'Ache Din? Ha! Ha!!'

Unfazed by the rumpus created by his alleged chai wallah remark the feisty former Union Minister of Petroleum and current Rajya Sabha MP Mani Shankar Aiyar has gone ahead and written a book titled Ache din Ha Ha To be launched next week with a highpowered discussion in Delhi when asked to comment on the book and Modis one year in power Aiyar said The best thing about one year of Modi is that theres only four years leftMani Shankar Aiyar and right Suresh PrabhuWe had caught Aiyar yesterday in Indore where hed accompanied Rahul Gandhi to Mhow the birthplace of Dr Ambedkar How had he managed to get such a wide range of eminent speakers drawn from across the political spectrum especially many of them from the BJP to agree to participate in the panel discussion at the book launchBoth Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu and BJP MP Chandan Mitra agreed right away when I invited them says Aiyar I think that is reflection of our democracy said the bureaucratturnedpolitician What else is he up to we enquired Well since I will be retiring from the RS next year and the Congress does not seem to be in a position to offer me another stint given its poor numbers I will concentrate on writing he repliedIm completing a book on Panchayati Raj and then my publishers want an updated version of my book on Rajiv Gandhi for the occasion of his 25th death anniversary which falls next year said Aiyar adding Perhaps that will be the time to embark on my autobiography Its called Leaf in the wind The autobiography of a failed politician he chuckledHis Masters VoiceWe now represent Sri Sri Ravi Shankars content in all forms past and future globally said Devraj Sanyal Managing Director amp CEO of Universal Music Group EMI Music South Asia when we enquired about the enigmatic pic of his with the Groovy Highness himself This means across all video formats and audio formats across all verticals so YouTube iTunes and all streaming servicesSri Sri Ravi Shankar with Devraj SanyalMy job is make his 350 million followers worldwide consume his music and his works in every format known to man and all future formats as they emerge he said Whats Sri Sri like and what does Sanyal dig most about him we asked the highflying music executive His work in education medical and empowerment is next to noneAnd what I like is the straightforward way its done You want his teachings you pay No free stuff like many said Sanyal adding I love that he gets tech and is digitally savvy beyond his brief A guru whos as much in to hardware as hes into Hardwar CoolDr Balan we presumeAt the age of four Vidya had dreamt of being a doctor having seen her father suffer from a heart attack said a source about the doctorate conferred this week on the award winning actress by Rai University and ironically though she became an actress the doctorate dream come trueVidya Balan with her family after receiving the doctorateThis perhaps accounts for the actress heart felt speech on receiving the honour and the moving sight of her teary eyed parents accompanied by the actress sister and brotherinlaw along with their twins and her husband Sidharth Roy Kapur in the front rowThe honorary doctorate is conferred for Balans contribution to the Indian film industry and for empowering women across India and also affords Balan the privilege of nominating a bright but needy female student annually who will receive free education and lodging at the university NiceAtif AslamIstanbul ahoyAnd news from the site of the recently concluded mega glam wedding of Yash Goenka son of realtor Pramod Goenka and jewellery designer Bina Goenka to Natasha Narang daughter of Poonam and Ramesh Narang of Mumbais Ambassador Hotel in Istanbul Turkey comes in that Atif Aslam the popular Pakistani sufi singer and songwriter who had been flown down for a special performance was a big hit He had the crowd singing along to his classic hits like Woh lamhe Tere bin and Pehli Nazar Main said the source It couldnt get enoughDelicious Food MemoriesFriends and admirers of Malti Divecha one of Sobos legendary hostesses will be happy to know that even while she is recuperating from an illness a few of her loved ones are busy completing her much awaited and long promised book of famous recipesA painting of Malti Divecha by Edie MichalskiThe octogenarian Divecha who was a neighbour and friend of the late artist Jehangir Sabavala at Cumballa Hill along with artists Meera Devidayal and Suruchi Chand and jewellery designer Jamini Ahluwalia epitomized the highbrow artsy well travelled and read Sobo grande dame famous for her soirees and salonsCompiled by her USbased daughterinlaw Diana Divecha and Maya Khote Merchant the duo have been calling out on social media for a sampling of memories made at Malus as she is affectionately known table Perhaps it was an indescribable dish or the first time you tasted something or it was the matchmaking or the bawdy jokes or the soirees says their solicitationAnd just for the record we will be sending in our own Malu food memory ndashan account of the fluffiest butteriest most scrumptious brownies that would come out of her aromatic kitchen and be consumed instantly