A grand inauguration

A few days ago we had mentioned how the Ambani-run Reliance Foundation was leaving no stone unturned to make the Harkisandas Hospital in Girgaon, said to be one of Nita Ambani's dream projects, a world-class institution and one of the foremost in the city

A few days ago we had mentioned how the Ambani-run Reliance Foundation was leaving no stone unturned to make the Harkisandas Hospital in Girgaon, said to be one of Nita Ambani's dream projects, a world-class institution and one of the foremost in the city.

And now word comes in that the hospital will be inaugurated at the end of the month by one who is in the top echelons of the government.

Nita Ambani

It doesn’t get bigger than this.

Kashyap and Scorsese?
Contrary to the perceived notion that the release of the much-awaited Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma and Karan Johar, said to be the director’s most adventurous outing so far has been delayed due to budgeting issues, our sources say that the real reason for pushing the release to next year is because Kashyap has been in touch with top Hollywood director Martin Scorsese (they are said to belong to a mutual admiration society) who has agreed to present the film for a worldwide release!

Anurag Kashyap

Scorsese, Kashyap and Kapoor together- if that happens it’s a movie buff’s dream come true!

Ranbir Kapoor

Martin Scorsese

Bigger planes and better suites
A piquant aspect of the very rich is of course the fact that they can never be rich enough. There’s always someone with a bigger home, a flashier car, a better jet.

And this aspect of the lives of poor little rich boys and girls was noticed during the visit of a super rich private club to a Middle-Eastern state recently. “Who flew in on their private jet, who came by commercial airlines, was a topic of great concern amongst the members of one of the country’s most elite young person’s business forums,” says a lady, given to pithy observations on human nature. “Of course, the next thing was who got to stay in the hotel’s Presidential Suite” she said smiling, as she took a tiny sip of her favourite Golden Moon Rasa Sinharaja Black Tea.

Meeting Zuckerberg
“When you get a mail saying, ‘Would you like to join us for a lunch and keynote by Mark Zuckerberg’, you don’t wait to reply! You quickly jab ‘yes’ and then re-plan your calendar.” It was our friend, the dashing founder CEO of Games2win Alok Rodinhood Kejriwal on his lunch with The Man last week.

Mark Zuckerberg. Pic/PTI

“The Internet Pundits of India landed up at the Taj Palace Hotel, Delhi on Thursday, October 9 for a rather exclusive brush with The God of the Internet – Zucky Baba. I mean we have aapro Zubin so why not a Zucky Baba?” he says.

Alok Rodinhood Kejriwal with Cherie Blaire

“The keynote session was preceded by a very private luncheon in the Blue Ginger restaurant at the hotel, hosted by the gracious, affable and most definitely huggable Kirthiga Reddy – MD of Facebook India. She had assembled Facebook partners, friends and industry veterans to be up close and personal for the Zuckerberg address.”

And what about er ‘Zucky Baba’?

“All of a sudden, Kirthiga announced, “Hey, let’s rush… The doors are going to open and we don’t want to be outnumbered by the crowds..."

“A few minutes later, a rather diminutive, shy, college-looking bloke in a grey flannel t-shirt, jeans and Nike shoes (which had some dust on them) appeared. My God, he was Zuckerberg himself! He looked like a young teenager put on by conspiracy rather than design!”

“I found the experience humbling,” Says Kejriwal. “Here was the most successful entrepreneur on earth still making a fervent pitch and trying to make us believe.”
Nice!

At home with Pallavi
She’s been celebrated for her style and is one of Sobo’s acknowledged grande dames, which is why Sunday evening saw a swathe of some of the city’s leading lights attend the launch of Pallavi Jaikishan’s exhibition of exquisite home furnishings created and curated by her from all over the world. Held at the Dhanrajgir enclave, easily one of the city’s most elegant housing colonies, we spotted Rajashree Birla, Harsh and Archana Mariwala, Lakshmi and Aishwarya Nair, Sabira Merchant, Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal, Archana Goel, Gopi and Vinod Grover, Kanchan Desai and Champa Doshi, at the elegant soiree.

Pallavi Jaikishan with Kanchan Desai

Precious Salon at Saatchi
It’s been an iconic part of Sobo's grooming rituals, and the captains of industry who have bowed their heads to its barbers are legion, but how often does one's corner barbershop find its way into the Saatchi Art Gallery?

Rocky Malhotra

Which is why when we saw the words ‘Super Max, Precious Hair Cutting Salon, Breach Candy Mumbai’, followed by the words ‘Supermax exhibit at The Saatchi Art Gallery in Chelsea today’ we contacted our friend Rocky Malhotra, the LA-based international blade tycoon and Supermax's dashing head honcho.

Supermax Exhibit at Saatchi Gallery

“Actis had their tenth year anniversary at The Saatchi Art Gallery in Chelsea,” he said, referring to the London-based private equity firm, “and for it they commissioned the renowned photographer Harry Cory White to do a series of works on companies that they are associated with. And when it came to Supermax, the object was a barbershop,” he said, adding, “Just the artist’s way of portraying the Supermax Company.”

Singled out for honour
Pramod Kapoor, founder publisher of Roli Books was singled out for honour at the recently concluded Frankfurt book fair by being featured at the famous walkway concourse, a leitmotif of the institution. “Our publisher, Pramod Kapoor was celebrated for his contribution to international publishing,” says Roli Book’s attractive commissioning editor, his daughter Priya. “His quote which was portrayed on all the banners was ‘... I am here because this is my 35th year at Frankfurt book fair. Every year I go back as a better publisher’.”

Pramod Kapoor

And what is he working on now, we enquired.

“Two books, both on Gandhi! One is a pictorial biography and the other is his own book that he has been researching and writing called ‘My Experiment with Gandhi’ - Outlook carried an extract last week,” she says.

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