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NEW DELHI
Salman Khurshid’s pre-Christmas brunch
Minister for External Affairs Salman Khurshid and his wife, Louise Khurshid’s, pre-Christmas party on the lawns of their sprawling ministerial bungalow in Lutyens’ Delhi was as generous-hearted and inclusive as their liberal and progressive ideology.
Ambience: Old-world Uttar Pradesh meets new-world Raisina Hill.
The usual suspects: Shashi and Sunanda Tharoor, Parvez Dewan, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Shobhana Bhartia, Sachin Pilot, Pinaki Mishra, Justice B Sudershan Reddy, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Nalini Singh, Suhel Seth, Namita Gokhale, Sunita Kohli, Pranay Gupte, Rupika Chawla, Salim Sherwani, Sunil Mittal, Renuka Chowdhury, Jagdish Tytler and Jitin Prasada.
Food and drink: Pani puri, biriyani, sheekh kebabs, and the fieriest prawn curry this side of hell!
What you’ll hear: So what! He’ll never get his party’s mandate for prime ministership.
Who not to expect: Arvind Kejriwal
What not to say: I heard the water cannons are out!
Dilip Cherian’s annual December bash
PR guru and Delhi’s sought-after, silken-tongued communicator Dilip Cherian and his wife, Devi’s, pre-Christmas bash at Lodhi Restaurant is where everyone heads to make friends and influence people. From the bold and the beautiful to the old but sprightly, guests make merry over potato salad, kebabs and Bloody Marys.
Ambience: Dappled sunlight, delicious gossip and devilish one-liners.
The usual suspects: Bim Bissell, Anita Lal, Vijay Dhar, Mira Nair, Naina Lal Kidwai, Renuka Chowdhury, Suman Dubey, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Dumpy Ahmed, Ryan and Manik Karanjawala, Sunita Narain, and Ameeta Seth.
Who not to expect: Children of the powerful guests — they’re all protesting at
India Gate!
What not to say: Was that firing we just heard?
Suhel Seth’s party for John Gordon
What can one say about Delhi’s premier power broker, bon vivant, sound-byte specialist and marketing guru? That he throws the most sought-after parties in town? That no one who’s anyone can decline? That the fate of economies and governments often get discussed over cognac on the lawns of his minimalist Bikash Bhattacharya-filled Maharani Bagh bungalow?
This November, when he threw one of his usual high-powered, high-voltage parties to announce his joining with John Gordon — founder of Intelligence Squared, the world’s foremost cerebral discussion entity — it was business as usual as the high and mighty and the beautiful and flighty converged to feast on Marut Sikka’s legendary Amritsari kulchas and kebabs.
Ambience: Hanji, ho ho ho!
The usual suspects: Pawan Munjal, Kapil Sibal, Kamal Nath, Amjad Ali Khan, Arun Jaitley, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Shobhana Bhartia, Shashi and Sunanda Tharoor, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Harish Salve, Jay Panda and Naveen Jindal.
What you’ll hear: “I’m drafting the Right to Education Bill.”
“Oh Yeah? I’ve just moved a PIL against excessive VIP security.”
Who not to expect: Yogi Deveshwar
What not to say: Nice piece on you in The Caravan.
GOA
Vijay Mallya’s New Year bash
One of the highlights of Goa’s silly season is Vijay Mallya’s humongous year-end party. The beleaguered, but fighting-fit, king of good times hosts the party at his exquisite Balinese-inspired mansion in Candolim, Goa.
Planned like everything he does on a mega scale, it combines the best of Bollywood (Salman Khan), industry (L N Mittal), society (Parmeshwar Godrej), glamour (every Kingfisher calendar girl from January to December), media (Vineet Jain and Rajdeep Sardesai), politics (Praful Patel and Subbarami Reddy) along with Goa’s young and restless party-hearty crowd. Specially flown in DJs belt out remixed Bollywood hits and retro goldies, white-gloved waiters bearing salvers of champagne caviar and sushi circulate and a good time is had by all.
Ambience: Ibiza meets Indonesia.
Mood: What? Me worry!
What you’ll hear: Damn! They went and raised the fuel price again…
Who not to expect: Rahul Bhatia
What not to say: So, when are you announcing the Etihad deal?
Meghnad Desai’s New Year brunch in Goa
A few years ago, rumbustious and retrosexual economist Meghnad Desai and his author wife, Kishwar, purchased a beautiful old south Goa mansion and set about restoring it as a writer’s retreat. Each year, they invite all of Goa’s intellectual aristocracy for a share of susegad and sorpotel.
Ambience: Laid-back, high-thinking, simple living.
The usual suspects: Habiba Miranda, Nasser Munjee, sundry Portuguese aristocrats, visiting friends from Delhi and Mumbai writers, poets and artists…
Food and drink: Goan Goan Gone…
What you’ll hear: Concerns over the mining mafia, the Russian mafia, the political mafia and other louts who are destroying Goa.
