Sorry guys ('n gals)...no blogging from Bombay for about a week as I am in Gujarat at the moment. Currently posting from a hip cyber cafe in Ahmedabad. Travelling to Bhuj tomorrow, and from there hope to get about in the interiors of the Kutch region...something that I have always wanted to do! Its a 9-hour bus journey from here (400 kms), and nobody knows what I shall find once I get there. Scary, but fun!!! Wish me luck :)

Mumbai NGO Wins Award for Documentary

During the recent Environment and Wildlife Film Festival - Vatatvaran 2003 - held in New Delhi on the 18th, 19th and 20th November - there was good news for Mumbai based NGO Reef Watch. This year the theme at the festival was “Water for Life” and the festival had 154 entries of which 70 films were nominated for competition.

Reef Watch Marine Conservation entered the film “Troubled Waters”, an 18 minute underwater documentary on the issue of the rise in sea surface temperatures due to global warming and its effect on the coral reefs off the Lakshadweep coast, the effects of the El-Nino current and its devastation in 1998 and the slow regeneration of the coral reefs since then.

The film was awarded “Best Film of the Festival” for the uniqueness of its subject matter, its technical excellence and its sheer visual brilliance. ‘Troubled Waterconceptualizedtualised and directed and shot entirely by Sumer Verma, a dive instructor and a
working member of Reef Watch Marine Conservation. The film exists in English and Malayalam versions and will soon have a Hindi version too. The film was produced by
Mitali Kakar, Director of Reef Watch Marine Conservation.

The jury at the festival competition consisted of eminent persons from the fields of environment conservation and film making and also included people from government offices, including Mr Adoor Gopal Krishnan, Mr Ajay S. Mehta, Dr Mrs Nanditha Krishna, Mr Bittu Sahgal, Mr. M.C. Mehta, Prof. P.S. Ramakrishnan, Ms. Prerna Bindra, Mr. Rajiv Mehrotra and Ms. Usha Rai.

The standard of films showcased this year was very high and the festival had films made by other eminent documentary film makers like Mike Pandey, Niret and Nikhil Alva, the Bedi Brothers, Sanjay Duttari, etc.

I am totally and extremely bored. Eight straight days of writing 20-hours-a-day on exceptional hotels around the world for a coming special issue has left me totally brain dead! Terrible case of writer's block now, and I am not even halfway through my deadlines :(

Am taking myself off to Bachelors on Marine Drive, for the delectable Lichi ice cream. Have you tried it?? I believe they also serve excellent "Green Chilly" ice cream, but my taste buds haven't worked up the courage to try it yet!

Just finished watching Boom, although God alone knows why I bothered! The movie is DISGUSTING! Its actually soft porn, and nothing else. Wonder how the Big B agreed to work in such a demeaning movie!! Also thought that Katrina K would have more class. Guess, in the film world everything goes....

Tantra Thursday at Tres Botas

Tomorrow night will be the second Tantra Thursday at Bandra’s latest night spot Tres Botas. Currently on Tantra Thursdays, Rachel Sacks (co-owner of Tres Botas) jams, on the acoustic silver flute, to resident DJ Rohann’s blend of deep grooves and house.

Doors open at 8.00 p.m. and at around 10.00 p.m. Rachel & Rohann take control of the decks, lending the night a rare authenticity which along with the overall “Tapas Y Musica” ambience, exotically mixed drinks and unpretentious décor makes you feel like you’ve entered a friendly downtown Soho club in New York City!

And that it is precisely that kind of place!

Tres Botas is committed to giving Mumbai what it sorely lacks: different music, live performances of all sorts, gourmet tapas, expertly mixed drinks and, in fact, bring to this city an international club culture.

Me thinks I am growing old...did not go for Kelly Dorji's bash despite all good intentions, because a quiet night at home and the chance to catch up with pending work seemed just too tempting to resist!

Believe everybody had a great time there...Abhishek Bachchan, Karan Johar and a lot of New Zealand's cricketers turned out to applaud the first batch of models stepping out of Suede. Wonder how far these new guys will go in the coming future!! Here's wishing them all the best!

