Sonali's Society

Pic/Shadab Khan

Mass appeal

Who says Sundays at church can't be star-studded? Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan turned St Andrew's into a constellation on March 29, making a coordinated family appearance at the Bandra landmark with their tots, Taimur and Jeh, in tow

High Society Hysteria

"It's only been 49 years, thanks for waiting," said frontman Joe Elliott, as he kicked off Def Leppard's historic debut performance in Mumbai on March 27. Fans of all ages flooded the Jio World Garden for a night of timeless anthems - with the star power not limited just to the stage. OG Indian rockers Indus Creed opened the show, and while Uday Benegal belted out Pretty Child to an appreciative audience, brother Vijay cheered from the ‘Gold' enclosure, flanked by guitar maestro Ehsaan Noorani.

Dino Morea and Preity Zinta

As the main show ignited, another ace composer, Dhruv Ghanekar, and his vivacious wife Ishitta Arun sang along to every word, while model Reshma Bombaywala rocked just a few rows away. "Some bands you listen to. Some bands become part of your story," she said after the show, and that certainly was a sentiment echoed by many.

Preity Zinta made it a point to thank her "concert buddy" Dino Morea for letting her "pile on last minute" in ‘Platinum' style, but it was Milind Deora who had the best view of all - making it backstage to meet with the legendary band. It was a stroke of rock-and-roll providence for the guitar-playing politician, who only managed to attend because a weekend session of Parliament was unexpectedly called off.

In a city that never sleeps, this was one night where Mumbai collectively held its breath, lost its voice, and finally checked a four-decade-long wish off its bucket list - in rock and roll style.

Tressed for sucess

While Yo Yo Honey Singh literally descended from the sky to land on stage in Mumbai on March 28, another Yoyo was making waves in Ahmedabad - at a much more grounded pace. Tress maestro Kandarp Jasani (aka Yoyo) had Sanjana Ganesan in the hot seat, getting her hair styled and coloured in advance of the IPL. Sanjana was readying to resume hosting duties, while hubby Jasprit Bumrah reprised his role for Mumbai Indians.

Sanjana Ganesan

Unhappy with her oxidised look and intending to refresh her colour and cut, Sanjana confessed to being a chocolate-mocha kind of girl, least fond of blonde. Yoyo delivered exactly that, neutralising her metallic sheen with deep, caffeinated tones for a sophisticated style.

The result? A look as sharp and precise as a Bumrah yorker. It seems both Yoyos knew exactly how to command a crowd last week - while one was busy owning the Mumbai skyline, the other was ensuring the face of the IPL broadcast is perfectly ‘match-ready' for the season ahead.

Masterclass in modern family

A messy breakup doesn't have to mean a messy childhood, and Arhaan Khan appears to be proof. Kudos to Malaika Arora and Arbaaz Khan, who are clearly nailing the co-parenting game, because their no-longer-baby boy is acing the balancing act.

Arhaan Khan

On Friday, Arhaan kicked off his night at the Def Leppard concert in BKC, playing the supportive son alongside mum Malaika and her rumoured ‘bae,' Harsh Mehta. Just hours later, he pulled off a seamless pivot to the trendy Italian haunt Cin Cin - a stone's throw from the concert venue. There, the vibe shifted from rock anthems to al fresco dining as he joined dad Arbaaz and wife Sshura Khan for dinner.

In both spots, with both parents and their new partners, Arhaan appeared entirely at ease. It's a refreshing sight in a world of bitter splits - showing that when a marriage ends, a family can still evolve without breaking.

Sari, not sorry

One person we expected to see out and about in the city during the weekly wind-down was Malishka Mendonsa. Long before her radio reign began, Malishka was finding her voice in a college band, but this weekend, our ‘Mumbai ki Rani' was nowhere near a microphone. Instead, she was ensconced in the mountains until Sunday evening, soaking up the very best of Kashmir.

Malishka Mendonsa

Her itinerary was a whirlwind of postcard-perfect pitstops - Srinagar, Sonmarg, and Pahalgam - before she finally settled into Gulmarg to hit the slopes. Of course, Malishka does nothing by half-measure, so she tackled the powder with a sari wrapped right over her ski gear!

"Why?" we had to ask. "Why not?" she giggles in response, and that seems as good a reason as any. Checking in at The Khyber - the same luxe Himalayan retreat where Alekha and Aadar Jain recently toasted to their first anniversary - Malishka and her mum made the most of their March vacay. Between the snow-laden trails, horse-riding, and early tulip sightings, the energy was high.

"Next time I will up the ante and wear a nauvari sari," says the feisty RJ, before concluding on a serious note: "Kashmir is so stunning. I can't emphasise it enough. But people are still afraid to visit. That has to change." One herringbone step at a time.