30 September,2016 07:39 AM IST | | Malavika Sangghvi
It is already known that Rima (Kapoor) Jain's turnout for her big celebrations on Wednesday night saw one of the best crowds in recent times, a mix of Bollywood’s power elite and Mumbai high society
The birthday girl, Rima (Kapoor) Jain with husband Manoj Jain. Pics/AtulâÃu00c2u0080Ãu00c2u0088Kamble
Not only is Rima the daughter of Bollywood's leading family, but also her marriage to businessman Manoj Jain, son of one of SoBo's leading Sindhi-Marwari business clans, has resulted in an alliance of peerless glamour. No surprises then, that Rima's bash teased some of the city's most exclusive surnames out of their penthouses - and right on to the Amadeus dance floor.
Praful Patel with wife Varsha
The evening that started out in the usual Mumbai society hobnobbing and air-kissing fashion (Praful Patel, Tony Jethmalani and Suketu Shah chatting politely near the bar, Anil and Sunita Kapoor along with BFF Pammi Bakshi driving right into the NCPA compound in a sleek black limo to avoid the hysterical crowds outside; Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, Hiroo Johar and Tina Ambani seated sedately in one of the restaurant's inner alcoves, etc) soon turned into a rocking high-voltage affair, with the dance floor packed with A-listers dancing late into the night.
The highlight of the evening was when Rima and her younger son Aadar Jain (whose last stint was as AD on Ae Dil Hai Mushkil) took to the dance floor and danced to Drake's hip hop track âOne Dance' with their family and friends cheering around them, while the glam brigade of pretty women Natasha Poonawalla, Nandita Mahtani, Surily Goel, Shaina NC, Shweta Nanda, Haseena Jethmalani and Amrita Arora danced up a storm. No one shakes it like they do in Mumbai.
Thoughtful gesture
One of the things that binds film folk is their love for food. Dishes prepared by home cooks are routinely sent around to show respect and love by filmy types, and most Bolly personalities are known by the foods they crave.
(Chutney sandwiches from a well-known Bandra store for a famous director are routinely ordered while she's on the sets, Jungli Chicken prepared by a certain martriach is said to be the way to another star son's heart, etc).
So no surprises then that even as the rest of the star turnout at Rima (Kapoor) Jain's birthday bash on Wednesday night feasted on Farrokh Khambatta's choicest fare, the considerate hostess had specially arranged to have her home cook come into the restaurant to prepare some of Amitabh Bachchan's favourite Indian veggie dishes.
And no, though we didn't stay long enough to know what he ate, given that the recipe was from a Kapoor kitchen, it must have been delicious!
The usual suspects
Anil Dharker, the founder of a popular city literature festival, writes in to say that the next evening in it is an event with a cause. "As you know, Amnesty International is doing brave work all over the world for human rights. We are collaborating with them in an event called Art for Amnesty, an evening with wine and canapés, plus a charity auction of contemporary art by Mallika Advani," he says.
Nandita Das, AnilâÃu00c2u0080Ãu00c2u0088Dharker and Shekhar Gupta
And given that the evening's main feature is going to be a discussion, on âShould the artist be an activist?'and the fact that the likes of Nandita Das, Ram Rahman and Shekhar Gupta will be on the panel, such is the nature of things, that we can almost say with utmost certainty that the answer to that question will be a resounding âyes'.
Great expectations?
Neville Tuli, the dashing art maven who burst upon the scene in India around the mid-nineties, has been the subject of a lot of stories. Such was his flamboyant entry into the art world that for a while there had been nothing but gossip about various aspects of his life: his setting up of ambitious art funds, his acquisition of swanky apartments, his falling out with various investors and his alleged involvement in the sale of some high-profile fake canvasses.
However, the most bizarre story we have heard about the LSE alumni is that he is currently in London where he will soon be a father! Yes, the 50-something divorcee is said to be expecting his first child with his long time paramour - also said to be from the art community. How credible is this story and will the stork really visit Tuli soon? Watch this space!
The hand that rocks the ladle
The Punjab-born celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna, who owns the Michelin starred restaurant Junoon in New York, and was named by People Magazine as the âHottest Chef of America,' has been spotted in Mumbai quite frequently this past month.
Vikas Khanna in the hospital after the operation
Vikas is currently shooting for the upcoming season of MasterChef India, the Indian franchise of the popular reality show. But word comes in that the dashing foodie was admitted to a hospital in the city recently due to a medical emergency.
He took to social media, and posted this picture along with a slightly alarming message, "Thank you. Thank you. To all the doctors and assistants and nurses for saving my left hand," adding, "Due to a massive lump it had lost its sensation." We are glad to hear that Vikas and his left hand are now out of danger. And we are sure his legion of friends, family and fans are as relieved as well!