Velvet Lounge opens at Renaissance Hotel

What do you think of when you think of velvet? Decadence, sensuality, mystery, the smoothness of soft bare skin… altogether fabulous sensations you may have dreamt of dissolving into after a hard day’s work. If the luscious sensations of velvet could ever be combined into an experience, the new Velvet Lounge at the Renaissance Mumbai Hotel succeeds - and how!

Open from Thursday to Sunday from 20th November onwards, Velvet Lounge offers you a vast 3000 sq. meters of space to unwind at the end of the day. However, as the evening fades into night, the lounge effortlessly transforms itself into a nightclub with a DJ playing the latest Western and local pop as well as evergreen numbers. Mix-master extraordinaire, DJ Aqeel himself will be playing on Thursdays and Sundays with DJ Sunil playing on Fridays & Saturdays.

The opening party on the 14th of November saw the who’s who of Mumbai’s party people. Kishen Mulchandani, Fardeen Khan, Zayed Khan, Kamaal Khan, Achla Sachdeva, Ash Chandler, Farah Khan, Reshma Bombaywala and an overwhelming bevy of male and female models were seen rocking to the music of DJs Aqeel and Sunil.

The décor by interior decorator Rajeev Saini is colorful with an eclectic mix of orange, rust, olive, red and green. Bold colors and clean lines dominate the design, offering vivacious and sophisticated style. The mood is sensual and decadent with abundant candles, mosaic mirrors and pillars covered with, what else, velvet. Warm lighting reveals wooden flooring and soft textured furnishing of leather, velvet and net.

The bar offers a variety of scotch, wines, draughts, cocktails, breezers and shots. Food is simple but delicious with Italian woodside pizzas, short eats and finger food. Your pizza is prepared in front of you before baking in the wood-fire brick oven.

What is particularly unusual about the Velvet Lounge is its cosy courtyard with outdoor seating – quite delightful during those cool evenings for guests who wish to relax in a more intimate atmosphere. This open space flows into intimate nooks with low-slung communal tables perfect for deep, private conversations.

But what would a night out at the hippest new spot in town be without a human touch? For Velvet Lounge, this comes in the form of a sexy duo consisting of drop-dead gorgeous Kim (who’s friendly to boot) and Manish (who’ll whip up the coolest cocktails). Come with friends, come without friends – it really doesn’t matter!

And oh yes. It also happens to be the place to host happening launches, parties and fashion shows.

Saw a brilliant play yesterday...Anupam Kher's Kucchh Bhi Ho Sakta Hai! Its not easy to keep 500 people entranced while giving a monologue of your life's stoey for two-and-a-half hours, but Kher handles it with a finesse and aplombe that has always been unique to him. He made the audience swing from rib-hurting comedy to deep introspection and pathos in the twinkling of seconds all throughout.

What I especially liked about the play was its honesty. Its not everyday that such an established personality goes up on stage willingly and lays bare all his follies, imperfections, faliures and heartbreaks to the world. It was a tremendous act of courage!

What remained with me after the play was realization of the way in which all of us so often get wrapped up in our own sense of self-importance, that we simply fail to see how transitory our successes are, and how little we actually matter in the scheme of things.

Thanks, Anupam, for a wonderful evening!

Going for Suede's (Kelly Dorji's modelling academy) first event. Its at Red Light, Kala Ghoda. Lets hope there are lots of gorgeous guys around :)

2 media job openings in Bombay

This is a favor to a couple of friends in the journalism industry, both of who are looking for people to join their organization.

One is on the lookout for someone with 2-3 years experience to take on the role of Assistant Features Editor. This is for a major lifestyle magazine, which is part of an international media group and has an office in Bombay.

Second is for a start-up magazine, headed by veteran journalist Rauf Ahmed, and focussing on personalities. The post is that of Executive Editor, and is again Bombay based.

Cant tell more here, but if you are interested in knowing more email me on anubha76@anubhacharan.com ASAP!

Singles Night at Provogue Lounge

Tomorrow will see the first of the Provogue Lounge’s alternative therapy for men & women who like their nights out to be full of adventure and anonymity.

At “Singles Night” (scheduled to be held every second Tuesday of the month) people can only enter in pairs of the same sex and will be handed a purple heart at the door. The word ‘NO’ is taboo, and anyone who uses it loses their heart, albeit purple, to the rejected person.

