02 March,2016 06:01 AM IST | | Malavika Sangghvi
Monday night saw some of the world's leading art patrons gather for a very select cocktail reception and a Private Tour of Christie's First Open auction at New York's 20 Rockefeller
Described as an assemblage of 30 guests the occasion saw Reliance Foundation's Nita Ambani accompanied by daughter Isha deliver a speech on her Foundation's goals and activities.
Nita and Isha Ambani
Hosted by Stephen S. Lash, Chairman Emeritus of Christie's Americas and Vice Chairman of Christie's American Advisory Board, William Robinson, Christie's International Head of World Art, Deepanjana Klein, Christie's, International Head of Department, South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art and our friend Amin Jaffer, International Director, Christies Asian Art in London, it was followed the next day with another art-related reception: this time a big gala for the Opening of The Met Breuer where again the Ambanis were feted and taken on a private tour of the late Mumbai-born artist Nasreen Mohamedi's on going show.
What's more the Ambanis are not the only Indians who appear to be taking New York's art world by storm this week. Sree Sreenivasan the Met's Chief Digital Officer will be one of the hosts at the Met Breur's sit down 'Lenders Lunch' to be held tomorrow, where other guests include Dipti Mathur, an IIT trained biochemist turned collector of contemporary South Asian Art, Kiran Nadar, Chairperson, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art and Deepak Talwar, Founder of Talwar Gallery. It's an Indian Season in artsy New York alright!
Up, up and away
His rise has been noted for its giddying velocity and so no one's surprised that this weekend billionaire jewellery designer Nirav Modi, who stunned the international community in 2010 when a Golconda Necklace he designed was sold for Rs 16.29 crore at an international - is chartering a plane to fly some of his special clients to Udaipur.
Nirav Modi
The occasion? Does one really need an occasion to charter a plane and fly friends down to Rajasthan these days? Not when the international press refers to you as a modern day Harry Winston obviously!
From the blushing bride
It's always lovely to talk to blushing brides. Right in the middle of their magic moment they make us think of young love and the unfolding of new dreams.
Kresha Bajaj and Vanraj Zaveri
Designer Kresha Bajaj, daughter of Kintu and Kishore Bajaj, whose Ka hospitality owns a phalanx of upscale lifestyle properties like Hakkasan and Bada Saheb is one such.
Freshly returned from Udaipur where she wed Vanraj Zaveri, the son of Manju and Hemant Zaveri, Krésha took time off to share her joy with us. "How intimate the wedding was, just Vanraj and me and my closest friends and family members! The location which was nothing short of magical as well as the staff and the hospitality literally made it feel like we were at home the whole time," she said, adding, "And the clothes!
After 4 months of non stop designing it was surreal seeing Vanraj, mum, dad, my siblings and me all in designs that came to life!" But what was the icing on the cake says the bride were her parents.
"They've been the biggest rock stars anyone could imagine," she said about the Bajajs, who are said to have danced a special number at the wedding. "Seeing the happiness in their faces was so lovely!"
And now on to Friday where the family is hosting a sparking reception at a Sobo club.
Sonali's Guru-cool
"I didn't want to make a big song and dance about it earlier," said actress and popular TV show judge Sonali Bendre Behl shyly about the book she had authored last year 'The Modern Gurukul - My Experiments with Parenting,' in which she shared her personal experiences of raising her son Ranveer.
"Just the fact I was published was more than enough," she said candidly. "But much to my surprise it's done really well, and has gone in to its second reprint, so I'm calling to invite you to function on Friday where Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and wife Amruta have agreed to be the guests of honour and announce the second reprint," she said.
Apparently the involvement of the Fadnavis' transpired after the actress had met them and bonded with them as fellow young parents.
As is known, Bendre who married producer Goldie Behl had given up a promising career post the birth of their son and it was only after he had started going to school and she was confident of the quality of time she spent with him that she resumed her career.
Incidentally the book's liner notes describes it as 'Personal, anecdotal and honest, highlighting the need for a return to our roots to raise a healthy, curious, and, most importantly, a compassionate child."
Nice!
Aap Kataar mein nahin hain
What is it about Indians and queues? We never stop marvelling at the many ingenious ways that our countrymen try and subvert them or dodge standing in them: last week the well attended launch of a coffee table book on Gandhi in Sobo witnessed some rather luminous personalities at their queue-breaking best.
Following the launch and the audience interaction, the glitterati and literati were invited to have their newly bought copies of the book signed by the author. "The line wasn't particularly long," says a source "but the conscientious author took his time to pen good wishes for all. Which apparently was too much for the city's swish set.
So one spotted society ladies, theatre personalities and many others adopting innovative ways of queue-jumping - they elbowed their way in, they sidled up, and (absent-mindedly, of course) strolled to the head of the queue," says the observant source, adding, "One thought it happens only at BEST bus stops! Not sure if the Mahatma would be amused."
