Citygritty 8212; Pune

Red hot and happeningIf you thought all the action was in Mumbai, think again. For amche Pune will soon be host to one of the most happening...

Red hot and happening
If you thought all the action was in Mumbai, think again. For amche Pune will soon be host to one of the most happening events in the country 8211; the final round of the Femina Miss India contest. Thirty girls from all India will first head for Chennai on January 6, 1999, for the preliminary round, and then to Pune for the final, nail-biting event on January 16, 1999.

To be held at the cricket lawns of the Poona Club, the entertainment itinerary for the evening will consist of a fusion of Indian and Western elements, but the cherry on this elaborate icing will, of course, be the contest itself. The Pune Festival, the Society Collection and now the Femina Miss India show8230; phew, Puneites will soon be reeling from so many events to go to!

Jam-packed!
Though Jazz Garden does have great music with the food every weekend, this Friday promises to beat all the previous nights. The Bacardi Jam at the restaurant will have hotshots from the music world playing from 8.30 p.m. onwards. The ones to watch out for are Koko guitar, Rocky Vaz saxophone, Milind Date flute, Mumbai8217;s Victor Tannen and local groups, The Front, Airwave, Harlequin, Karma and Agni. For Jazz lovers, tonight8217;s the night.

Canvasing the world
This is the artist8217;s 72nd exhibition, and he8217;s still going strong. Ahmedabad-based Prem Raval is presently exhibiting his paintings at the Balgandharva Kala Dalan up to November 30. His vision of the world is encompassed in oils on canvas or oil paper.

8220;For me, the process of painting involves an in-depth study of colour and the rhythmic movement of creation,8221; he explains, admitting that like anyone else, he is affected by the environment, which is reflected in his work. His paintings are thoughtful images of issues that interest him. Raval has exhibited his works all over India and in USA and Germany as well. A must-see for art buffs.

Without reservations
Embarking on a train journey may not be the jet-set crowd8217;s idea of an ideal way to spend a Friday night, but Genesis, the event management company, seems ready to change all that. Courtesy its current freaky Friday theme 8211; a train journey!

So not only is Totem Pole, Holiday Inn, going to resound with hip-hop, retro and techno on November 27, but there will even be a shoeshine boy, a newspaper-walla and a band of street-dancers to create the perfect railway platform ambience. With posters of songs revolving around trains like Chaiyya Chaiyya and inspired graffiti such as To stop drain, pull chain,8217; the evening sure seems to be one headed towards a destination called fun.8217;Papad-razzi!

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November 25 was Meatless Day, the occasion being Sadhu T.L.Vaswani8217;s birth anniversary. Dada J.P. Vaswani, the spiritual head of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, addressed a large crowd comprising mostly the enterprising Sindhi community. Talking of enterprise, it was much in evident outside the gates of the mission that evening. Papads, the hot favourite on any Sindhi family8217;s dining table, were being sold by hawkers, and needless to say, they were in hot demand. Along with this were other crunchy-munchies. Boy, didn8217;t this smart idea reap rich dividends or what!