Small talk

Of glitz and glamour

8216;Marvellous Expressions8217;, a fashion and dance experience directed by ace couturier Hemant Trevedi and Sheetal Design Studio launched Marvel Zephyr at Marvel Isola, Pune. The evening kicked off with a dance performance by Nrityarutya dance academy. India8217;s top models such as Jesse Randhawa, Candice Pinto, Dipannita Sharma, Gauhar Khan, Nethra Raghuraman, Asif Azim, and Rahul Singh showcased 200 creations through eight themes, Bridal, Moghul, Cocktail, Sari, Lounge, Rajasthan. Dreamy Whites and Bridal Panetar. True to Trevedi8217;s signature style, the creations blended rich Indian hues and patterns with sensible western cuts. From ethereal innocence to retro and risqueacute; each round set off a different mood for the evening. Also present at the event was the debonair Kabir Bedi with his daughter Pooja Bedi, Randhir Kapoor, Pankaj Udhas and ex 8211; Commissioner of Pune Arun Bhatia. The showstopper of the evening though was the gorgeous Malaika Arora Khan sashaying down the ramp, making it the Saturday night party to be at.

The right chord

While it was a journey down memory lane for the 84-year-old B D Pisal to attend the live concert of Ghazal maestro Gulam Ali, it proved equally mesmerising for the 24-year old Shailesh, a student. The wah-wah came with equal enthusiasm on each sher that the maestro said. A live concert of the legendary singer was jointly organised by Banyan Tree Events and Tata Indicom, which witnessed more than 1,300 people coming to enjoy the captivating performance of the legend. The event was named as Tere Sherhar Mein.

While the Ghazal maestro rendered his old and new numbers, the audience couldn8217;t help but applaud the depth and beauty of the composition. His signature composition, Chupke chupke raat din stole the show.

Sudhir Phatak, a listener, was not only reminded of his youthful days but also the effort that he had taken in arranging for the cassettes and recordings. 8220;We used all our networking to grab a copy of his recordings and spent hours listening to him. He can make a painful moment sound melodious,8221; says Phatak.

Though his latest composition, which were sung in his impressive style and with a lot of improvisation, received a lot of appreciation, his old hits like Hungama hai kyu barpa, Hum ko kis ke gham ne maara, and Who jo hum mein tum mein karaar tha sent the crowd on a frenzy, not one could resist demanding an encore. The magic continued post event as people came out humming from the auditorium.

The humble artiste made all efforts to sing all the songs that were demanded by the audience. And said, 8220;When I come to Pune, I feel as if I am in my own home.8221;