Dressing Narendra Modi

ldquoItrsquos a matter of interest and intriguerdquo said our friend the articulate Priya Tanna Editor Vogue India choosing her words with care ldquoTroy is known for both men and women wear for the last few yearsHis choice is interesting because of the fact that hersquos not a big daddy in menrsquos wear mdash so picking him over the usual suspects is an unusual choice because one wonders what hersquoll come up withrdquo she said responding to the news that for Prime Minister Narendra Modirsquos upcoming and all important US visit in September the Mumbai based designer Troy Costa had been appointed in charge of his wardroberdquoNarendra Modi and Troy CostaYou see Modirsquos been one PM who has used his clothes to make a statement about himselfrdquo Said Tanna warming to her subject ldquoClean crisp and smartrdquo his clothes very much say lsquodonrsquot mess with mersquo and reflect who he wants to be seen asrdquo she said adding ldquoIn the PMrsquos case clothes definitely maketh the manrsquoWas Troy the right choice ldquoHersquos definitely better known for his western wear and works with many Bollywood stars But it would be a shame to put the PM in a stylish suit for instance because thatrsquos not who he isIt would be great if Troy blended his aesthetic with contemporary Indian wear and gave the PM an Indian vest with say an Indian a cravatrdquo said the editor of Vogue India no doubt thinking deep maroon silk with an embossed orange paisley design with accents of moss greenTake that you atheistsWhat could be more delicious than some heavy weight arm wrestling over philosophy and high falutin spiritual babble between alpha gurus When Delhi born leading alternative medicine advocate and physician Deepak Chopra brought the full force of his sarcasm and spiritual mojo on to atheist and scientific skeptic James Randi and what he called his lsquotribe of militant new atheistsrsquo which included Richard Dawkins much new age fur was bound to flyDeepak ChopraldquoIrsquom revisiting my million dollar challengerdquo Chopra said in a flattering YouTube outing released this Monday ldquoApparently my last offer ndash my last million dollar challenge ndash was a little intellectually challengingrdquo he sneered his spiritually endowed and mantraempowered upper lip curling in contemptThe latest challenge has the San Diego based author and guru offering 1 million to atheists who can define how human beings form ideasMeanwhile Choprarsquos previous milliondollar challenge issued last month that offered the prize to ldquoany skeptic who could prove how electrochemical activity in the brain produces the appearance of a threedimensional worldrdquo a response to Randirsquos One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge hadnrsquot been taken up There is a GodThe Ek Ladki girl with the curlldquoI love my curls These are new after my treatment Docs had told me that after it my hair colour texture may changeit did For the betterrdquo says our friend the blithe spirit and feisty actress Manisha Koirala about what wersquod remarked were her happy springy curlsManisha KoiralaldquoThank goodness for small merciesrdquo she said making the smallest reference to her bout with cancer ldquoI always wanted long curly hair I guess this is it I m enjoying them n waiting for them to grow longerrdquoAnd what now ldquoI have just returned from NYC where I do my follow ups as they have my history so now I am looking forward for good film projects doing my spiritual courses in oneness university my fitness n basically enjoying liferdquo she says adding ldquoIrsquom also working to have a format where I could be of some use for poor people with health issuesThis is my new life a fresh start to life again I can only do justice to it by being useful to those who are in need besides looking after my well being in totordquo she saidNew York Days and NightsldquoAugust 1979 South Street Loft The first party It was totally raw 2 electric points windows missing no plumbing no walls on staircase landing George Shakespeare my roommate who found the space took this PolaroidrdquoSaid Delhi based photographer Ram Rahman about this extraordinary picture capturing an extraordinary group of young people who were no doubt doing extraordinary things in New York where he was living and studyingWersquod stumbled upon Rahmanrsquos New York era only last year when an Upper East Side Boston Brahmin friend with socialist leanings had waved across the water at Brooklyn bridge rolled her eyeballs and spoken of Ramrsquos groovy loft and his groovier partiesldquoHe collected the most amazing people and it was really a scenerdquo shersquod said ldquoIn deep reverence of the maverick chronicler the inheritor of an artsy pedigreerdquo ldquoShe always enjoyed the partiesrdquo said Rahman when we told him ldquoThe loft was and old Sail manufacturing space in an 1834 building in the Fulton Fish MarketIt was a huge open space looking right on to the Brooklyn Bridge and became a dormitory and adda for all kinds of Indian crazies artists architects politicians film makers photographers and a famous party spacerdquo He laughed nostalgia on full flow ldquoI left at the end of 2005 so it had a 28year run That New York is long gone nowrdquoOf Mothers and SonsWe are suckers for sentimentality And what could be sweeter than a hunky son all adult and grown up showering unbridled love and praise on his MamaSubbalaxmi Ustad Amjad Ali and their childrenldquoHappy birthday Maa love u loads may the almighty give it all happiness good health and tons of smiles u mean the world to mersquo posted Sarod maestro Amaan Ali Khan on the occasion of the birthday of Subbalaxmi his beautiful mother wife of Sarod legend Amjad Ali and mother to Amaanrsquos equally loving bro Ayaan AliAnd the occasion seemed to be like the best of these occasions a small private family and close friends like Jaya Bachchan almost family to the Khans through Ayaanrsquos marriage to Ramesh Billoo Sharmarsquos daughterHappy birthday dear Subbalaxmii And so glad to see you glowing and relaxed like you were on that trip before you know who lost you know what