And at the end (the very end!) of the night, the guy or girl who’s most plush with hearts gets a Fling Vodka hamper. And, if they’ve played their cards right, a new
friend who could graduate to “significant other”…?

It is not often that I get around to seeing a sunrise, unless I haven't yet gone to sleep from the night before, but witnessed one today, and let me tell you, a Bombay sunrise is amongst the most gorgeous marvels of nature! Especially if you see it across the waters...

Athena re-opened after its makeover yesterday. Looking good...well thought out interiors in relation to the space crunch that even the hugest clubs in Bombay face. White walls and details, spartan furnishings so as not to clutter the place and impede dancing and other movements, all made dramatic by extremely creative lighting effects and tons of candles! And, of course, wonderful wines and champagne from the Chowgules' to pep up the most happening party of the weekend!

Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems that while the women of Bombay are getting increasingly hipper and smarter, the guys are just letting themselves deteriorate...through the weekend's parties, have not seen even one guy who is worthy of a second look :( C'mon men, we women need our eye candy too!!!!

Was talking to a senior reporter whom I know from my CNN days. He was lamenting the state of most Indian news channels today. Since I get most of my news from the Net, and do not get around to seeing too much of it on TV, could not really contribute to the conversation then, but came back and watched a couple of shows on NDTV and Star News. And man, was it terrible. No substance, no technique, no style, no personality. It was like handing a camera to a 3-year-old and leaving him or her free to swing it wherever they want, with some ear-piercing shrieks to accompany the hotch potch of shots. This is for the ladies at Star News: When conventional broadcast journalism wisdom ask you to "throw your voice", they mean that the modulation should be crystal clear and engage the listener...they do not mean that you shout at the top of your voice and literally throw the words in a manner that they assault the ears of the TV audience!

TV is a complex medium. It needs special training and modulation of thought processes of the reporters. I guess this is the flip side of such user friendly technology that everybody can become a TV reporter, without any training whatsoever!

Its been the hottest October ever in Bombay, and the mercury shows no signs of dropping. Normally, by this time it starts getting cooler, but the heat is killing this year. Afternoons come in at something like 40 degrees, while even the nights do not get cooler than 3o degrees. On top of it, its stiflingly still and humid! Stepping out of the house is sheer torture, a fate to be reserved only for your worse enemies!

My sari did not unravel! Yippee :)

This has to rank amongst the best dinners I have ever attended in Bombay. Hosted by Nusli Wadia and the De Beers Group, in tribute to Rajmata Gayatri Devi, for just 100 people drawn from royalty and the Wadia's and the Rajmata's friends like Arvindsinhji of Udaipur, Sunil Gavaskar, Leander Paes, Ratan Tata, Simi Grewal, Jagjit Singh...it was very different in the sense that people were far more chilled out as they were enjoying being with friends and associates rather than being on display for the media or for the snobby socialite crowd. As Arvindsinhji put it, this was for people who really have nothing to prove to anybody! Had immense fun!

The diamonds were equally gorgeous. Gayatri Devi unveiled the Arisia Gayatri Devi Solitaire Range, which has just 200 limited edition pieces crafted around the rarest and most flawless contemporary diamonds mined by De Beers, so snap one up NOW if you want it. Each piece is initialled by the Rajmata herself. The first set was auctioned off for a final bid of Rs. 4,50,000! Most stunning were the two 5-karat pieces that had the Rajmata's image etched onto the diamond tablet itself, with a special technique that has been used for the first time in the world.

Some might consider this as a tribute to the Rajmata. To me, however, there can be no better tribute to the diamond than to have Gayatri Devi's image associated with it!

Me going for a dinner that sez "Dress Code: Diamonds" on the Invite. So, its mom to the rescue once again. There is no hope of finding anything remotely suitable in my collection, which is mostly abt silver and semi precious stones, and tons of kundan-work pieces!!!!

Second prob...wearing a sari...mom's saris are here, but she is in Pune. Who is going to help me?????? Just pray that the whole ensemble does not unravel in front of Rajmata Gayatri Devi, who I think is one of the most elegant ladies the world has ever seen :(