Over the top and in the sky

Vivek Kothari and Dimple Mehta

This weekend saw the NSCI dome taken over for one of the biggest, fattest weddings yet, as Vivek Kothari, son of Prithviraj Kothari, the director of RiddiSiddhi Bullions Ltd with a net worth of over $1 billion, married his fiancée Dimple Mehta.

Ranveer Singh

The celebrations were kicked off a couple of months ago with a three-day pre-wedding bash held in Dubai at the New Oberoi beach resort. The Mumbai part, which began last week, saw a blimp floating over the Worli Seaface announcing the occasion, and the sangeet witnessed performances by Bollywood stars Jacqueline Fernandez and Ranveer Singh, who danced to their hit tracks and entertained the guests.

Jacqueline Fernandez

Sources say that for the ring ceremony, the father of the groom took to the stage and shook a leg with yesteryear star Govinda, and the baraat also had performances by Punjabi sensations Mika Singh and Badshah, before over a 100 young pandits assembled to marry the couple.

Salman Rushdie

Not the midnight's child
So prevailing is the legacy of Midnight's Children that there are many who believe that its author, Salman Rushdie, was actually born on August 15, 1947, at the stroke of midnight along with the Indian subcontinent. Of course, this is not true. Though he shares his birth year with that of the nation, the celebrated author was in fact born a few months earlier on June 19, and yesterday as he celebrated his 70th birthday (yes, that's how old India is too), he marked the occasion by posting this picture of a coffee mug inscribed with the legend 'Made in 1947: All Original Parts'.

Like his birth twin, Rushdie too seems to be in no mood to slow down. His latest novel, following his acclaimed 'Two years, eight months and twenty eight nights' in 2015, described as 'a topical, razor-sharp portrait of life among the very rich', titled 'The Golden House,' has been described as "A sort of Great Gatsby for our time."

And though the novel is set in New York, Rushdie's links to Mumbai, the city of his birth have not been severed. The book, set to release this September, follows the story of a mysteriously wealthy family from Mumbai that is desperately seeking to forget the tragedy they left behind, as they feverishly reinvent themselves in New York City.

Sudhir Nagpal, Dee Wood and other musicians at the Jazz For Fun Series. Pic/Neil Valles

All that jazz
Former musicians never hang up their boots. Last Saturday was witness to the first of the Jazz for Fun Series, when musicians Dee Wood, Adil Manuel, Rahul Wadhwani and Sunil Nagpal got together with some talented musicians from the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI), for some select jamming. "It took music to a different level," says businessman Nagpal.

"We began with 'Blue Bossa' and went onto a soulful-n-rhythmic rendition of 'Jody's Grind' (Horace Silver). Members from the SOI were in the audience and had brought their instruments, so we invited them to join in. And, of course, with a beautiful version of 'Girl from Ipanema' on the flute and saxophone, the music took its own melodic form beautifully played by classically trained musicians," he says.

Besides some traditional jazz blues, the other songs the group played were Autumn Leaves, On Green Dolphin Street, All of Me, and a great finale on Superstition by Stevie Wonder. What's more, this is not a one-off. The NCPA, which appears to be in a state of resurgence, has agreed to hold these sessions every month in a concerted attempt to revive jazz and related forms of 'pure' music as a performance art. "And this is only the beginning," says Nagpal, who along with Sunil Sampat is on the NCPA committee driving the enterprise. "Many more events are lined up, including jazz shows at the Experimental Theatre, performed by gifted young talent, and a jazz festival in November."

The perfect arrangement
This loaded SoBo couple, whose happily-married portraits feature regularly in all the glossies, appear to have worked out a cozy little arrangement that keeps their marriage intact. He has a string of nubile young women whom he entertains (at a price) in a mid-town private apartment, which she is in full knowledge of. And she, meanwhile, turns a blind eye to all of her husband's many dalliances, thanks to the solid rocks that she periodically receives from her 'doting' spouse. The fact that he's overweight and recently retired from his business responsibilities has added to her sense of complacency. "How far can he go now?" is what she's supposed to have said to her kitty friends.

Devita Saraf

Vote for me!
As expected, the race for naming India's President has resulted in much comment, many of it humorous. Businesswoman Devita Saraf added her own bon mots to the exercise with this post on social media yesterday.
'1. Harvard educated
2. Businesswoman who pays full taxes and employs thousands
3. Popular with kids and people of all ages
4. Single and stress free
5. Peaceful Hindu with secular mindset
6. Represents youth
7. Represents women
8. Knows USA president also
9. Born leader
10. Scored 94% in history in ICSE
Mujhe hi President bana dede!
Of course, as in most things the media-savvy entrepreneur does, this too was an effort in reminding all of her unique achievements.