For someone born in the 50s, Chairman and MD of the Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra is an example of how seniors can adapt effectively to social media
Thangavelu Mariyappan. Pic/AFP
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For someone born in the 50s, Chairman and MD of the Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra is an example of how seniors can adapt effectively to social media.
The Harvard educated, urbane and articulate corporate leader, won himself an immense following on Twitter yesterday, because of his prompt and spontaneous response to Thangavelu Mariyappan’s gold at the Rio Paralympics.
Anand Mahindra
He created a Twitter handle, #TharforMariyappan, which garnered much response from the plucky sportsman’s legion of fans. Mahindra had promised Rs 10 lakh from his personal account for the gold win. ‘His paralympian gold was achieved against higher odds. His was a #Rise moment,’ he wrote. Nice!
Mystery buyer is Indian
On the morning of the sale of Akbar Padamsee’s ‘Greek Landscape’ at Saffronart’s autumn auction in Delhi, which had sold for Rs 19 crore, way above the expected price, we had carried a piece on its sale, ending with a heartfelt plea from journalist Sunil Sethi, that it should be purchased by ‘a generous public-spirited Indian benefactor so that this marvelous work becomes accessible to art lovers.’
Akbar Padamsee’s Greek Landscape
Speaking to Saffronart’s Dinesh Vazirani, who conducted the auction, we learnt that it had bought by an international buyer and so it will be leaving the country. And of course Vazirani could not divulge the name of the buyer. But he did share that the buyer is an Indian. So though hopes that it would remain in India have not been fulfilled, the fact that it is still in Indian ownership comes as a relief for its admirers.
Dinesh Vazirani
As for what’s next on his anvil, Vazirani spoke of the upcoming jewellery and antiquities sale in October featuring period pieces, rare stones. “And you’re confident that there are people who want to spend on such purchases,” we said, alluding to the perception of jittery markets and cagey consumers. “I am confident that when it comes to rare objects people are interested,” said the man who had recently seen a 100 per cent increase on a canvas he’d sold.
No child’s play
And from Maximum City comes news of the latest instance of conspicuous consumption. This time displayed by the over enthusiastic parents of a six-year-old whose birthday party appears to have cost anything between Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1 crore.
The goodies and highlights included one of SoBo’s open-air stadiums to host the event, and as many as they could collect in their shopping carts, as give back presents for the guests. The previous such extravaganza was heard of when it was a three-year-old’s party last year. It appears inflation has caught up with extravagance-and OTT by alarming rates.
Literature in the hills
Niloufer Billimoria, who works tirelessly to ensure that her partner, Rahul Singh’s, literature festival in tribute of his late father Khuswant Singh, is a thing of beauty and a joy forever, brought us up to speed on this year’s highlights.
Khushwant Singh, Mark Tully, Milkha Singh and Rajmohan Gandhi
To be held from Friday, October 14 to Sunday, October 16, as usual in Kasauli, the hill station where the where the writer spent his summers, the fifth Khushwant Singh Literary Festival has ‘Breaking barriers,’ as its theme. “It reflects the unconventional thinking of Khushwant Singh, as well as others who have transcended the conventional in their field,” she said when we spoke last evening.
“The history of accomplishment is the story of people who have dared to dream and do. Whether they are the Don Quixotes of the world or the Mahatma. This year we will be celebrating the breakthroughs of accomplishment despite odds,” she said about the festival, which, since the four years since it began has featured a legion of eminent people, such as Mark Tully, Milkha Singh, Rajmohan Gandhi, Rahul Bose, Dr Farooq Abdullah, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Capt Amrinder Singh, Salman Khurshid, and movie star Om Puri.
“Breaking barriers applies to the world of science too,” says Billimoria. “Weaving science and narrative, will we be able to break the barriers of pain and genetic illnesses?” she adds. But for those who think the festival is only one for talking heads and thinking minds, there is a lot more: “How can a Khushwant Singh fest do without women and poetry?” asks Billimoria alluding to Singh’s legendary fondness for both. And so interspersed between the seminars and readings there will be a lot of both. In memory of a man as colourful, as he was erudite.
Reliving her story
The late poet Kamala Das had not only been a dear friend, but an inspiration, and muse in the days when we used to meet her at her airy apartment in Churchgate’s Bank House, and so when her son, Jaisurya Das, informed us of the upcoming shoot of the biopic being produced on the legendary poet, we were naturally thrilled.
Vidya Balan studies Kamala Das for the movie
Starring Vidya Balan in the lead role, the film also features such talents as Oscar winner Resul Pookutty, musician Taufiq Qureshi, cinematographer Madhu Neelakantan and singer Shreya Ghoshal. “We expect to commence shoot in the first week of October when Vidya is done with Kahaani 2,” says the Pune-based Jaisurya, who says he has been ‘fairly involved and has been in touch constantly,’ both from a script point of view, as well as helming on research and information.
What would Kamala have felt about the choice of actress playing her and about the film in general? “I think she would have been very happy with the way it’s shaped up. Am not sure if she saw any of Vidya’s films but am sure if they had met, amma would have loved her simplicity, elegance and acting prowess...” says Jaisurya.
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