Babukhan Mall

If you had a couple of million bucks and wanted, like every other bloke jumping on the bandwagon, to open a mall, what would be the best place in Hyderabad to do it? A few feet away from another mind-blowingly successful mall, right? How about a few feet away from two?

Unlikely indeed that anything can beat the wisdom of putting the Babukhan Mall where it is. Rubbing shoulders with Amrutha Mall, no more than a stone's throw away from the glittering Hyderabad Central, and a ten-minute drive from Prasad's - who could have dreamed that such a foolhardy concept could survive, far less succeed?

But what Babukhan Mall has going for it is novelty and haute couture. While other malls boast of brands, Babukhan shows off only suave sophistication. (Brands, if you must know, have now become blas鬠because they're within the reach of the "common man". Again, if you must know, the phrase "common man" has been altered beyond recognition in definition.) Nowhere else will you find an exclusive kids' toystore, a quaintly peaceful, stand-alone (not a chain) bookshop and a designer bangle boutique (I kid you not) under one roof.

Not to mention a new coffee pub offering an international menu at Indian prices. The atmosphere is one of unhurried ease, a kind of soothing "we have just the thing for you" Jeeves-ish all-round resourcefulness. You won't find too much variety here in terms of the usual stuff: T-shirts, Jeans, watches, shoes and so forth. But you will certainly find the unusual, the exotic and the colorful.

So if you're real good at crossing treacherous roads, or happen to be on the right side of one for a happy change, saunter into Babukhan Mall to relax, refresh yourself, and perhaps pick up a knick-knack or two for the wife (bangles) and kids (toys).