If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this one speaks volumes
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this one speaks volumes. "It's my favourite photo of mom and dad," says photojournalist Karan Kapoor, about this evocative portrait of the late award-winning actress Jennifer Kapoor and the much-loved Bollywood star, Shashi Kapoor, who passed away last week. Shot around 1979/80 by Karan, it features the beatific couple outside the fisherman's cottage in Goa they had christened 'Love House,' and to which the family would periodically return to bask in each other's company.
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Shashi and Jennifer Kapoor in Goa. Pic/Karan Kapoor
"It has everything that my parents believed in," said Karan, newly returned from immersing his father's ashes in Goa. "Every evening they would walk the few metres from the 'Love House' to the beach to watch the sunset, Dad in his lungi and t-shirt and mom in her kaftan," he said. "I have fond memories of the fishing boat behind them. All three of us, Kunal, Sanjana and I used to go in it to catch 'bangda machchi' with our friends from the village," he said evoking days of summer and love of heart-stopping poignancy.
All three of Shashi and Jennifer Kapoor's children have, in their own ways, taken forward the essential simplicity and beauty so embodied in this portrait. "Our parents gave us this gift that is priceless," says Karan, adding, "I know they both have found another paradise and are now watching the sun set together, somewhere." Sigh...
T-shirt activism
Can a T-shirt change the world? Apparently yes, if the women who flaunt it are as high-profile as those who showed up for the launch of designers Shane and Falguni Peacock's enterprise, described as an amalgamation of fashion and technology with a revolutionary flair.' At a glittering do in Bandra on Tuesday night, the designers had presented a line of T-shirts emblazoned with words that evoke feminism, strength and positivity, whose sale proceeds would go to a woman's NGO.
Ekta Raheja, Shane Peacock and Jatin Kampani
The likes of Anusha and Shibani Dandekar, Michelle Poonawalla, Ujwala Raut, Sheetal Mafatlal, Jaya and Ekta Raheja, Shibani and Deanne Pandey had attended the evening wearing the FSP T-shirts we are informed. But this step towards women empowerment had not come easy. Actress Puja Hegde who featured on the cover of their digital zine and who was supposed to unveil it officially, had arrived late as she had driven straight from a shoot in Lonavala informs a source.
Tanisha Mukherji
Michelle Poonawalla also featured in the issue, had come in especially from Pune, just for the evening as had her sister-in-law, Delna Poonawalla. Amruta, the banker wife of CM Devendra Fadnavis, had spoken about the importance of supporting the NGO and the T-shirt campaign. Farah Khan Ali had also spoken about being proud to be a part of the campaign and Neil Raheja had been there to support wife Jaya. "Malaika Khan, Nisha Jhangiani, Esha Amin and Ira Dubey had also attended wearing their new T-shirts," according to the spokesperson. And afterwards, a delicious serving of the evening's guests had proceeded to a restaurant for a 'rocking party'.
No love like Parsi love
As is known, our affection and regard for the Parsi community knows no bounds. Which is why, news of the Zoroastrian Trust Fund's recent event to honor the Parsi community's distinguished achievers called ZAAN (Zoroastrian Achiever Awards Night) delighted us. With chief guest industrialist Nadir Godrej kicking things off with a speech in the form of a poem, what is there not to love?
Firuza Parikh and Nadir Godrej
And given that members of the community have distinguished themselves in so many fields, the roster of awardees had been a rich one. Like the award for Medicine which was conferred on director of the Jaslok International Fertility Centre and visiting professor at UCLA, Dr Firuza Parikh, whose untiring work of 30 years in the field of infertility management has led to the birth of nearly 11,000 babies! An impassioned medical practitioner, Parikh has been on lists of the top 10 doctors of India as well as on listings of the most powerful people in the country for decades.
So it was only to be expected, that with patients ranging from those at the very top of India's power elite to the country's ordinary and anonymous, many in the audience turned out to be her patients, who used the occasion to thank her, adding to the celebratory tone of the evening. Other recipients of the awards had included Shaheen Mistry, Bachi Karkaria and Dinyar Contractor. And of course, in keeping with the famous Parsi joie de vivre, no surprises either, that the evening which started with a rendering of songs was abundantly punctuated with stand-up comedy, more songs and skits.
Burning up Paris
There was a time when unlike London or New York, the number of high-profile and glamorous Indians living in Paris was thin on the ground. Only two outstanding Indians kept the zardorzi flag flying high in the French capital for years, and both happened to be statuesque former models: Pierre Cardin's muse, the late Anjali Mendes, and YSL's Kirat Rabier. Most stories of high-profile visits to Paris by Indians usually involved an encounter with either.
Manish Arora, Priti Paul and Koel Purie
But that has changed now. Because suddenly Paris has become home to three colourful, ferociously fashionable, and glamorous desis: Boho designer Manish Arora, media maven Koel Purie, and businesswoman Priti Paul (of the Surendra Paul family, who has moved there from Morocco). This nugget was revealed when we met Arora last week at the unveiling of his installation at the Jindal Mansion. "There's three of us there now and we all go back a long way and it's a riot," he said conjuring up visions of sartorial flamboyance and social extrovertism. So, is Paris burning? More like heating up for sure.
Kiss, kiss; kill, kill?
According to sources who spoke to Poonam Bhagat yesterday, this is how the pictures featuring her and sister Sheetal Mafatlal seemingly in a friendly conversation, carried in this paper which had created ripples in the city's air kissing set, had transpired.
Poonam Bhagat and Sheetal Mafatlal
"Poonam was speaking to a group of friends at the Ensemble event, when Tarun (Tahiliani) had tapped her on her shoulder, and on turning around, she had found herself face-to-face with her sister, who she is in an acrimonious battle with currently," says an insider. "It was not the first time Poonam was meeting her sister socially, and she has always maintained that there's no point being uncivil on these occasions, so she had graciously wished her. And just as quickly, turned around. That's it. There was no further conversation even though she heard someone remark 'Kiss and make up' while the pictures were shot," says the source.
"Just because we meet and greet each other in public does not mean that I am in cahoots with her," Bhagat is alleged to have said about the incident, later. Now, the only thing left is to ask Tahiliani why he had been instrumental in getting two of Mumbai's most high-flying, controversial, and glamorous society divas together in this manner. As for us, we will only be able to tell if it was a friendly hug or a choking clasp, once we figure out which sister is which, in the pictures! Jus' sayin'.
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