Brand New Do

LAST year, Delhi became a large part of my life. I was invited to the launch of a collection by Hemi Bawa at fashion designers Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna8217;s art gallery.

Typically, I dropped in for a few minutes and spent a few hours. The evening had an essence that I would love to bottle and open a restaurant with8212;a great mix of people, laughter and conversation, open-air space, superb hospitality, art and bonhomie plus an early winter nip. An evening like that far supercedes any restaurant, bar or club today.

In general, I love parties that are in the open, during the day or in some special setting. By special, I don8217;t mean loud music or themes. Just a personal touch to the decor, or an uncommon choice of venues makes it fabulous. For instance, wedding parties, out-of-town venues, or the Rotisserie at the Oberoi in Mumbai make for fantastic venues, simply because it8217;s a rare choice.

Like Malaika Arora Khan8217;s recent birthday party in Mumbai, which was one of my favourites. Set in JW Marriott8217;s Club Lounge, it made for a perfect venue8212;a lounge by the pool. The evening sizzled as young Bollywood let its hair down, and the suburbs of Mumbai reaffirmed their status as the country8217;s glamour centre. And a party can8217;t go wrong when you get to rub butts with the likes of Shah Rukh, Hritik, Salman and Preity, to say nothing of Shane Warne and Boris Becker.

While Malaika8217;s birthday bash set new trends, parties that are Mumbai institutions include Gautam and Nawaz Singhania8217;s annual bash at their Powai a Mumbai suburb home. I religiously attend it every year. Or parties like the one that Farzana Contractor, editor of Upper Crust, throws on her late husband Busybee8217;s former Afternoon editor, Behram Contractor birthday.

His goodwill and camaraderie are the focus of the bash. Everyone sings, dances and, above all, eats in memory of Behram. It8217;s nostalgia at its best.

And which ever city it8217;s in, the fashion week parties are my absolute favourite. The buzz around them is so heady that the week is now a permanent fixture on my must-do party list.

Though it is pretty obvious, another great way of making your party a hit is the right combination of food and drinks. When throwing a party at home, guests usually expect straight drinks. So offering a Caipiroska or Pina Colada will be a pleasant surprise.

These days, everyone8217;s into vodka-based drinks8212;vodka with Red Bull is something many try at bars and restaurants. Also try Martinis: It8217;s easy to prepare and lends itself to numerous variations, which works perfectly at a party.

With food, while a heavy duty buffet of Indian khaana is passe, people still love regional picks. A Koliwada fish or some Bengali variation of it and some biryani from a local hub works wonders. Essentially, a mix of cuisine is what one should weave in8212;from shawarma rolls to dosa counters and cold cuts.

But in the end, nothing is as much fun as being with your closest friends.