Two peas in a London pod?

The similarities between Vijay Mallya and Lalit Modi are uncanny. Both are known for their jet setting hedonistic lifestyles, their penchant for glamour and glitz, and their ownership of IPL teams, not to forget thier run-ins with Indian authorities.

And ever since Mallya made his escape to London recently, even as creditors, unpaid employees and the media were baying for his blood, there are many who believe that given that they have both allegedly made off with unaccountable millions - their patronage flows from the same source.

Vijay Mallya and (right) Lalit Modi

Why so? Well, the modus operandi bears too much similarity to be just a coincidence. Or how else would you account for not one but two high-flying Indian biz men ensconced in luxury homes in London while the powers that be twiddle their thumbs? No doubt about it - there's more to this than meets the eye.

Kapoor and Sons
She's regarded as the matriarch of not only the Kapoor clan but the entire film industry, such is the regard and affection that Krishna Kapoor, wife of the late showman Raj Kapoor is held in.

Armaan Jain

Which is why news of her recent hospitalization was received with concern and distress and saw her children rallying around. But we are happy to report that Mrs Kapoor is back home and doing well. We bumped into her handsome grandson Armaan Jain recently and the smile on his face said it all.

"My Nani is home now," said the lean and handsome young actor. "My masi (Ritu Nanda) had also come down to spend time with her and insisted that Nani stay closer to all of us and her doctors in South Mumbai itself, so in fact, she's at Altamount Road these days," he said. Nice!

Big ticket engagement
This Saturday will see the betrothal of Kaviraj Bhandari to Tehzeeb Moolobhoy, both residents of SoBo who grew up not even a stone's throw from each other.

Kaviraj Bhandari and Tehzeeb Moolobhoy

The Bhandaris are a distinguished family, Kaviraj's grandfather, the late Romesh Bhandari, was one of the brightest sparks in the Foreign Service, and had a high-flying career serving as ambassador around the world before his appointment as Foreign Secretary.

His wife, the statuesque Kumdesh, a daughter of the Patiala royal family has lived in Mumbai for many years and is something of an urban legend. When we met Kaviraj's pretty mother, Vanita, herself the daughter of a popular SoBo clan, we told her about our piquant connection with the family.

Apparently, our parents, along with the Bhandaris, Romesh and Kumdesh, had gone to see a movie in Delhi on March 10 along with their dear friend Krishna Menon, the former Defence Minister in what happened to be the ninth month of our Mum's pregnancy.

And as it happened, she had experienced her labour pangs while in the cinema. And to cut a long story short, she was rushed to hospital where she gave birth to yours truly. We would have spared you these details, but it occurred to us that though this happened many years ago it was exactly on this day.

(And no we are certainly not going to tell you how many years ago!) We wish the young couple the very best.

India is no country for segregation
We've said this before and we'll say this again, Indians don't take kindly to waiting in queues, or sitting at designated places at formal dinners, or attending two tiered parties where segregations between VIPs and non-VIPs exist.

And so, when recently a glittering and high-profile reception was held in Mumbai, there were quite a few ruffled egos when it was found that a few ropes and well placed bouncers separated the celebs from the hoi polloi (allegedly on the insistence of the event organizers).

"There was this one unsuspecting lady who spotted one of her star friends across the large hall and wanted to go up to say hello when she was stopped by a beefy bouncer," said a source. "Boy you should have heard how angry she was." Indeed.

All quiet on the cricket field
According to our cricket source, there's been a diktat that's gone out from the PMO, that there's going to be zero tolerance for any controversy involving the NDA, and its ministers.

(clockwise L to R) Sushma Swaraj, Smriti Irani and Arun Jaitley

"Every thing is thanda, every thing is quiet and no one wants to attract any more controversies," said the source adding, "After Smriti Irani and Sushma Swaraj have been mired in various controversies, Arun Jaitley former president of the DDCA, and one of the big wheels of Indian cricket, has been told to proceed with utmost caution and that's what he's doing." Softly flows the Jaitley.

A starry break
"I think it is absolutely amazing how Lakme Fashion Week has opened a window of light and a road to success for upcoming designers like myself, giving us a chance to get out there and showcase facets of our design philosophies," said Agrima Batra who has been chosen as the youngest designer at LFW this season.

Agrima Batra

"It's a dream come true," said the designer who recently graduated from Parsons School of Design, and who will present her Summer/Resort 2016 line, ‘To The Stars and Back.'

"It is by the oracle of the night - the stars and I bring to you a modern twist on highly sophisticated and chic day to evening-wear," she said, adding, "I left it to the stars to show me the way and it was only then that I realized that when you do get lost, which is rather often, you will find solace in the realms of the starry eyed skies."