As expected, the Bachchan Diwali bash on Sunday night featured the exemplary hospitality and graciousness that Bollywood’s first family has come to be identified with. Festooned with the mammoth artistic output of traditional Warli artisans, Jalsa had a fairy-tale euphoria from the word go – from the excellent security arrangements at the gate, where guests were made to feel welcome, in spite of the large crowds of star struck-onlookers outside, to the many splendored arrangements made by Jaya Bachchan whose attention to the smallest detail was evident in myriad ways, the party was spread across many rooms to accommodate the various activities that the evening had to offer. A large outdoor reception area covered in fairy lights, (the unseasonal rain required a last-minute cover) to smaller rooms where people could sit and catch up with each other or play friendly games of cards if they wished, to a dance floor area, the evening stood apart for its eye for detail and generosity of spirit.
What’s best is the memorable vignettes that were showcased: Hosts Amitabh and Jaya, Abhishek and Aishwarya and Shweta could be seen tirelessly circulating among their guests, ensuring that each was made to feel welcome and cared for and had eaten the large Indian spread on offer, not resting for a minute themselves; Ayesha Shroff beaming proudly while holding on to son Tiger Shroff’s arm, even as a bevvy of beauties made a beeline for him; the sheer physicality and love between Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma making them a sight to behold; sisters Twinkle Khanna and Rinkie Khanna and Simi and Amrita Garewal sweetly catching a quiet moment seated together, a cheery Diwali greeting from a glowing Malaika Arora from across the room, SRK and Gauri making a characteristic and high-voltage appearance in the evening’s wee hours; Jackie Shroff chatting with Madhuri Dixit and husband Shriram Nene, Varun and girlfriend Natasha Dalal trying their hand at teen patti, and the brat pack of Aadar Jain, Tara Sutaria, Kiara Advani, Kriti Sanon and Ananya Pandey heralding the gen next.
What’s more, it was not only Bollywood stars that shone that evening. From Nita and Mukesh Ambani, who were the centre of attention, as son Anant conversed with Natasha and Adar Poonawalla, to designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla very much part of the Bachchan household, to Delhi’s ace jurist couple Raian and Manik Karanjawala, Supreme Court lawyer Mahesh (Tony ) Jethmalani, newly elected MLA Aaditya Thackeray, BJP spokesperson Shaina NC, art maven Mallika Advani and photographer Atul Kasbekar, the guest list was as eclectic as it was glamorous and mirrored the Bachchan family’s many interests.
It was the kind of evening where everywhere one’s eyes fell there were some of India’s most celebrated and talented individuals, and it would not be wrong to say that there was enough star power that evening to fuel a rocket ship.
But as always in the end the abiding image was of Amitabh Bachchan, tall, erect and soft-spoken, sportingly agreeing to every selfie request that came his way, no matter how late the hour or how tired he might be, or the fact that those who made the requests were stars themselves, rendered star-struck in his presence.
OVERHEARD
Let this iridescent, opalescent, incandescent festival of fervor sink the tenebrosity into ravishing radiance, filling everyone’s ontological existence with cornucopia of joussiance, ataraxy, salubrity and fine fettle…
Parody Shashi Tharoor Diwali greeting that had been making the rounds recently.
TRUELIES
She is one of the world’s most famous socialites and equally successful businesswoman in the world of fashion and beauty. Her TV appearances have made her a household name and social media posts by her are said to cost a cool million dollars. After her Sabyasachi sari clad photo-shoot caused much commotion, word comes in that the famous lady in question will soon be making her maiden India visit. But fans will be disappointed to know that her PJ will not land in Mumbai or Delhi for photo-ops and this visit will be restricted to Rajasthan, where she will make an appearance at a private party. And no she will not be joined by her equally famous musician husband on this trip, if you were wondering.
CAPITAL CAPERS
Word comes in that Delhi has been no slouch when it comes to festive celebrations and has been awash with Diwali and other parties. Saturday saw multiplex tycoon Ajay Bijli host his pre-Diwali bash, for the likes of Annie and Raja Kanwar and Margherita Missoni, while Sunday was witness to the city’s best and brightest dividing their time at the Capital’s two stand out Diwali extravaganzas – erstwhile Kashmir royal Vikram and Chitragandha Singh’s Diwali dinner at the stately Kashmir House at Malcha Marg, which featured sundry royals rubbing shoulders with polo players, nawabs and begums, along with the Capital’s popular couples such as RPN and Sonia Singh, Anu and Iqbal Malhotra and Jaisal and Anjali Singh; Sunday’s other big stand-out party was lifestyle czarina Anita Lal and industrialist Vikram Lal’s Diwali gathering, something of a city institution where the younger, khandani types gathered for cards and dancing and Vivek Sahni Siddhartha and Natasha Lal, Sunita and Rome Kohli were spotted.
But that’s not all, somehow in the same week, the city’s juicy set managed to make it to art maven Shalini Passi’s dinner for Rebecca Carcell, wife of the late Yves Carcell, and later this week designer yogini Malini Ramani will host her 50th birthday celebrations, which will be followed by industrialist Karan Paul hosting his own 50th birthday costume ball (themed ‘Birds, Beasts and other Animals’) which will be followed by a sitdown dinner for his friends at the Leela’s Le Cirque…
See what we mean about Delhi being no slouch…
