Leaving on a jet plane

NEWS of the results of the ISL Football 2015 finals held yesterday has dominated the airwaves after all both finalists Chennaiyin FC and FC Goa have captured the imaginations of Indias football crazy fansBut yesterday the chatter was all about the two private jets that took off from Mumbai for Goa carrying some very high profile cheerleaders The first was filled with Nita and Mukesh Ambani and their family and friends who were on their way to support brotherinlaw Raj Salgaocars Goa team The second jet was filled with some of Bolly lands biggest stars on their way to add glamour and cheer to Abhishek Bachchans Chennai teamVirat Kohli Nita Ambani Abhishek Bachchan and Varun Dhawan take a selfie during the ISL final in Goa yesterdayMight as well have been May the best jet winDubeys Casting CoupRARELY have we been so delighted by a theatre production But then Gauhar inspired by Vikram Sampaths acclaimed book My Name is Gauhar Jaan written by Mahesh Dattani and produced and directed by Lillete Dubey encompasses so many genres art forms and talents that its hard not to love itRajeshwari Sachdev and Zila Khan in GauharTracing the true story of one of Indias first mass media superstars and its first recording artist the play lays bare her life with all its attendant myths legends and pathos masterfullyLillete DubeyldquoIm celebrating 25 years of my theatre company next month and was looking for something exciting challenging original music based and if possible womancentricrdquo says Dubey ldquoMahesh suggested Vikrams book and I loved Gauhars character and journey and felt that hers was an important story one that people should know aboutrdquo But it is Gauhars inspired casting that enthralled the wildly cheering audiences at the packed to the rafters Tata Theatre last weekendldquoThe really hard part was to find actors who also were singers mdash we hardly have many in Indiardquo says Dubey who cast Rajeshwari Sachdev as Gauhar in a role she reprises with considerable charm The casting of Sufi singer Zila Khan to play Gauhars mother Malka and an older Gauhar though is the coup ldquoI followed my instinct and decided to go with Zila I thought she had the presence and personality for older Gauharrdquo says Dubey adding ldquoAs Ustad Vilayat Khan Sahibs daughter shes learned classical music since she was a child and she sings wonderfullyrdquo IndeedFriends Romans FreeloadersFOR once motormouth Suhel Seth has hit the nail on the head Called on to deliver a eulogy at Vijay Mallyas 60th birthday celebrations mdash held in great style at his Kingfisher Villa in Goa over the weekend mdash Seth not one to mince his words took a long hard look at the crowd whod been put up at five star hotels and treated to a sumptuous double decker celebration and began his speech with a breezy Hello Freeloaders Most in the crowd cracked up in selfdeprecating laughter at Seths goodnatured tease but there were a few who reddened in the face sources say Not that it stopped them from collecting their give back present a bottle of 60yearold prime Scotch whisky on their way outVijay MallyaSuhel SethPoetic exuberanceHEs not really known for poetic exuberance but this evening some pretty wellheeled folks will gather at the Londonbased natural resources tycoon Anil Agarwals Mumbai residence in response to a rather fetching invitation from the chairman of Vedanta and his wife KiranAnil AgarwalEnjoy the festive breeze which Mumbai has to sharewear your cashmere scarves and walk with style and flair goes the opening verse a paean to Mumbais brief but much celebrated winter Warm music to your earsto touch your youthful soulspend time with near and deara magical night that feels whole Incidentally many of his guests will drop in after the Bajaj wedding reception held next door at the TajAfter all there are only those many people in Mumbai who wear cashmere scarves and walk with style and flair and they are most likely invited to both occasionsColor Me DeepldquoI started writing my novel a few months ago Of course like everyone else who is interested in the Mumbai scene I knew about the bad marriage of Upadhyayrdquo It was author Mohan Deep inviting us for the launch of his latest novel Color Me Rich to be released later next month by Mahesh BhattMahesh BhattAccording to Deep the book is about the travails of a struggling young artist Akash Saigal who is accused of killing his wife Zen ldquoThe similarities between the real life murder case of Hema Upadhyay nee Hirani and Color Me Rich are increasingly uncannyrdquo he says ldquoHemas family has openly accused their soninlaw artist Chintan Upadhyay of being involved in the murderrdquo says the author who also adds that he has included the disclaimer all imaginary characters that have no connection with anyone living or dead in the beginning of the bookChintan UpadhyayldquoDuring his struggle days Chintan used to live in a studio apartment a more glamorous name for 1BHK in Borivili My artist Akash Saigal too is a struggling starving painterhelliprdquo says DeepNow all thats left to be seen is if Bhatt who has made many a movie cashing in on real life sagas announces that hes turning the book into a filmOkay everybody I gotta get to Star Warsmdash US President Barack Obama after a formal appearance once again proving that when it comes to engaging with his electorateno one quite gets it like he does