Musically inclined

The Bachchans and their passion for music are well known. Amitabh has gone on record to say that one of his dearest wishes is that he had learnt how to play an instrument. Son Abhishek is no slouch either in the music stakes, displaying a keen sense of rhythm as a dancer and rapper on celluloid and recently, social media has been agog with pictures of Bachchan Sr. listening attentively while his granddaughter Navya Naveli Nanda played the piano.

The Khans and the Bachchans

So it comes as no surprise when we learn from sarod maestro Amaan Ali Khan, who along with his father, Amjad Ali, and brother Ayaan, are among the country's leading musicians, that, "Abhishek used to learn sarod with us when we were kids and his love and passion for music is truly remarkable."

The brothers had recently performed Soul Strings at the NCPA and no surprises that the Bachchans were there to cheer them on. "It was so wonderful to have Jaya aunty and AB in the audience along with my parents," said Amaan, who along with Ayaan, had collaborated with America-based concert violinist Elmira Darvarova, in what was described as a ‘a cross-fertilisation at both the cellular and cosmic levels' of two classical music traditions.

Loving Tokyo
"The beauty of Tokyo is that almost everything is code, everything is a secret, but once you have an "in," it unravels so ferociously, that sometimes you may not be ready for the sheer force of its otherness," said the elfin TV anchor Koel Purie, who had moved to the land of the Rising Sun a few months ago with husband, baby, and her famous red couch. "I'm so lucky that I've already found so many "ins,"" she said.

Images Koel Purie took of secret events in Tokyo. Pic/Instagram

We had contacted Purie on being impressed by her social media tease yesterday in which she had alluded to what sounded like a pretty far out party in Tokyo that she'd attended. "I was taken to a once a month secret cosplay tranny party, that starts at 1am and finishes the following afternoon," she said.

"It's called department H. Nothing I say about it can explain what I saw and experienced. Naked wolves, kimono strippers, bondage, bestiality of all sorts and what's more, in typical Japanese style, all this kinky-ness comes covered in gentle orderliness." she said half incredulously, half in awe. "You must love Tokyo. I've never felt safer amongst the most weird and bizarre people," she said, adding that photographic evidence of Tokyo nights is available on her instagram page.

Imitation the best form of flattery
More in the ‘Ranveer and Me Series.' This time it concerns the mustachioed wonder and uber Bollywood and Page Three veteran, Simi Chandoke, whose TV show spares no one in Bolly land, and is followed avidly by those who want to be on the inside track of the stars and their lives.

Simi Chandoke and Ranveer Singh

Apparently when he arrived on the sets recently, Ranveer Singh refused to shoot unless allowed to speak in Chandoke's signature style, in which she hands it out to the stars -including Singh each week. "He even did a spoof on me at the IIFA abroad," said Chandoke, whose track record involves working with America's Ryan Seacrest while in the US.

"But I am happier being on the other side of the fence," she said about all this star attention. The only exception? She will walk the ramp soon for Maheka Mirpuri's cancer charity. Will Singh be in the audience taking notes? Watch this space...

Society dos and don'ts
Our Oolong tea favouring SoBo hostess friend was channelling her inner Maggie Smith. Lips grimaced into a slight sneer, and with head cocked at the perfect society grande dame angle, "A social do is a social do is a social do," she declared. What on earth are you talking about we said.

The OTFSH shot us one of her famous withering glances. "It's this top builder," she explained. "Comes from one of the leading city clans mind you," she said. "Ever since recessions hit, and no one's buying apartments, he's taken to hosting parties for his friends at his new building projects, during which he gently invites them to visit a conveniently located show apartment in the hope that potential buyers will get interested," she said.

And this is a bad thing? We asked The OTFSH looked at us incredulously. "A social do is a social do!" she said. "And there is such a thing, as a social ‘don't' - but of course such things are above most people." And having dismissed us, she said, "Boy, zara hot water lao please..."

Cupid amidst the vines
As a run up to Valentine's Day, it is germane to mention that the Sula Fest saw Cupid in fine fettle indeed. Not only was it Sula founder and evangelist, Rajeev Samant, and his soon to be bride Margarita (Margo) Andronova's first outing there together, but sources say that the meeting between Sula's Cecilia Oldne, and the Cat Empire's lead singer, Felix Riebl, displayed noted warmth, with the pair hanging out together at the after party at Samant's private villa.

Chef Morgan Rainforth, Cecilia Oldne and Felix Riebl

"Rumour has it that Felix wanted to extend his India visit and will be returning sooner than expected," said a Cupid watcher, adding, "And the fact that the Cat Empire will be releasing their new album, ‘Rising with the Sun' on the 4th of March which happens to be Cecilia's birthday might just be another happenchance."

Margarita Andronova and Rajeev Samant

Not only that, the presence of the blonde and beatific Chef Morgan Rainforth of Goa's La Plage, at Sula's Soleil by La Plage, had many a heart fluttering. Stupid Cupid?

Revellers at the Sula Fest. Pic/Instagram