If Britain has developed a sweet tooth for Indian mithai — blame it on dapper G.K. Noon, managing director of Bombay Halwa, who lives alone in an unpresumptuous but chic apartment near Regent’s Park in Central London. Honoured by the Queen earlier in the year with an MBE (Member of the British Empire), Noon was also named Asian of the Year in 1994. The pioneer of Indian confectionery in the U.K., he has now made his foray into supplying frozen and chilled Indian food to various supermarkets in London. But he still maintains strong links with India, particularly with his ancestral home in Rajasthan, where he has many charitable interests.
The industrious Noon moved into his two-bedroom apartment barely 12 months ago. “I just love the surroundings and preferred moving into an apartment rather than a house after my divorce,” discloses Noon. He knew exactly what he wanted, and his architect-friend Duncan Besset scrupulously executed his ideas.
The living-room is bright and airy, and the rich British sun streams in through moderate bay windows. The choice of soft, creamy colours was intentional, and Noon admits, “An apartment is always designed on the basis of one’s personality. I like the appeal of soft colours, since I have to see it every single day. Hard colours can get tiring.” So pale white and yellow upholstery complements the wooden flooring covered with Kashmiri carpets. Husain’s watercolours hang against the wall.
The living room has cream upholstery that is a perfect foil for Husain’s paintings. The wooden flooring is complemented by Kashmiri carpets.
His collection of art also extends to a unique Lladró piece depicting two hunters, picked up on one of his trips to Rome.
The courteous Noon loves to entertain, and it hardly comes as a surprise to learn that he chooses this room to do so. The Italian dining-table with 12 chairs was designed by Duncan Besset, cleverly inspired by the design on the legs of the centre-table. Two bell-shaped candlestands, picked up from India, add to the elegance.
The study contains a painting of Noon’s late brother by M.F. Husain done in the 1940s and signed ‘Maqbool’, a cricket painting by French artist Jean Brown Paul, and a caricature of Prince Charles with Noon at the MBE institute.
The study holds a portrait of Noon’s late brother, done by Husain in the early 1940s for a meagre Rs. 15 and signed ‘Maqbool’. “I stumbled upon this in my ancestral home a few years ago, after Husain himself reminded me of it,” says Noon, who is fully aware of its worth today. Another caricature of him with Prince Charles at the MBE institute (done by one of his employees) adorns the wall.
Though it has been more than 25 years since Noon moved to London, he still owns a sweet shop at Crawford market. Like millions in his motherland, he loves cricket and plays for his office team every Sunday during summer. In his spare time, he goes clay-pigeon shooting.
Though single once more, Noon is not alone. He has two daughters (Zeenat and Zarmin) from his first marriage, who take active part in his business.
Text: Kevin Rego
Photographs: Angus Thompson