Nikhila Palat, Vivan Bhathena show off gifts they got from Barack Obama

even as charismatic former US Prez Barack Obama embarks on a threecountry tour that will see him in India soon a charming story concerning an earlier trip of his to India as POTUS in 2010 was brought to our notice by communications consultant Nikhila Palat who had been a senior executive at the hotel he was staying in It concerned a box of MampMs a bottle of bubbly a brief but exhilarating meeting with Obama and a dishy Bollywood actor with a sweet toothNikhila Palat and Vivan BhathenaHe had this unbelievable quality of giving you his undivided attention when he speaks to you and even a few minutes spent with him leave a lasting impression says Palat who had the privilege of spending five minutes in the lobby of the hotel with the then most powerful man in the world while he was bidding goodbye to the hotels team and presenting each with a box of the official US White House MampM candies especially created in red white and blueBarack ObamaBefore parting the President had enquired whether I was married and when I said I had recently got married he promised to send something for my husband she recalls adding I thought he would forget but I was delighted to return to my desk later that day and find an official White House champagne for Vivan I swore to safeguard these mementos all my lifeThe gifts that Obama gave NikhilaBut that was not to be Apparently a day after Palats husband Bollywood and TV star Vivan Bhathena Judwa and Raja The Great returned from a long and successful shoot in London where he was filming Hate Story 4 without thinking he found the carefully preserved Obama goodies and ripped open the box polishing off the entire set in one sittingOf course I was horrified when I learnt this as I had been saving this gift with no intention ever to open it but luckily we still have the champagne beautifully and safely sealed But Viv got quite the tummy ache afterwards she chuckles Just dessertsHeroes all aroundIts been quite a fortnight for Meghna Puri president of Whistling Woods International Institute for Films Media Animation and Media Arts and Subhash Ghais attractive articulate daughterMeghna Puri Subhash Ghai with Terence Lewis and team at Whistling WoodsFirst there was the announcement of the annual Amitabh Bachchan Anand Pandit Scholarship for the most deserving student of Whistling Woods International which had been awarded to budding screenwriter Qismat Bukhari who she described as intelligent charming and with a great sense of humor and someone she was sure would make the institution proudAmitabh Bachchan presenting the award to Qismat Bukhari Bachchan had been present at the award ceremony and if that didnt put extra zing in Puris step a mother of two she describes WW as her first baby there was the 35th anniversary of her dads all time blockbuster Hero which had launched the careers of Jackie Shroff and Meenakshi Sheshadiri for which a screening at the excelsior had been organisedI have very fond memories of Hero I remember how Meenakshi and Jaggu dada who were new actors then had really pampered us kids she says adding The first time I watched Hero was at a trial at Ajanta Arts while sitting on the floor with the other kids Meenakshi had joined us Some childhood memories are super special just like this oneOf bechamels and bhartasThe horror the horror our Oolong Tea Serving Hostess Friend OTSHF was moaning softly when we met her recently A minion was dabbing her forehead with cold and fragrant presses Maam has been like this since she came from that dinner her nurse informedChef Massimo BotturaApparently the OTSHF had been a privileged invitee to the muchawaited dinner prepared by the visiting international super Chef Massimo Bottura last week and though the food had been beyond sublime her words the experience had left her nerves jangled dittoThe horror she repeated before launching on her tale of woe Darling the food of course was excellent and to die for But I had the most appalling gent on my table some finance wiz who insisted on giving a running commentary with the arrival of each new course she groanedFor instance she shivered When the maestros celebrated braised leeks from Ferrara with truffles from Bologna was being served my fellow diner proclaimed loudly just like our bengan ka bharta no she gasped And when they brought his worldfamous crunchy lasagna on a handchopped vegetarian ragu and airy bechamel he said chalo bhai hamara apam aa gayaHow absolutely very traumatic it must have been we said Horrific Of course you will need to cancel all such dinners for at least one week to recover At which the OTSHF shot us a filthy look before ringing her little bell Boy zara hot water laao pleaseDate clashWord comes in that the upcoming visit of a former head of state to the capital later this week has had some repercussions for an unrelated high profile gathering on the same dates in Delhi The head of state it transpires was supposed to be put up at a different fivestar hotel but due to security considerations his choice of hotel had to be changed at the nth hourWhich meant the head of state is now staying in the same hotel which is the venue of a very highprofile wedding on the same days And given the security concerns his security team has asked the wedding hosts to provide details of each and every guest whos attendingWhats more is that the hotel has beefed up its own security and the wedding guests who are flying in from all over the world may have to go through additional checks to get in And given how high profile and powerful they are expected to be and the fact that many of them might have security details of their own its going to make for a fair share of confusion Oh dearMr PuneAt a swish gathering of fat cats at the Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur this weekend which saw a sizeable representation from Pune one of the discussions we are informed had turned to Pune and who could legitimately lay claim to the title of being its first citizen its Urban Supremo Numero UnoCyrus Poonawalla Rahul Bajaj and Anu AgaThe contest was really between the two largerthanlife billionaires who have done so much for the city and on which their names are writ large said a garrulous lady whod been present at the discussion Rahul Bajaj and Cyrus Poonawalla Bajaj has undoubtedly supported so many institutions and initiatives for the common good for decades But then again so has Poonawalla In fact today wherever one goes one sees the Poonawalla name mostly Also Poonawalla has Pune in his name she addedBut there were also other heavy weights mentioned as contenders Some said Tulsi Thanti a real business success story who has his base there Baba Kalyanis name came up though in a different league The discussion went on and on with many people joining in with their reasons for choosing this one or that she said And what was the consensus It was that when it came to the first citizen of Pune Mr Pune himself the quiet and understated Anu Aga won the vote she said Who woulda thunkCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news current affairs from Mumbai local news crime news and breaking headlines here