PC is 'It'

There appears to be no stopping desi girl Priyanka Chopra's ascent up the international show biz ladder. From bagging a role in a popular American TV show, to gracing the cover of Time Magazine's power issue, to presenting an Oscar - the girl's on fire.

And now word comes in that Piggy Chops has been named 2015's 'IT girl' by an American fashion glossy, joining the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Julie Andrews, Diana Ross, Liza Minelli, Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Janet Jackson, and Julia Roberts, among others.

Priyanka Chopra, Julia Roberts, Audrey Hepburn, Goldie Hawn. Pics/AFP

"Spanning 58 years, the magazine has spotlighted 58 women who have truly been game-changers with their astounding beauty and impressive talent, and closing the list is our very own Priyanka Chopra," says her spokesperson.

And the next big thing? PC fans await her performance in next year's big-ticket movie -Baywatch alongside Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron in which she plays a villain - a role originally written for a male performer!

The gym connection
Visitors at the DLF-owned Delhi-based Lodhi hotel recently were surprised to see the nation's most famous son-in-law Robert Vadra working out in its well equipped gym.

Robert Vadra. Pic/AFP, Rahul Gandhi. Pic/PTI

Why so? Well, the fact that Vadra was accused by Arvind Kejriwal of taking an interest-free loan of Rs 65 crore and heavy bargains on land from DLF Limited in exchange for political favours - a source of much embarrassment for the Gandhi family - might have deterred him from being spotted in one of DLF's most famous landmarks in the capital.

As known the Lodhi hotel reclaimed its original name after its promoter, the real estate DLFs decided to sell back Aman Resorts - the luxury hotel chain - to its original owner, Adrian Zecha for $300 million three years ago. "His continued and regular presence at the hotel could mean one of two things," says a source.

"Either he has nothing to fear from his association with DLF because there is no wrong doing. Or, he's thick skinned enough not to care if he's seen fraternizing with the group," says a Capital insider, adding, "The fact that Congress VP Rahul Gandhi is also known to visit the same gym is neither here nor there."

Scotch and golf
Anyone familiar with the air-kissing private jet- flying crowd in India will know how much of its pleasure is predicated on the twin delights of golf and Scotch.

Sunil Mittal

And so, when news of the acquisition of the iconic Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland by Sharan Pasricha son-in-law of Sunil Mittal, founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, and one of the most influential personalities in India Inc. broke, there was much expectation that soon the hotel will become the go to destination of India's movers and shakers.

Pasricha, whose marriage to Eiesha, daughter of Sunil Mittal we had attended in Delhi a few years ago acquired the luxury hotel with its own world-class golf courses, which amongst others have hosted the Johnnie Walker Championship for Ennismore the hotel chain he founded. And with its strong India connection, the hotel, which had become a fixture in Britain's high society calendar, might soon witness a new clientele from India.

Interestingly this is not the first time that an iconic British hotel has an India connect : The Sahara Group had bought London's famous Grosvenor House in Mayfair in 2010 and had put it on the Indian traveler's map. Unfortunately the promise was short lived and news of the hotel's sale to the state of Qatar have been doing the rounds recently.

Symposium on Daisaku Ikeda's UN Peace Proposal
It's become the mantra for urban angst and a whole plethora of other crises, and the chant 'Nam Myoho Renge Kyo' can be heard from every corner across the country. From housewives to executives, to professionals to students, they all draw inspiration from the humanistic life philosophy of the Japanese Buddhist sage, Nichiren Daishonin.

Ajit Ranade and Shaheen Mistri

And with so many followers there is already much excitement about the International organisation's upcoming symposium, 'Universal Respect for Human Dignity: The Great Path to Peace' to be held at the end of the month at YB Chavan auditorium. Organised by the movement's Indian arm Bharat Soka Gakkai, the symposium will feature speakers from a diverse background such as former representative to the United Nations and former ambassador to Japan Prakash Shah, the economist Dr Ajit Ranade, and Shaheen Mistri, founder and CEO, Teach for India.

"Each year SGI President Daisaku Ikeda sends a peace proposal to the UN that goes beyond diagnosing obstacles to peace, and provides solutions that encompass attitudinal change and other concrete suggestions," says Vishesh Gupta, Chairperson Bharat Soka Gakkai. And with many of the city's influential and high profile citizens involved in its planning, no surprises that the upcoming event is already said to be oversubscribed.

Old flames
He is one of Bollywood's biggest stars today, an outlandish and flamyboyant character, who has worked his way to the top, delivering hit movie after hit movie. Today he is in a committed relationship and is not one to hide his affection for his better half in public.

That's why, guests at a suburban restaurant recently were surprised when they overheard a conversation between the star and a hanger-on, where he reminisced about the fun he once had during a past fling with an older woman.

Though we will not reveal the woman's name, we can reveal that she is the petite and cerebral daughter of a respectable business clan who recently married, and is a popular SoBo presence miles away from the glamour of the film industry; from what he said the star in question was ga-ga over her during his struggling days often dropping over at her SoBo apartment.

Who would've thunk?