Shiny, happy people

Jacqueline and Ashiesh with a friend

That they are B town's shiny new besties, became apparent when architect to the stars, the cherubic Ashiesh Shah, toddled off with Bollywood hottie Jacqueline Fernandez for a skiing trip in Coucheval over the New Year.

This combo of brains and beauty obviously has hit the right note, when the two regrouped on Sunday night over sushi, much hooting and lots of laughter, to watch the former Miss Universe Sri Lanka contestant's performance along with Sidharth Malhotra on Karan Johar's talk show.

Shah posted a video of a very excited Jacqueline on social media, making her debut on the talk show. And so much was the excitement that even the monotonous commercial breaks were used for some dandiya played with chopsticks! Obviously those who ski together, stick together.

Girl gang
When Kim Sharma, the erstwhile YRF discovery, posted on social media about what appears to be an epic night of giggly and giddy girl gangism over the weekend, it elicited some pretty witty responses from the rest of the tribe - ‘Nights in black leather, pot de crème, a marriage proposal, margaritas, hook stories, exes and ohs, amazing music and 3 am - Sharma said about the hijinks this weekend along with fellow partners in crime Nisha Jhangiani and Aparna Badlani.

Kim Sharma (also right) with Nisha Jhangiani and Aparna Badlani

"I cannot believe you're doing foodie things and without me??!!! I mean, this is just heartbreaking and debilitating and just plain wrong," chimed in attractive singer and fellow woman in arms, Mansi Scott. "I want!" said graphic designer Colette Austin. Of course amidst all the hijinks and hilarity, it took the unerring eye of seasoned journo Khalid Mohammad to sweetly enquire, "Marriage Proposal. Tell me more squiiri," (his name for Sharma).

"Haha soooo sharp KM, alas ‘twas not for this fair maiden!" said Sharma. Not that it appears to have taken away from the all round epicness of the evening.

Healthy start to 2017
This weekend Camellia Panjabi, the erstwhile one-woman marketing muscle of the Taj in its glory days, will be hosting a lunch in honour of Dr Isaac Mathai, the internationally renowned holistic physician of a Bangalore health resort.

Aroon Purie, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall and Dr Isaac Mathai

The go-to doctor for a slew of international celebrities (including, we hear Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and publisher Aroon Purie), who established the medical centre in Bangalore is a trained homeopath who has also studied Chinese pulse diagnosis and acupuncture, and Mind-Body Medicine at Harvard.

"We look forward to your joining us for some bonhomie and a nice beginning to 2017," said Panjabi about the lunch which will be kicked off by a talk by Mathai.

Sheer joy
It was a gathering of some of Bandra's most celebrated beauties of a certain age, when interior designer Meenu Juneja hosted a birthday dinner for leading city head hunter Abha Virmani Kapoor, at her sea facing Carter Road apartment this weekend.

Rita Dhody, Jaishree Sharad, Namrata Dutt, and Abha Kapoor

Seen partaking of the delicious Thai fare (created by the hostess' daughter-in-law Vidyun Sahni Juneja, an alumnus of the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC, who has recently relocated to Mumbai), were the likes of Sanjay Dutt's sister Namrata Dutt Kumar, celebrity dermatologist Jaishree Sharad, fashionistas Rita Dhody and Monica Vazirali, Bollywood star mom Lally Dhawan, media tycoon Vandana Malik, anti-piracy expert Nina Engineer (daughter of supercop Julio Ribeiro), and textile revivalist Meera Kumar.

"It was the sheer joy of being ensconced in the embrace of so much love, light and laughter that made the evening so special for me," said Kapoor about the last minute surprise. As for the ‘amazing dessert' catered by the area's famous ‘Sheena;' going by the svelte ladies present it doesn't seem likely that much of it was touched.

(More) Monkey business in Mumbai?
When someone with as much intellectual heft as Manjeet Kriplani, Executive Director at Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations, and former Bureau Chief, India at Business Week magazine, New York, raises concerns about a ‘monkey menace' at Cuffe Parade, one of Mumbai's most celebrated neighbourhoods, it has to be taken seriously. It cannot be dismissed as a droll comment on some of the area's citizenry.

Manjeet Kriplani

"They are now spreading across Colaba as well..." says Kriplani about the simian source of annoyance in her neighbourhood which has alarmed its residents. "No one knows why or when their numbers have increased, just that they can pose a serious threat to personal safety," she says, adding, "But of course, the fact remains that they are not intruding on our space, but we in theirs." More monkey business in Mumbai? The mind boggles.

The advent of the gypsetters
Deep sea diving hunk Homi Adajania has always been something of an urban gypsy at heart. So when the director of indie offerings like Being Cyrus and Finding Fanny writes in to say that he's been working on a ‘pretty cool travel experience company,' it appears as an idea whose time has come.

Homi Adajania

"We have curated some incredible trips around the world," says Adajania about the casual gathering of travel enthusiasts he's hosting this weekend on the terrace of a SoBo club to introduce the venture. "We'll share the details of how this platform cuts out all the crap involved in planning a trip and takes you to the best operator in the field, at the best price."

And given Adajania's finely honed instincts on what constitutes travel cool and boho chic, the age of gypstters is well upon us.