Food for thought (and Paps)

Food for thought and PapsExiting a studio in the heart of Bandra on Wednesday Vidya Balan proved that true star power isnrsquot about the height of your heels but the depth of your grace Discovering over a dozen paps waiting for her in the sweltering heat she didnrsquot just give them a lsquolookrsquo mdash she popped into the cafeacute next door and bought them lunchFrom heritage to haute cuisineEven in modern India a maharajarsquos ability to command a full darbar remains undisputed mdash a fact Jodhpurrsquos Gajsingh II proved this past Tuesday In Mumbai to unveil a pictorial biography titled Bapji coauthored by Yogi Vaid and Aman Nath the muchloved maharaja captivated a fawning audience at the NCPA mdash sharing vibrant anecdotes and answering questions associated with the book which takes its name from his moniker From Ila Arun and Mallika Sarabhai to Dolly Thakore and Amish Tripathi artistes of all ilk filed into the Tata Theatre to meet lsquothe king who would be manrsquo and his lovely wife Hemlata RajyeMaharaja Gajsingh IITrading one palace for another the Umaid Bhawan Palace royals retreated to The Taj Mahal Palace in Colaba once the event wound down meeting friends for a quiet dinner but for coauthors Aman and Yogi the city beckoned Leading a small sophisticated troupe of their book launch attendees both writers headed to Flint mdash Rahul Akerkarrsquos latest culinary gem mdash to carry the celebrations late into the evening Clearly a history lesson is best served with a side of haute cuisineCentury of laughsMove over youngsters mdash the OG Master Blaster just proved that he delivers a lsquodoosrarsquo just as well as he reads one For April Foolrsquos Day on Wednesday Sachin Tendulkar took to Instagram to show that while his son Arjun might be busy picking Yuvraj Singh as his batting idol the lsquoGod of Cricketrsquo still owns the title of lsquoPrank KingrsquoSachin TendulkarIn a hilarious video that quickly went viral Sachin deployed his doppelgaumlnger to bamboozle a close friend Faisal The unsuspecting buddy thinking he was about to share a heartfelt moment with the legend himself went in for a fullon lsquojaadu ki jhappirsquo with the lookalike mdash who gave him hell for itMeanwhile the real Sachin was lurking in the shadows camera in hand documenting the awkward realisation for the entire world to see Itrsquos official whether hersquos facing Dale Steyn or just a confused friend in a hallway Sachinrsquos timing remains absolutely legendary 100 centuries Fine One perfectly executed prank PricelessKP clears the airEngland batsman Kevin Pietersen just bowled a major googly at Mumbairsquos social media scene On March 31 the former cricketer took to X to declare Mumbairsquos air the ldquobest Irsquove ever experiencedrdquo even giving a shoutout to the local leadership after seeing AQI levels hit a crisp 40Kevin PietersenNaturally Mumbaikars mdash who usually view lsquoclear airrsquo as a mythical creature mdash had thoughts While some posted rare bluesky selfies in solidarity the sceptics were out in full force Accusations flew faster than a 150kmph bouncer with many claiming it was a ldquopaid postrdquo or simply the result of a lucky sea breezeKP never one to back down from a sledging match fired back with his signature sass ldquoYou think I get paid to post about air quality Are you fg madrdquo he retorted doubling down by noting hersquod actually managed to get a sunburn because the usual smog blanket had finally vanished Love him or hate him KP is clearly team MumbaiBlueSkiesA timeless flexIs it a throwback or a relaunch Honestly when yoursquore Salman Khan the concept of time is purely decorative So when the actor showcased his signature Jacob amp Co The World Is Yours Dual Time Zone watch on March 31 the lsquoBhaiversersquo began buzzing about his latest flex with Jacob AraboSalman KhanWe on the other hand do track time and social media timelines so herersquos a gentle reminder that this limitededition stunner actually made its grand debut in March last year Why it is being showcased again with such renewed energy is anyonersquos guess mdash a little financial yearend sales push perhapsRegardless of the timing the timepiece remains a masterclass in sentimental luxury A tribute to his father the legendary Salim Khan the 43 mm steel piece features those distinct rose gold continents and the lsquoSKrsquo initials that let everyone know exactly who owns the room And the tricolour tribute is no coincidence either With its signature turquoise box mirroring Salmanrsquos famous bracelet this timepiece still feels as fresh as a premiere night at Galaxy Apartments mdash irrespective of how long it has been on the market A reminder of his horological clout or just a lean day requiring a repost one thing is certain Bhai doesnrsquot follow the clock the clock follows him