When Shabana Azmi learned that Michelle Obama was interested in Indian designs and colours, she got Manish Malhotra to fly down to Delhi

Shabana's special gift for Mrs. Obama was not to be

When Shabana Azmi learned that Michelle Obama was interested in Indian designs and colours, she got Manish Malhotra to fly down to Delhi. But he couldn't make it on time. Now the designer will send designs and fabrics handpicked by Shabana to the US.

Azmi and hubby Javed Akhtar were the only couple to be invited at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's dinner in honour of the American Presidentu00a0 Barack Obama and his wife Michelle in Delhi on Sunday evening.

How we met the president: Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar

Colour-ful meet
While Javed donned a sherwani for the occasion, his begum wore her mother Shaukat Azmi's old Kanjeevaram silk saree in flaming orange and deep maroon colours. The first thing that Mrs Obama did on being introduced to the couple is to congratulate her on her choice of colours. Michelle said Indian colours just fascinated her. The Prez's wife is adventurous with colours. She doesn't adhere to just a safe black. Says a friend of the couple, "When they were introduced to President Obama and Michelle as members ofu00a0 Parliament, he smiled and said, 'Oh, so you're both artistes and you combine it with politics.' " The US Prez was at his charming best, sparing a few minutes for each one of the 50-odd VVIP guests.

The friend continues, "Shabana hit it off with Michelle immediately and they were soon laughing and joking. The actress told Michelle about the work of Indian designers, and how Indian craftsmanship finds its way in the works of all the top designers of the world. She seemed interested in their work. They also spoke about Shabana's play Broken Images with which she had just toured the US and when she expressed a desire to watch it when she heard it that in March theyu00a0 tour to the Kennedy Centre, in Washington, DC."

Pleasant evening
Reluctant to talk about the private dinner Shabana says, "It was a very pleasant evening. Serious and informal issues were discussed. Yes, I did recommend Indian designs. And she seemed really eager to learn more. The reason why Michelle is the darling of the US people is that she promoted young American designers when she became the President's wife. There is a paradigm shift in the Indo-US relations. We used to be recipients of aid from the US. Today we're in a position to provide jobs in the USA. So, a confident India welcomed the American President with its head held high."