwa with vanilla cake and hazelnut crunch.
The evening closed with a public commitment from attendees towards a target of five million meals. As Chef Suvir Saran put it at the table: "It takes so little to make a real difference in a child's life. Support, share, and spread the word." The third Charity Soirée made a considered case for what the will to share our strength, channelled through the right room, can look like.