Dress Code: blue

On Saturday afternoon,big blue balloons and bridesmaids in azure frocks greeted guests at the gate of Singh’s Olive restaurant at Mumbai’s Racecourse. And a buffet table groaned with candy at the entrance. If that wasn’t sweet enough,the cocktails — right from Caipirojcas to champagne cocktails — came with a lolly for a stirrer.

The belle of the ball (even though she looked like she had swallowed a ball) glowed with the proverbial maternal shine,despite a beautiful batik one-shoulder shift dress. She was on her feet the whole time,with AD fussing about her. “She won’t sit down,” he grumbled indulgently,“Can you believe Zeba and she have just returned from a shopping expedition in Bangkok?”

Most of old Mumbai was there — the city’s first page-three brigade — before the starlets and wanna-shines took over. Sangita Kathiwada looked regal in a cerulean floor-length gown. Looking like a radiant flower princess in a printed maxi-dress,Simone Singh matched husband,the unstoppable wit,Fahad Samaar’s boho shirt and pink aviators. One-time party perennial Kishe Mulchandani lamented:

“I’ve just stopped going out. All the events today are centred around women. And yet,where is India’s Lady Gaga? Which celebrity do you see really pushing the envelope?”

Graphic artist Divya Thakur indulged in some girlie bonding with Sushma Reddy,and Arti Surendrenath chatted about her recent hols in Italy. The presents poured in plenty,but while Sabina cut her cake to loud cheers,show-stealer Prahlad Kakar walked in with a man in a bear’s suit,to give the girl a “real bear hug”.