What not to say: I’m building a helipad in my Spanish hacienda with a snow room and a Jacuzzi next door.
Madhu and Naresh Trehan’s New Year brunch
He is India’s most respected and dynamic medico. She is the first lady of Indian media. Together they make one of the world’s most formidable power couples (Tina Brown and Harry Evans take second place). And yet, when the Trehans let their hair down, it’s in their characteristic unstuffy and unpretentious style. This year, their pre-New Year brunch at their Goa home will be a laid-back, free-flowing affair with lots of good vibes, great conversations and beautiful people.
Ambience: Siesta and Fiesta.
The usual suspects: Mickey Punj, Bindu Vadhera, Kalyani Chawla, Hari and Kavita Bhartia, Mohit and Feroze Gujral, Ramesh Chauhan and other worthies from Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, New York…
Who not to expect: Anyone in a suit
MUMBAI
Deepak and Smita Parekh’s annual Christmas brunch
In Maximum City, where traditions are hard to come by and are as ephemeral as last year’s hemlines, one tradition that’s endured is the Christmas brunch hosted by India’s favourite statesman-banker, HDFC's Deepak Parekh, and his graceful educationist wife, Smita. The annual event brings together a galaxy of Mumbai’s movers and shakers.
Held at the Taj at Apollo Bunder, where the entire banquet facilities on the first floor are booked, it is a great gathering of men and women who wield the country’s financial levers. The Parekhs are exceptional hosts and Smita’s great eye for detail ensures that the ambience is always intimate and warm despite the brunch being a huge jamboree. The brunch always has a theme (Christmas colours, pinks and so on); this year’s was coffee colours.
Mood: Bearish.
Nicest touch: The choir from the Blind School.
Second nicest touch: Anand and Anu Mahindra’s elegantly coordinated browns.
The usual suspects: Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, Anand Mahindra, Hemendra Kothari, Suhel Seth, Naresh Goyal, Anand Jain, A N Roy, Javed Akhtar, Praful Patel and Kumar Mangalam Birla.
Food and drink: Charcuterie corner, risotto, eggs on demand, salads, Moet Rose...
What you’ll hear: When will the men and women we’ve elected stop hurtling the country into chaos?
Who not to expect: Ratan Tata — he never goes anywhere!
What not to say: Er, any retirement plans?
Mukesh Ambani’s party for his niece
Whenever Mukesh and Nita Ambani throw open the gates of their Xanadu-like residence, formerly known as Antilia, the country’s power elite shows up. In the past, parties for Sachin’s 100 centuries, the launch of Abu-Sandeep’s book and receptions for Anish Kapoor and Ban Ki-moon have witnessed top Bollywood stars (the three Khans, the Bachchan clan, Katrina Kaif and so on) rub shoulders with captains of industry (the Hindujas, Mittals, Birlas, Sheths and Goenkas) and politicians (N K Singh, Praful Patel, Prithviraj Chavan, Rajiv Shukla and the Thakerays) in a delicious mix of money, power, influence and glamour. This year, the heady mix on January 6 will go up when Mukesh and Nita join family matriarch Kokilaben and the entire Ambani clan to celebrate a special occasion: the wedding of the first of Dhirubhai’s grandchildren. His Chennai-based daughter Nina Kothari’s daughter, Nayantara, weds Shamit Bhartia, the son of Shobhana and Shyam Bhartia.
Mood: Genuine celebration as Dhirubhai’s clan puts aside its differences to bond over the first big wedding in the third generation of the Ambanis.
Food and drink: International vegetarian gourmet with an entire room exclusively dedicated to desserts!
What you’ll hear: If this can’t get the Sensex to rise, nothing will!
Who not to expect: Amar Singh
Ashok Wadhwa’s 25th wedding anniversary
Banker to the biggest deals and the fastest-growing companies, the Versace- and Cavalli-clad, sharp-talking Ashok Wadhwa’s and his luxury and entertainment tycoon wife, Reema’s, 25th wedding anniversary party was a much-awaited affair. The couple occupies a unique place in Mumbai’s social sphere (bridging old money/new money, north/south and young/old Mumbai). The party at the new Shangri-La was spread over the terrace and a large hall for sit-down dinner and featured a Southeast Asian section for dim sums, an oyster cigar and caviar bar as well as Moet on tap.
Mood: Gung-ho Modi Triumphalism
The usual suspects: Praful Patel, Vijay Mallya, Shobhaa De, Smita Parekh, Anyana Goenka, Rajesh Shah, Sunil Alagh, Manish Malhotra, Rajiv Lal, Bunty Chand, Bruno Yyvon, Shaina N C and A D Singh.
