Sonali's Society

Colour me CoutureManish Malhotra dialled up the glamour dancing alongside Shabana Azmi at her annual Holi shindig in Juhu on Tuesday Adding to the afternoonrsquos colour and camaraderie were Urmila Matondkar who arrived with Manish Richa Chadha Ali Fazal and Divya DuttaA tale of two citiesAmid a glittering sea of SoBo socialites last week I found myself drawn not to the usual dazzle but to a man with two impeccable brooches pinned to his shirt Dressed entirely in black fashion designer Nachiket Barve sported almostidentical jewelled lizards mdash poised as if midcrawl toward his collarbone To the untrained eye they were twinsSurabhi and husband Nachiket BarveTo him they were a private dialogue between continents But of course there are no private dialogues when yours truly decides to go digging and so we discovered this tale Accustomed to accessorising his mostly monochromatic wardrobe with beautiful baubles Barve bought the first emeraldencrusted brooch in Jaipur Three years later in a separatedatbirth story he discovered its sapphirestudded twin in a tiny bottega in Florence Now Barve wears them together deliberately Indian and Italian examples of craft without borders and beauty without allegianceAs a small aside I must mention another man whose jewellery collection could put a queen to shame Couturier Abu Jani doesnrsquot just do bling mdash he does pure brilliance Perhaps it isnrsquot a coincidence then that Barve began as his mentee at atelier Abu Jani Sandeep KhoslaOf birthday bumps and stumpsThere were no lsquofat ladiesrsquo or bingo callers around as former India wicketkeeperbatsman Farokh Engineer turned 88 on February 25 At a birthday bash hosted by Auduth Timblo and wife Anju at their Araqila resort in Vengurla the entertainment included cake champagne and a side of cricketDilip and Manali VengsarkarLeading from the front was former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar who took the opportunity to revisit his batting skills while Engineer kept wickets Gleefully we watched Vengsarkar off drive just like he did at his peak mdash but were even more chuffed to hear this bit of high praise as the shot penetrated the imaginary field ldquoManali bats wellrdquo he said of his wife It seems some talent clearly runs in the familyFaux is the real dealPia TrivediWhile one segment of society glides through the shaadi and soireacutee circuit a few notable souls find their calling in another direction World Wildlife Day on Tuesday had us thinking of a longlegged lass who once owned the runway but has since hung up her heels in favour of some furry friends Currently overseeing the care of 800plus animals former VJ Pia Trivedi serves as a trustee at the Kalote Animal Trust mdash a shelter whose residents include dogs cats cows buffaloes goats pigs sheep donkeys horses and even birds Advocating passionately for the trust which has been operating for almost a decade Pia continues to raise the bar for what it means to do godrsquos work Carving out her niche at the confluence of advocacy and fashion she also helms a faux leather accessories brand mdash proving you can have a killer wardrobe without actually killing anythingWedding WowsBefore you and I broke out the gulal on Tuesday tech billionaire Nikesh Arora hosted a Holi party at Bal Samand Lake Palace in Jodhpur on February 26 The soireacutee was one in a string of memorable events leading up to his daughter Ayesharsquos marriage to Jack HughesJack Hughes and Ayesha AroraThe festivities began with mehendi and dinner in Delhi on February 25 before guests from around the world flew into Rajasthan for a weekend of wonder It was all private jets and charter flights with attendees including Gautam Adani Sunil Mittal Sundar Pichai and even United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick Mumbai was well represented too mdash Mukesh and Nita Ambani led the chargeA poolside lunch spirited sangeet wedding reception and afterparty rounded off the itinerary with Hari Mahal Mehrangarh Fort and Umaid Bhawan Palace serving as spectacular sites for each celebration And while a bevy of beauties danced at the sangeet it was American singersongwriter william who stole the show with a stunning performanceGreat generosity and grand scale underscored the occasion yet it was something entirely unforeseen that became the main talking point The groom as it happens shares his moniker with an American Olympic ice hockey athlete and the coincidence had media outlets everywhere rushing to recheck if Nikeshrsquos new soninlaw was in fact the Olympian himself Of course for those in the know like us there was nothing to be confused about