It was the launch of a book but for onlookers, it would have appeared to be a musical night with performances by Susheela Raman.

Amidst all that William Dalrymple, clad in a black kurta and white pyajama, read out three passages from his new book. He also spoke about his encounters with Baul singers from rural West Bengal and a skull collector who used to 'feed his collection of skulls with rum and whisky'.

Raell Padamsee, Kiran Shantaram, Prasoon Joshi, James Ferreira, Roopa Vohra and Vikram Raizada were there too.

Two much: Susheela Raman with Sam Mills