"It's a week-long birthday party and I’m trying to play down my outfits," says Nisha JamVal, who along with husband, Tata head honcho Jammy JamVal is flying to England this week to attend the golden anniversary celebrations of Jeffrey Archer, best selling author and former politician, and his wife Mary Archer
"It's a week-long birthday party and I’m trying to play down my outfits," says Nisha JamVal, who along with husband, Tata head honcho Jammy JamVal is flying to England this week to attend the golden anniversary celebrations of Jeffrey Archer, best selling author and former politician, and his wife Mary Archer.
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The colourful Archer has been a long time friend of the couple’s and has even penned a story about their real-life romance. The ‘playing down of outfits’ is because of the Indian habit of OTT dressing, according to Nisha. “It’s a very English guest list and a summer event and though I’m packing three gowns, I keep having to remind myself to pare things down,” she says.
Nisha JamVal and Jeffrey Archer
Nisha best of all likes Archer for his typical British sense of wry humour. “He’s especially self deprecating, which is so witty,” she says. “So much like Jammy.” As for Archer’s affectionate nickname for the glamorous Mumbai hostess, “He calls me ‘despicable worm,’” she laughs. “I love it!”
The Blithe Spirit
In February, when a website had cited IPL architect and one of India’s most flamboyant fugitives in London (there are others) Lalit Modi as living the ‘ultimate chill life in exile,’ it had all seemed rather extraordinary.
Minal and Lalit Modi with Naomi Campbell
There was Modi in Cuba with Paris Hilton, celebrating Diwali with Naomi Campbell, on a beach in the Seychelles and living it up in private planes and uber luxe hotels; living the life of every man’s fantasy. And as if to prove his detractor’s wrong, the magical mystery tour never appears to end.
This weekend the bon vivant’s timeline indicated he was (where else, but) in the most glamorous seaside resort San Tropez in the French Riveira. ‘Who is in town’ he enquired blithely. And yes, the post received 117 likes on last count.
Aggressive Men, Aggressive Women
“The higher you go in this profession as a woman, the greater the abuse you will face from your male colleagues,” says Indira Jaising, the noted Delhi-based lawyer and the first woman to be appointed Additional Secretary General of India. Singh’s ire was directed towards a male colleague who had recently accused her of ‘screeching’; “It is an abuse reserved for woman,” she says, adding, “Perhaps I had good reason to scream.
Indira Jaising
I was arguing on behalf of a woman who was thrown out of her matrimonial home by an international banker, by the simple device of surrendering the premises to the employer and walking out of the job, leaving the woman to face prosecution by the company for being in unauthorised occupation.”
She says, “My male colleague was, of course, representing the happy husband, who had moved on to a new job, leaving her with two children to face the music. I had to tell him, ‘I am not screeching but preaching to you about the position of women in our society,’” said the quick-witted legal ace, adding “When a man is aggressive he is a ‘great lawyer,’ when a woman is aggressive, she is ‘hysterical.’ Indeed.
India Unlimited
Good to touch base with Amitabh Kant, widely believed to be the man behind the success of the ‘Make In India’ campaign and the creator of such successful initiatives as ‘Incredible India’, ‘God’s Own Country’ and ‘Atithi Devo Bhavah.’
Amitabh Kant’s London Metro campaign, which had witty visual word plays on popular English locales.
The IAS officer, who completed his tenure earlier this year as national secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, was commenting on news that India has been chosen to be the Partner Country for the World Travel Mart in November.
“I think it is an excellent move. India needs to build its brand equity and penetrate global markets,” said Kant, who belongs to the echelons of the twice born, having graduated in Eco Hons from St Stephens (a Delhi in-joke). “We must move away from mass tourism and focus on high value, up market destinations.
India was earlier Partner Country at ITB Berlin (billed as the ‘World’s Leading Travel Trade Show’) and had got rich dividends,” he said. And then he text messaged us a series of witty visual word plays on popular English locales with an Indian twist. “This is an earlier campaign which I had done at all of the London Metro stations. It was one of our most successful campaigns and will always remain fresh and contemporary.” Nice!
Designing Women
It was a happy and proud moment for Meghna Puri over the weekend, as the second-year students at Whistling Woods International’s newly launched School of Fashion and Design showcased its graduating collection on Sunday night.
Judged by a jury consisting of Meher Castellino, Sonal Jindal and Shireen Bharwani and choreographed by the talented Vahbiz Mehta, the latest addition to the country’s premier film school — jointly established with designer Neeta Lulla — had a special segment where students directed and styled their own fashion film as well and was seen as a vast improvement on last year’s show. Incidentally, these pictures feature Puri and Lulla on both occasions.
And whereas Puri looks more or less her charming self, Lulla looks… well, completely redesigned herself. Can a new hairstyle really make such a difference?
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