Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Whispering sister act
Isn't it lovely to kick-start the holiday season with trying to make up? Mumbai's grand ladies of controversy, the Bhagat sisters - Sheetal and Poonam - made a rare appearance at Ensemble's 30th anniversary bash, and while we expected a nasty exchange of words, the two seemed like they were getting along just fine. It seemed as if Poonam was keen to make nice with her sister.

Doggedly persistent, she leaned forward to whisper into Sheetal's ear. There were times when Sheetal pulled away, even raising a finger at one point, but no fireworks ensued. Minutes later, after the frisson, Poonam and Sheetal left separately. Last year, Sheetal (now Mafatlal) had famously and forcibly entered their mother Rajani Bhagat's Pali Hill bungalow with a bunch of bouncers after a long-standing dispute with Rajani and Poonam over tenancy rights.

Pic/Satej Shinde

Mithun Da's still got the moves
Yesteryear dancing superstar Mithun Chakraborty shakes a leg with international choreographer Mia Michaels on the sets of a dance reality show in Malad last evening.

All aboard the new ark
We've always felt that Mumbai's coastline has not been optimised to the fullest by the hospitality industry as well as for tourist attractions. Now, we hear that the city is all set to have a new floating restaurant. Restaurateurs Kookie Singh, Samyukkta Singh and Viraj Chandwadkar will soon launch Ark Deck and Bar that is expected to sail 1.6km off the coast from Bandra Sea Link jetty.

Spread over three levels with a seating capacity of 100, it comprises a sit-down restaurant (European and Mediterranean food), a deck bar, private dining spaces and a few suites. They plan to grab the attention of Mumbaikars with two bright LED lights that will be visible at both ends of the sea link. Being all at sea wouldn't be such a bad idea in this context.

Because parents know best
This diarist was recently able to pick the brains of Indian women's cricket captain Mithali Raj, who was in the city for a conversation series. As she reminisced about her initiation into cricket, her parents, especially her father, came in for special mention.

"I used to wonder why they were so thrilled with my every success. I could never fathom how they had so much faith, and had invested so much in me," she recalled. Going by how Raj went on to shine for India and lead the team, it sure was worth it.

The big three-oh
It wouldn't be hyperbole to say that the entire Indian fashion industry turned up at the sinfully decadent soirée toasting Ensemble's 30th anniversary on Monday night.

(Clockwise) Manish Malhotra with Tina Tahiliani Parikh; Mehr Jessia Rampal and Adhuna Bhabani; Tarun with sister Tina

It was a big fat Indian fashion shaadi as Delhi designers including Rajesh Pratap Singh, Rta Kapur Chishti, Raghavendra Rathore, Varun Bahl, Suket Dhir, Amit Aggarwal and Arjun Saluja chatted with city residents Shahab Durazi, Manish Malhotra, Sandeep Khosla, Anavila Misra, Monisha Jaising, Surily Goel, Payal Singhal, Nachiket Barve and Payal Khandwala.

Looking resplendent in a one-shoulder, metal-wire sculptural blouse by Rimzim Dadu, Ensemble's executive director Tina Tahiliani-Parikh personally greeted every guest who walked through the fortress door, along with her brother designer Tarun Tahiliani, who founded the store with his wife Sailaja (who made a rare appearance with son Anand) and the late Rohit Khosla in 1987.

Mehr Jessia-Rampal, former supermodel and muse to Tarun, made quite a statement by wearing her heels in her hands rather than her feet, while Adhuna Bhabani of coveted curls, put the spotlight on androgynous sensuality, dressed in a dull gold three-piece suit by Arjun Saluja.

The usual clothes railings were turned in to make space for The First 30, a series of design installations by 30 handpicked designers, who have explored the idea of fashion beyond clothes using mediums such as videos, sculptures, garments or a collection, photographs and archived pieces. It will be open to the public until mid-January at Lion Gate.

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