The Personality-Present Matchmaker

Every Bombay household has its own cast of characters. The aunty with a dabba for every occasion; the uncle with a story for every cup of chai; the impeccably polished SoBo golden boy; the effortlessly curated Bandra girl. They’re the familiar faces who make gatherings loud, a little dramatic, and charmingly familiar.

This guide is our tribute to them. Simply match the personality (your own, your friend’s, cousin’s, coworker’s, etc., etc.), and the right gift will happily present itself. Choose finest wares from the Dishoom Store or pick up treasures from some of the extraordinary South Asian vendors at our Dishoom Loves Market. Delight yourself and your beloveds.

Her smile is warm, her humour a touch silly and completely infectious and her socials glow with an easy mix of polish and spontaneity. Her luminous skin is the result of a little skincare, a green juice or two and much-much positive energy. Mornings begin with yoga or Pilates; afternoons flow into creative bursts. She’s always ‘working on something exciting’ – a playlist, a side project, the next girls’ trip – and her energy is gloriously contagious. She celebrates everything, from big wins to tiny joys, and always shows up when it counts.

A few things she’ll absolutely adore:

• A Dishoom Store Gift Card – if you’re really close, you’ll know she prefers to pick her own presents.
• Chai Socks to keep toes toasty in shavasana.
• A Bun Maska Tee for ‘posting on the ’gram’.
• No Borders x Bhavya Ramesh: Saahas Silver Nail Caps for making a statement on evenings out.
• Anisha Parmar Studio: Mango Drop Earrings to bring sunshine to all her ensembles.
• A Dishoom Incense Box to wind down with after yet another ‘busy’ day.

He’s a very popular chap and somehow remembers the bartender’s name at every decent spot in town. He lives by ‘work hard, play hard’ and has two phones to stop his AM and PM worlds from colliding: ‘Mom and Papa don’t need to know everything!’ He’s perpetually ‘just back’ from somewhere fabulous and always full of fascinating stories. He’ll ‘cook’ you dinner (read: reheat his mum’s daal-chawal), then take you out for a night that somehow ends at 4am – driver patiently waiting, Boxout.fm on loud.

Choice tokens to flatter his aesthetic:

• A Premier Padmini Negroni for him to swirl on the rocks.
• Baba’s Coffee for his just-up midday fogs.
• Fable & Mane HoliRoots Hair Oil for his lush-locks look.
• The Monogram Cap for the odd occasion he wants to keep a low profile.
• A finely made Nappa Dori Journal for his important thoughts and appointments.
• The Dishoom Cookery Book – the ultimate prop for his next ‘I made this’ dinner.

• The self-appointed CEO of every apartment-building social circle. Her calendar is busier than a wedding planner’s, and she can organise a kitty party faster than you can say ‘What snacks shall we get?’ She always makes sure everyone’s included and knows which bakery sells the good plum cake, which pandit answers calls after 9pm, the florist with the best marigolds and which aunty’s daughter secretly got engaged, ‘but shh, not public yet.’ She fusses over everyone’s food intake and rarely lets anyone leave without a dabba ‘for later, baba.’

Delight her with gifts that feed her hospitality:

• A Naan Roll Gift Card so she can create an excuse to host a gathering.
• A fresh Masala Dabba for that legendary tadka.
• A Tiipoi: Longpi Spoon Rest to keep the kitchen in pristine party conditions.
• A Market Bag big enough for groceries and juicy neighbourhood updates.
• A La Jambu Card she can frame, as a thank you for her hospitality.
• Mauli Ritual Bath Salts for long post-party soaks in the tub as she plots her next match-making attempts.
• Dishoom’s Finest Tea Towel Gift Set for cleaning up party-goers’ chai spills in style.

A man of routine, great loyalty and selective hearing. Practical, softly stubborn and a ready-giver of ‘pocket’ money. He’s up before sunrise with the paper and his chai, glasses hanging around his neck, the smell of Old Spice preceding him. He believes traffic was better before all the new flyovers, a self-declared witness to the golden age of ‘better times’. He’s the sort of man who’ll clap you on the back and say, ‘Beta, I’m proud of you,’ before launching into a story you’ve already heard five times with minor factual variations.

Respect his daily pleasures with most-useful presents:

• Replenish his favourite blend with a Chai Gift Set for those newspaper mornings.
• A few cans of Dishoom IPA or a generous pour of New Permit Room Old-Fashioned to upgrade his post-dinner ritual.
• A Chutney Gift Set to accompany every snack.
• A Slip-Disc CD to remind him of his glory days.
• A handful of Dishoom Gift Coins, so on special occasions, he can treat you to lunch while regaling you with the good old days.