The good samaritan

Alia Bhatt with Vedant

We have seen the hectic lives led by stars or actors associated with the big beast known as Bollywood up-close. Inescapably, every day is a packed schedule, where every minute matters.

Usually they are expected to wake up early, finish their fitness regime, get their hair and make-up done, discuss with their stylists their outfits for the day, wolf down a healthy meal prepared by their nutritionists on the go, go to shoot, finish shoot, and before retiring home, attend multiple engagements, and make their presence felt. All this while making sure they look their best and have a big smile on their face.

That's why it is always commendable when these actors make time for special events, that usually do not bring them any monetary gain or fame, but are done from the goodness of their heart. And in this vein, we particularly took note when the young star Alia Bhatt took time off last week to spend time with a young, seven-year-old boy Vedant, who has sadly been diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition.

The lovely initiative was organised by the 'make a wish' foundation and a member of the team posted, "A big thank you to the very kind Alia Bhatt for taking out time from her busy schedule to meet Vedant, whose dream in life is to become a pilot and marry Alia." Nice!

Cutting edge style
A looming deadline prevented us from attending an event where friends Suzanne Khan and Kalyani Chawla were featured, along with designers, stylists and fashion impresarios in a cutting edge, stylised manner.

Vikas Oberoi and wife Gayatri Joshi at the event

As it turns out, it attracted a cutting edge, stylised crowd too. Fashionista Sabina and Anil Chopra, designer Arjun Khanna, designer and model Pernia Qureshi, actress Sonali Bendre with husband director Goldie Behl, actress and all round free spirit Kim Sharma, actor Zayed Khan with wife Malaika, and actor Ronit Roy with wife Mansi Joshi Roy were a few of those who attended.

But if sources were to be believed, it was the willowy Gayatri Joshi Oberoi, clad in understated black, her face made up with the minimum of make-up, who stole the show with her grace and intrinsic style.

Baby, you can drive my car
It is a truth universally acknowledged that more than Google or any other data aggregator, it is the Mumbai taxi and rickshaw drivers, who are in possession of inexhaustible information.

Salman Khan

This anecdote recounted by a friend on social media over the weekend, demonstrates this maxim quite amply. "Just got told off by a rickshaw driver!!!" he'd posted, adding, "(I was) Sitting in the rickshaw on Bandstand, (when) a yellow Audi convertible zoomed past us. Me to rick driver : Bhaisaab go faster please please, I want to see who is in that car! Maybe it's Salman Khan..."

Rickshaw driver (with great disdain), "Excuse me!!! Audi!! Pleez! Salman Khan has a Range Rover and a Mercedes Benz. Don't you know that??" Me: "Oh my, you are most well informed!"

Which when you think of the minute and accuracy of his knowledge is amazing, except that perhaps all drivers in Bandra know of Salman Khan's driving practices as mandatory health and safety information. Just sayin.'

Sunita's day out
For months, the Anil Kapoor clan had been caught up in the throes of feverish excitement. How to celebrate mom Sunita Kapoor's big birthday that fell in March? A family vacation in the Maldives? A family and friends vacation in the Maldives? A romantic getaway for just Anil and the birthday girl? A romantic getaway for Anil and the birthday girl on a cruise a la Dil Dhadakane Do?

Anil, Sunita Kapoor, Sonam and Rhea

The possibilities were tantalisingly endless and nothing would be too much for the soft-spoken woman who held the family together with her gentle but firm hand. We recall speaking to Kapoor a few months ago when he was in the process of examining options. "We haven't arrived at the final plan," he'd said. "Rhea is in overall charge of the project."

Harshvardhan

As it turns out, the family consisting of three film stars (Anil, Sonam and Harshvardhan) along with producer and designer Rhea with Sunita and a few close friends, had brought in the occasion in London. And going by her delighted response on social media, the choice was splendid! 'Crazy Husband, Amazing Kids,The Best Friends, Fantastic Family, All The Ingredients For A Super Hit' she purred.

To the manor born
A shout out to our friend Dalip Tahil, who so elegantly fronted the recently concluded Pallavi Jaikishan Knight Frank India and Royal Fables evening, last week. Like those on stage and in the audience, Tahil, too, is to the manor born. The son of a high-ranking armed services father, he was schooled at the elite public school Sherwood (which Kabir Bedi and Amitabh Bachchan also attended).

Dalip Tahil

Tahil had cut his teeth on the best of English theatre, before venturing into Bollywood. That evening, crisp delivery and genteel banter had imbued the evening with an old world grace and charm. No surprises then that Jaikishan made a special mention of his contribution to the evening's success.

"The ever so charming Dalip Tahil looking fabulous in our vintage print mandarin collar jacket," she said. We agree.