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Home > News > India News > Article > He poses therefore he is

He poses, therefore he is

Updated on: 18 March,2014 06:04 AM IST  | 
Malavika Sangghvi |

He likes to call himself 'Founder & Architect at IPL, VP at BCCI and VP at Punjab Cricket Association' but Sports Illustrated that conglomerate of all things sporty nailed it recently when it described him far more accurately as 'Thinker, Player, Father, Spy' on its March cover

He poses, therefore he is

Lalit Modi

He likes to call himself ‘Founder & Architect at IPL — Indian Premier League, Vice President at Board Of Control for Cricket in India and Vice President at Punjab Cricket Association’ but Sports Illustrated that conglomerate of all things sporty (including buxom babes in swimsuits) nailed it recently when it described him far more accurately as ‘Thinker, Player, Father, Spy’ on its March cover.



Lalit Modi


(We can just imagine the self congratulatory look on the face of the sub-editor who thought up that title), and needless to say the abs fab artful dodger Lalit Modi looked abs fab in an ink blue suit and pink pashmina, next to a car emblazoned with the legend cricket. Nothing became him in life like the posing of it.


Lalit Modi

Daler, Deadmau5 and some dead hippies
You want to know what’s a ’60s hippie’s nightmare? It’s the sight of Daler Mehndi and Deadmau5 zooming in a yellow Lamborghini on the Delhi F1 Track, singing, spinning or whatever it is that they do. 


Deadmau5 with Shailendra Singh

Seriously though, the coming together of these two popular musicians albeit from two completely different genres of music was a thing of beauty and a joy forever, according to Percept’s exuberant Shailendra Singh host to the EDM superstar’s India leg and creator of Sunburn.


Deadmau5 at the Buddh Circuit

“It’s no secret that Joel Zimmerman, aka Deadmau5, is a huge fan of bhangra King Daler Mehndi,” said Singh. “So when I heard him play tunak tunak on stage in Mumbai, just before asking for a lassi I knew I just had to get them together,” he said. “I connected with Daler, who was overseas at the time and he said he would love to come and meet Deadmau5.”


Daler Mehndi with Shailendra Singh

The men bonded on the race track and continued their chat backstage. “The massive Delhi crowd may have heard rumours about the Bhangra track that Deadmau5 would play, but they never would have expected Daler Mehndi himself to appear on stage, next to Deadmau5 to sing it,” laughed Singh adding, “They went ballistic! One of their own, on stage with one of their icons, banging out some killer dance music tracks.”

A few old hippies killed themselves over-dosing on Leonard Cohen records meanwhile we hear.

Rhodes recognition
It is arguably the most prestigious international graduate scholarship in the world and its beneficiaries have been as famous and eclectic 


Sagarika Ghose

as US prezzie Bill Clinton, singer songwriter Kris Kristofferson and US Senator and James William Fulbright. Established in 1903, the Rhodes Scholarships are postgraduate awards supporting 83 outstanding all-round international students at the University of Oxford; and recently and perhaps in response to disapproval over its listing of ‘13 Famous Rhodes Scholars” featuring only one woman, popular knowledge site ‘How Stuff Works’ published its ‘13 Famous Rhodes Women’ list.


Susan Rice

And amidst such stars as American TV host and LGBT icon Rachel Maddow, author of the Beauty Myth and leading spokesperson in the third wave of the feminist movement Naomi Wolf and National Security Advisor to US President Barack Obama Susan Rice was our very own Sagarika Ghose, prime time news anchor and deputy editor of CNN-IBN, (who we learn availed of her scholarship to complete a BA and an MPhil in Modern History at Oxford.)


Rachel Maddow

Incidentally, not only was Ghose the only Indian to make it to the women’s list but the men’s list didn’t feature a single Indian man even though heavyweights like Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Girish Karnad and Mahesh Rangarajan have all been Rhodes scholars.

Nice!

Singer, icon writer, wit
“If you buy the book it might not enrich your life, but there’s a possibility... just a tiny possibility... that it might enrich mine!” and with these witty and charming words Biddu, one of the only pop artists from India to make it internationally began his mail to encourage friends and fans to buy his newest book.


Biddu

What can one say about the enigmatic Grammy winning singer, songwriter and record producer Biddu? After turning out such hits as Kung Fu Fighting, Disco Deewane and Made In India and enjoying a successful career in the music industry for almost five decades, this hunky musician from Coorg tuned his hand at writing a few years ago and has been churning out readable and charming books at a steady pace. His latest The Abundance of Nothing: The story of a rag picker’s coming of age saga set in Mumbai is his third literary offering.

“The blurb says it’s hilarious, poignant, moving and beautifully crafted,” said Biddu, and then added with his characteristic wit, “The blurb was written by me!”

If the book is even half as well written as his mail, we're buying it!

Look who came to tea
You may not like his politics or his preferred mode of travel, but you cannot fault senior BJP leader L K Advani on his social skills. Last month, he made headlines when he dropped in to wish celebrated author Khushwant Singh on his birthday and this weekend he visited one of Mumbai’s favourite wordsmiths Nana Chudasama at his famous cottage at Napean Sea Road.


L K Advani with Nana Chudasama and Shaina NC

What do two old friends and political insiders do when they meet? “After a long exchange of notes Nana Chudasama presented the extended version of his book History on a Banner to Advaniji and Advaniji presented his book My Take to Shri Nana,” we were informed. No, we do not know what they ate or drank.

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