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No, the star act is not Amitabh Bachchan or Madhuri Dixit or Dimple Kapadia or Shah Rukh Khan or Hrithik Roshan or any of the other stars linked to the Bollywood theme month being promoted by the famed store.
The star attraction is a 47-year-old Indian chef brought in especially from Mumbai, whose deft touch with everything from pao bhaji to ganderi kebabs has enthralled British crowds desperate for a taste of authentic Indian cuisine.
The Taj Group of Hotels' corporate chef, Hemant Oberoi, supervises the production of pao bhaji, dosas, chicken tikka masala and prawn masala for those who turn up to taste his fare.
"They have localized Indian food too much in this country, it has become Anglicized," says Oberoi, who has cooked for Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former US president Bill Clinton, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and many other dignitaries.
"It's understandable," he says, "but people also want authentic taste. If a Chinese or French chef comes to this country, will he compromise? No, and nor should we."
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